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1 *eval.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Nov 27
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Expression evaluation *expression* *expr* *E15* *eval*
9 Using expressions is introduced in chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
11 Note: Expression evaluation can be disabled at compile time. If this has been
12 done, the features in this document are not available. See |+eval| and
13 |no-eval-feature|.
15 1. Variables |variables|
16 1.1 Variable types
17 1.2 Function references |Funcref|
18 1.3 Lists |Lists|
19 1.4 Dictionaries |Dictionaries|
20 1.5 More about variables |more-variables|
21 2. Expression syntax |expression-syntax|
22 3. Internal variable |internal-variables|
23 4. Builtin Functions |functions|
24 5. Defining functions |user-functions|
25 6. Curly braces names |curly-braces-names|
26 7. Commands |expression-commands|
27 8. Exception handling |exception-handling|
28 9. Examples |eval-examples|
29 10. No +eval feature |no-eval-feature|
30 11. The sandbox |eval-sandbox|
31 12. Textlock |textlock|
33 {Vi does not have any of these commands}
35 ==============================================================================
36 1. Variables *variables*
38 1.1 Variable types ~
39 *E712*
40 There are six types of variables:
42 Number A 32 bit signed number. |expr-number| *Number*
43 Examples: -123 0x10 0177
45 Float A floating point number. |floating-point-format| *Float*
46 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
47 Examples: 123.456 1.15e-6 -1.1e3
49 String A NUL terminated string of 8-bit unsigned characters (bytes).
50 |expr-string| Examples: "ab\txx\"--" 'x-z''a,c'
52 Funcref A reference to a function |Funcref|.
53 Example: function("strlen")
55 List An ordered sequence of items |List|.
56 Example: [1, 2, ['a', 'b']]
58 Dictionary An associative, unordered array: Each entry has a key and a
59 value. |Dictionary|
60 Example: {'blue': "#0000ff", 'red': "#ff0000"}
62 The Number and String types are converted automatically, depending on how they
63 are used.
65 Conversion from a Number to a String is by making the ASCII representation of
66 the Number. Examples: >
67 Number 123 --> String "123"
68 Number 0 --> String "0"
69 Number -1 --> String "-1"
71 Conversion from a String to a Number is done by converting the first digits
72 to a number. Hexadecimal "0xf9" and Octal "017" numbers are recognized. If
73 the String doesn't start with digits, the result is zero. Examples: >
74 String "456" --> Number 456
75 String "6bar" --> Number 6
76 String "foo" --> Number 0
77 String "0xf1" --> Number 241
78 String "0100" --> Number 64
79 String "-8" --> Number -8
80 String "+8" --> Number 0
82 To force conversion from String to Number, add zero to it: >
83 :echo "0100" + 0
84 < 64 ~
86 To avoid a leading zero to cause octal conversion, or for using a different
87 base, use |str2nr()|.
89 For boolean operators Numbers are used. Zero is FALSE, non-zero is TRUE.
91 Note that in the command >
92 :if "foo"
93 "foo" is converted to 0, which means FALSE. To test for a non-empty string,
94 use strlen(): >
95 :if strlen("foo")
96 < *E745* *E728* *E703* *E729* *E730* *E731*
97 List, Dictionary and Funcref types are not automatically converted.
99 *E805* *E806* *E808*
100 When mixing Number and Float the Number is converted to Float. Otherwise
101 there is no automatic conversion of Float. You can use str2float() for String
102 to Float, printf() for Float to String and float2nr() for Float to Number.
104 *E706* *sticky-type-checking*
105 You will get an error if you try to change the type of a variable. You need
106 to |:unlet| it first to avoid this error. String and Number are considered
107 equivalent though, as well are Float and Number. Consider this sequence of
108 commands: >
109 :let l = "string"
110 :let l = 44 " changes type from String to Number
111 :let l = [1, 2, 3] " error! l is still a Number
112 :let l = 4.4 " changes type from Number to Float
113 :let l = "string" " error!
116 1.2 Function references ~
117 *Funcref* *E695* *E718*
118 A Funcref variable is obtained with the |function()| function. It can be used
119 in an expression in the place of a function name, before the parenthesis
120 around the arguments, to invoke the function it refers to. Example: >
122 :let Fn = function("MyFunc")
123 :echo Fn()
124 < *E704* *E705* *E707*
125 A Funcref variable must start with a capital, "s:", "w:", "t:" or "b:". You
126 cannot have both a Funcref variable and a function with the same name.
128 A special case is defining a function and directly assigning its Funcref to a
129 Dictionary entry. Example: >
130 :function dict.init() dict
131 : let self.val = 0
132 :endfunction
134 The key of the Dictionary can start with a lower case letter. The actual
135 function name is not used here. Also see |numbered-function|.
137 A Funcref can also be used with the |:call| command: >
138 :call Fn()
139 :call dict.init()
141 The name of the referenced function can be obtained with |string()|. >
142 :let func = string(Fn)
144 You can use |call()| to invoke a Funcref and use a list variable for the
145 arguments: >
146 :let r = call(Fn, mylist)
149 1.3 Lists ~
150 *List* *Lists* *E686*
151 A List is an ordered sequence of items. An item can be of any type. Items
152 can be accessed by their index number. Items can be added and removed at any
153 position in the sequence.
156 List creation ~
157 *E696* *E697*
158 A List is created with a comma separated list of items in square brackets.
159 Examples: >
160 :let mylist = [1, two, 3, "four"]
161 :let emptylist = []
163 An item can be any expression. Using a List for an item creates a
164 List of Lists: >
165 :let nestlist = [[11, 12], [21, 22], [31, 32]]
167 An extra comma after the last item is ignored.
170 List index ~
171 *list-index* *E684*
172 An item in the List can be accessed by putting the index in square brackets
173 after the List. Indexes are zero-based, thus the first item has index zero. >
174 :let item = mylist[0] " get the first item: 1
175 :let item = mylist[2] " get the third item: 3
177 When the resulting item is a list this can be repeated: >
178 :let item = nestlist[0][1] " get the first list, second item: 12
179 <
180 A negative index is counted from the end. Index -1 refers to the last item in
181 the List, -2 to the last but one item, etc. >
182 :let last = mylist[-1] " get the last item: "four"
184 To avoid an error for an invalid index use the |get()| function. When an item
185 is not available it returns zero or the default value you specify: >
186 :echo get(mylist, idx)
187 :echo get(mylist, idx, "NONE")
190 List concatenation ~
192 Two lists can be concatenated with the "+" operator: >
193 :let longlist = mylist + [5, 6]
194 :let mylist += [7, 8]
196 To prepend or append an item turn the item into a list by putting [] around
197 it. To change a list in-place see |list-modification| below.
200 Sublist ~
202 A part of the List can be obtained by specifying the first and last index,
203 separated by a colon in square brackets: >
204 :let shortlist = mylist[2:-1] " get List [3, "four"]
206 Omitting the first index is similar to zero. Omitting the last index is
207 similar to -1. >
208 :let endlist = mylist[2:] " from item 2 to the end: [3, "four"]
209 :let shortlist = mylist[2:2] " List with one item: [3]
210 :let otherlist = mylist[:] " make a copy of the List
212 If the first index is beyond the last item of the List or the second item is
213 before the first item, the result is an empty list. There is no error
214 message.
216 If the second index is equal to or greater than the length of the list the
217 length minus one is used: >
218 :let mylist = [0, 1, 2, 3]
219 :echo mylist[2:8] " result: [2, 3]
221 NOTE: mylist[s:e] means using the variable "s:e" as index. Watch out for
222 using a single letter variable before the ":". Insert a space when needed:
223 mylist[s : e].
226 List identity ~
227 *list-identity*
228 When variable "aa" is a list and you assign it to another variable "bb", both
229 variables refer to the same list. Thus changing the list "aa" will also
230 change "bb": >
231 :let aa = [1, 2, 3]
232 :let bb = aa
233 :call add(aa, 4)
234 :echo bb
235 < [1, 2, 3, 4]
237 Making a copy of a list is done with the |copy()| function. Using [:] also
238 works, as explained above. This creates a shallow copy of the list: Changing
239 a list item in the list will also change the item in the copied list: >
240 :let aa = [[1, 'a'], 2, 3]
241 :let bb = copy(aa)
242 :call add(aa, 4)
243 :let aa[0][1] = 'aaa'
244 :echo aa
245 < [[1, aaa], 2, 3, 4] >
246 :echo bb
247 < [[1, aaa], 2, 3]
249 To make a completely independent list use |deepcopy()|. This also makes a
250 copy of the values in the list, recursively. Up to a hundred levels deep.
252 The operator "is" can be used to check if two variables refer to the same
253 List. "isnot" does the opposite. In contrast "==" compares if two lists have
254 the same value. >
255 :let alist = [1, 2, 3]
256 :let blist = [1, 2, 3]
257 :echo alist is blist
258 < 0 >
259 :echo alist == blist
260 < 1
262 Note about comparing lists: Two lists are considered equal if they have the
263 same length and all items compare equal, as with using "==". There is one
264 exception: When comparing a number with a string they are considered
265 different. There is no automatic type conversion, as with using "==" on
266 variables. Example: >
267 echo 4 == "4"
268 < 1 >
269 echo [4] == ["4"]
270 < 0
272 Thus comparing Lists is more strict than comparing numbers and strings. You
273 can compare simple values this way too by putting them in a list: >
275 :let a = 5
276 :let b = "5"
277 :echo a == b
278 < 1 >
279 :echo [a] == [b]
280 < 0
283 List unpack ~
285 To unpack the items in a list to individual variables, put the variables in
286 square brackets, like list items: >
287 :let [var1, var2] = mylist
289 When the number of variables does not match the number of items in the list
290 this produces an error. To handle any extra items from the list append ";"
291 and a variable name: >
292 :let [var1, var2; rest] = mylist
294 This works like: >
295 :let var1 = mylist[0]
296 :let var2 = mylist[1]
297 :let rest = mylist[2:]
299 Except that there is no error if there are only two items. "rest" will be an
300 empty list then.
303 List modification ~
304 *list-modification*
305 To change a specific item of a list use |:let| this way: >
306 :let list[4] = "four"
307 :let listlist[0][3] = item
309 To change part of a list you can specify the first and last item to be
310 modified. The value must at least have the number of items in the range: >
311 :let list[3:5] = [3, 4, 5]
313 Adding and removing items from a list is done with functions. Here are a few
314 examples: >
315 :call insert(list, 'a') " prepend item 'a'
316 :call insert(list, 'a', 3) " insert item 'a' before list[3]
317 :call add(list, "new") " append String item
318 :call add(list, [1, 2]) " append a List as one new item
319 :call extend(list, [1, 2]) " extend the list with two more items
320 :let i = remove(list, 3) " remove item 3
321 :unlet list[3] " idem
322 :let l = remove(list, 3, -1) " remove items 3 to last item
323 :unlet list[3 : ] " idem
324 :call filter(list, 'v:val !~ "x"') " remove items with an 'x'
326 Changing the order of items in a list: >
327 :call sort(list) " sort a list alphabetically
328 :call reverse(list) " reverse the order of items
331 For loop ~
333 The |:for| loop executes commands for each item in a list. A variable is set
334 to each item in the list in sequence. Example: >
335 :for item in mylist
336 : call Doit(item)
337 :endfor
339 This works like: >
340 :let index = 0
341 :while index < len(mylist)
342 : let item = mylist[index]
343 : :call Doit(item)
344 : let index = index + 1
345 :endwhile
347 Note that all items in the list should be of the same type, otherwise this
348 results in error |E706|. To avoid this |:unlet| the variable at the end of
349 the loop.
351 If all you want to do is modify each item in the list then the |map()|
352 function will be a simpler method than a for loop.
354 Just like the |:let| command, |:for| also accepts a list of variables. This
355 requires the argument to be a list of lists. >
356 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 8], [3, 0]]
357 : call Doit(lnum, col)
358 :endfor
360 This works like a |:let| command is done for each list item. Again, the types
361 must remain the same to avoid an error.
363 It is also possible to put remaining items in a List variable: >
364 :for [i, j; rest] in listlist
365 : call Doit(i, j)
366 : if !empty(rest)
367 : echo "remainder: " . string(rest)
368 : endif
369 :endfor
372 List functions ~
373 *E714*
374 Functions that are useful with a List: >
375 :let r = call(funcname, list) " call a function with an argument list
376 :if empty(list) " check if list is empty
377 :let l = len(list) " number of items in list
378 :let big = max(list) " maximum value in list
379 :let small = min(list) " minimum value in list
380 :let xs = count(list, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in list
381 :let i = index(list, 'x') " index of first 'x' in list
382 :let lines = getline(1, 10) " get ten text lines from buffer
383 :call append('$', lines) " append text lines in buffer
384 :let list = split("a b c") " create list from items in a string
385 :let string = join(list, ', ') " create string from list items
386 :let s = string(list) " String representation of list
387 :call map(list, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
389 Don't forget that a combination of features can make things simple. For
390 example, to add up all the numbers in a list: >
391 :exe 'let sum = ' . join(nrlist, '+')
394 1.4 Dictionaries ~
395 *Dictionaries* *Dictionary*
396 A Dictionary is an associative array: Each entry has a key and a value. The
397 entry can be located with the key. The entries are stored without a specific
398 ordering.
401 Dictionary creation ~
402 *E720* *E721* *E722* *E723*
403 A Dictionary is created with a comma separated list of entries in curly
404 braces. Each entry has a key and a value, separated by a colon. Each key can
405 only appear once. Examples: >
406 :let mydict = {1: 'one', 2: 'two', 3: 'three'}
407 :let emptydict = {}
408 < *E713* *E716* *E717*
409 A key is always a String. You can use a Number, it will be converted to a
410 String automatically. Thus the String '4' and the number 4 will find the same
411 entry. Note that the String '04' and the Number 04 are different, since the
412 Number will be converted to the String '4'.
414 A value can be any expression. Using a Dictionary for a value creates a
415 nested Dictionary: >
416 :let nestdict = {1: {11: 'a', 12: 'b'}, 2: {21: 'c'}}
418 An extra comma after the last entry is ignored.
421 Accessing entries ~
423 The normal way to access an entry is by putting the key in square brackets: >
424 :let val = mydict["one"]
425 :let mydict["four"] = 4
427 You can add new entries to an existing Dictionary this way, unlike Lists.
429 For keys that consist entirely of letters, digits and underscore the following
430 form can be used |expr-entry|: >
431 :let val = mydict.one
432 :let mydict.four = 4
434 Since an entry can be any type, also a List and a Dictionary, the indexing and
435 key lookup can be repeated: >
436 :echo dict.key[idx].key
439 Dictionary to List conversion ~
441 You may want to loop over the entries in a dictionary. For this you need to
442 turn the Dictionary into a List and pass it to |:for|.
444 Most often you want to loop over the keys, using the |keys()| function: >
445 :for key in keys(mydict)
446 : echo key . ': ' . mydict[key]
447 :endfor
449 The List of keys is unsorted. You may want to sort them first: >
450 :for key in sort(keys(mydict))
452 To loop over the values use the |values()| function: >
453 :for v in values(mydict)
454 : echo "value: " . v
455 :endfor
457 If you want both the key and the value use the |items()| function. It returns
458 a List in which each item is a List with two items, the key and the value: >
459 :for [key, value] in items(mydict)
460 : echo key . ': ' . value
461 :endfor
464 Dictionary identity ~
465 *dict-identity*
466 Just like Lists you need to use |copy()| and |deepcopy()| to make a copy of a
467 Dictionary. Otherwise, assignment results in referring to the same
468 Dictionary: >
469 :let onedict = {'a': 1, 'b': 2}
470 :let adict = onedict
471 :let adict['a'] = 11
472 :echo onedict['a']
473 11
475 Two Dictionaries compare equal if all the key-value pairs compare equal. For
476 more info see |list-identity|.
479 Dictionary modification ~
480 *dict-modification*
481 To change an already existing entry of a Dictionary, or to add a new entry,
482 use |:let| this way: >
483 :let dict[4] = "four"
484 :let dict['one'] = item
486 Removing an entry from a Dictionary is done with |remove()| or |:unlet|.
487 Three ways to remove the entry with key "aaa" from dict: >
488 :let i = remove(dict, 'aaa')
489 :unlet dict.aaa
490 :unlet dict['aaa']
492 Merging a Dictionary with another is done with |extend()|: >
493 :call extend(adict, bdict)
494 This extends adict with all entries from bdict. Duplicate keys cause entries
495 in adict to be overwritten. An optional third argument can change this.
496 Note that the order of entries in a Dictionary is irrelevant, thus don't
497 expect ":echo adict" to show the items from bdict after the older entries in
498 adict.
500 Weeding out entries from a Dictionary can be done with |filter()|: >
501 :call filter(dict, 'v:val =~ "x"')
502 This removes all entries from "dict" with a value not matching 'x'.
505 Dictionary function ~
506 *Dictionary-function* *self* *E725*
507 When a function is defined with the "dict" attribute it can be used in a
508 special way with a dictionary. Example: >
509 :function Mylen() dict
510 : return len(self.data)
511 :endfunction
512 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3], 'len': function("Mylen")}
513 :echo mydict.len()
515 This is like a method in object oriented programming. The entry in the
516 Dictionary is a |Funcref|. The local variable "self" refers to the dictionary
517 the function was invoked from.
519 It is also possible to add a function without the "dict" attribute as a
520 Funcref to a Dictionary, but the "self" variable is not available then.
522 *numbered-function* *anonymous-function*
523 To avoid the extra name for the function it can be defined and directly
524 assigned to a Dictionary in this way: >
525 :let mydict = {'data': [0, 1, 2, 3]}
526 :function mydict.len() dict
527 : return len(self.data)
528 :endfunction
529 :echo mydict.len()
531 The function will then get a number and the value of dict.len is a |Funcref|
532 that references this function. The function can only be used through a
533 |Funcref|. It will automatically be deleted when there is no |Funcref|
534 remaining that refers to it.
536 It is not necessary to use the "dict" attribute for a numbered function.
539 Functions for Dictionaries ~
540 *E715*
541 Functions that can be used with a Dictionary: >
542 :if has_key(dict, 'foo') " TRUE if dict has entry with key "foo"
543 :if empty(dict) " TRUE if dict is empty
544 :let l = len(dict) " number of items in dict
545 :let big = max(dict) " maximum value in dict
546 :let small = min(dict) " minimum value in dict
547 :let xs = count(dict, 'x') " count nr of times 'x' appears in dict
548 :let s = string(dict) " String representation of dict
549 :call map(dict, '">> " . v:val') " prepend ">> " to each item
552 1.5 More about variables ~
553 *more-variables*
554 If you need to know the type of a variable or expression, use the |type()|
555 function.
557 When the '!' flag is included in the 'viminfo' option, global variables that
558 start with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase letter, are
559 stored in the viminfo file |viminfo-file|.
561 When the 'sessionoptions' option contains "global", global variables that
562 start with an uppercase letter and contain at least one lowercase letter are
563 stored in the session file |session-file|.
565 variable name can be stored where ~
566 my_var_6 not
567 My_Var_6 session file
568 MY_VAR_6 viminfo file
571 It's possible to form a variable name with curly braces, see
572 |curly-braces-names|.
574 ==============================================================================
575 2. Expression syntax *expression-syntax*
577 Expression syntax summary, from least to most significant:
579 |expr1| expr2 ? expr1 : expr1 if-then-else
581 |expr2| expr3 || expr3 .. logical OR
583 |expr3| expr4 && expr4 .. logical AND
585 |expr4| expr5 == expr5 equal
586 expr5 != expr5 not equal
587 expr5 > expr5 greater than
588 expr5 >= expr5 greater than or equal
589 expr5 < expr5 smaller than
590 expr5 <= expr5 smaller than or equal
591 expr5 =~ expr5 regexp matches
592 expr5 !~ expr5 regexp doesn't match
594 expr5 ==? expr5 equal, ignoring case
595 expr5 ==# expr5 equal, match case
596 etc. As above, append ? for ignoring case, # for
597 matching case
599 expr5 is expr5 same |List| instance
600 expr5 isnot expr5 different |List| instance
602 |expr5| expr6 + expr6 .. number addition or list concatenation
603 expr6 - expr6 .. number subtraction
604 expr6 . expr6 .. string concatenation
606 |expr6| expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication
607 expr7 / expr7 .. number division
608 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo
610 |expr7| ! expr7 logical NOT
611 - expr7 unary minus
612 + expr7 unary plus
615 |expr8| expr8[expr1] byte of a String or item of a |List|
616 expr8[expr1 : expr1] substring of a String or sublist of a |List|
617 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary|
618 expr8(expr1, ...) function call with |Funcref| variable
620 |expr9| number number constant
621 "string" string constant, backslash is special
622 'string' string constant, ' is doubled
623 [expr1, ...] |List|
624 {expr1: expr1, ...} |Dictionary|
625 &option option value
626 (expr1) nested expression
627 variable internal variable
628 va{ria}ble internal variable with curly braces
629 $VAR environment variable
630 @r contents of register 'r'
631 function(expr1, ...) function call
632 func{ti}on(expr1, ...) function call with curly braces
635 ".." indicates that the operations in this level can be concatenated.
636 Example: >
637 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
639 All expressions within one level are parsed from left to right.
642 expr1 *expr1* *E109*
643 -----
645 expr2 ? expr1 : expr1
647 The expression before the '?' is evaluated to a number. If it evaluates to
648 non-zero, the result is the value of the expression between the '?' and ':',
649 otherwise the result is the value of the expression after the ':'.
650 Example: >
651 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum
653 Since the first expression is an "expr2", it cannot contain another ?:. The
654 other two expressions can, thus allow for recursive use of ?:.
655 Example: >
656 :echo lnum == 1 ? "top" : lnum == 1000 ? "last" : lnum
658 To keep this readable, using |line-continuation| is suggested: >
659 :echo lnum == 1
660 :\ ? "top"
661 :\ : lnum == 1000
662 :\ ? "last"
663 :\ : lnum
665 You should always put a space before the ':', otherwise it can be mistaken for
666 use in a variable such as "a:1".
669 expr2 and expr3 *expr2* *expr3*
670 ---------------
672 *expr-barbar* *expr-&&*
673 The "||" and "&&" operators take one argument on each side. The arguments
674 are (converted to) Numbers. The result is:
676 input output ~
677 n1 n2 n1 || n2 n1 && n2 ~
678 zero zero zero zero
679 zero non-zero non-zero zero
680 non-zero zero non-zero zero
681 non-zero non-zero non-zero non-zero
683 The operators can be concatenated, for example: >
685 &nu || &list && &shell == "csh"
687 Note that "&&" takes precedence over "||", so this has the meaning of: >
689 &nu || (&list && &shell == "csh")
691 Once the result is known, the expression "short-circuits", that is, further
692 arguments are not evaluated. This is like what happens in C. For example: >
694 let a = 1
695 echo a || b
697 This is valid even if there is no variable called "b" because "a" is non-zero,
698 so the result must be non-zero. Similarly below: >
700 echo exists("b") && b == "yes"
702 This is valid whether "b" has been defined or not. The second clause will
703 only be evaluated if "b" has been defined.
706 expr4 *expr4*
707 -----
709 expr5 {cmp} expr5
711 Compare two expr5 expressions, resulting in a 0 if it evaluates to false, or 1
712 if it evaluates to true.
714 *expr-==* *expr-!=* *expr->* *expr->=*
715 *expr-<* *expr-<=* *expr-=~* *expr-!~*
716 *expr-==#* *expr-!=#* *expr->#* *expr->=#*
717 *expr-<#* *expr-<=#* *expr-=~#* *expr-!~#*
718 *expr-==?* *expr-!=?* *expr->?* *expr->=?*
719 *expr-<?* *expr-<=?* *expr-=~?* *expr-!~?*
720 *expr-is*
721 use 'ignorecase' match case ignore case ~
722 equal == ==# ==?
723 not equal != !=# !=?
724 greater than > ># >?
725 greater than or equal >= >=# >=?
726 smaller than < <# <?
727 smaller than or equal <= <=# <=?
728 regexp matches =~ =~# =~?
729 regexp doesn't match !~ !~# !~?
730 same instance is
731 different instance isnot
733 Examples:
734 "abc" ==# "Abc" evaluates to 0
735 "abc" ==? "Abc" evaluates to 1
736 "abc" == "Abc" evaluates to 1 if 'ignorecase' is set, 0 otherwise
738 *E691* *E692*
739 A |List| can only be compared with a |List| and only "equal", "not equal" and
740 "is" can be used. This compares the values of the list, recursively.
741 Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
743 *E735* *E736*
744 A |Dictionary| can only be compared with a |Dictionary| and only "equal", "not
745 equal" and "is" can be used. This compares the key/values of the |Dictionary|
746 recursively. Ignoring case means case is ignored when comparing item values.
748 *E693* *E694*
749 A |Funcref| can only be compared with a |Funcref| and only "equal" and "not
750 equal" can be used. Case is never ignored.
752 When using "is" or "isnot" with a |List| this checks if the expressions are
753 referring to the same |List| instance. A copy of a |List| is different from
754 the original |List|. When using "is" without a |List| it is equivalent to
755 using "equal", using "isnot" equivalent to using "not equal". Except that a
756 different type means the values are different. "4 == '4'" is true, "4 is '4'"
757 is false.
759 When comparing a String with a Number, the String is converted to a Number,
760 and the comparison is done on Numbers. This means that "0 == 'x'" is TRUE,
761 because 'x' converted to a Number is zero.
763 When comparing two Strings, this is done with strcmp() or stricmp(). This
764 results in the mathematical difference (comparing byte values), not
765 necessarily the alphabetical difference in the local language.
767 When using the operators with a trailing '#', or the short version and
768 'ignorecase' is off, the comparing is done with strcmp(): case matters.
770 When using the operators with a trailing '?', or the short version and
771 'ignorecase' is set, the comparing is done with stricmp(): case is ignored.
773 'smartcase' is not used.
775 The "=~" and "!~" operators match the lefthand argument with the righthand
776 argument, which is used as a pattern. See |pattern| for what a pattern is.
777 This matching is always done like 'magic' was set and 'cpoptions' is empty, no
778 matter what the actual value of 'magic' or 'cpoptions' is. This makes scripts
779 portable. To avoid backslashes in the regexp pattern to be doubled, use a
780 single-quote string, see |literal-string|.
781 Since a string is considered to be a single line, a multi-line pattern
782 (containing \n, backslash-n) will not match. However, a literal NL character
783 can be matched like an ordinary character. Examples:
784 "foo\nbar" =~ "\n" evaluates to 1
785 "foo\nbar" =~ "\\n" evaluates to 0
788 expr5 and expr6 *expr5* *expr6*
789 ---------------
790 expr6 + expr6 .. Number addition or |List| concatenation *expr-+*
791 expr6 - expr6 .. Number subtraction *expr--*
792 expr6 . expr6 .. String concatenation *expr-.*
794 For |Lists| only "+" is possible and then both expr6 must be a list. The
795 result is a new list with the two lists Concatenated.
797 expr7 * expr7 .. number multiplication *expr-star*
798 expr7 / expr7 .. number division *expr-/*
799 expr7 % expr7 .. number modulo *expr-%*
801 For all, except ".", Strings are converted to Numbers.
803 Note the difference between "+" and ".":
804 "123" + "456" = 579
805 "123" . "456" = "123456"
807 Since '.' has the same precedence as '+' and '-', you need to read: >
808 1 . 90 + 90.0
809 As: >
810 (1 . 90) + 90.0
811 That works, since the String "190" is automatically converted to the Number
812 190, which can be added to the Float 90.0. However: >
813 1 . 90 * 90.0
814 Should be read as: >
815 1 . (90 * 90.0)
816 Since '.' has lower precedence than '*'. This does NOT work, since this
817 attempts to concatenate a Float and a String.
819 When dividing a Number by zero the result depends on the value:
820 0 / 0 = -0x80000000 (like NaN for Float)
821 >0 / 0 = 0x7fffffff (like positive infinity)
822 <0 / 0 = -0x7fffffff (like negative infinity)
823 (before Vim 7.2 it was always 0x7fffffff)
825 When the righthand side of '%' is zero, the result is 0.
827 None of these work for |Funcref|s.
829 . and % do not work for Float. *E804*
832 expr7 *expr7*
833 -----
834 ! expr7 logical NOT *expr-!*
835 - expr7 unary minus *expr-unary--*
836 + expr7 unary plus *expr-unary-+*
838 For '!' non-zero becomes zero, zero becomes one.
839 For '-' the sign of the number is changed.
840 For '+' the number is unchanged.
842 A String will be converted to a Number first.
844 These three can be repeated and mixed. Examples:
845 !-1 == 0
846 !!8 == 1
847 --9 == 9
850 expr8 *expr8*
851 -----
852 expr8[expr1] item of String or |List| *expr-[]* *E111*
854 If expr8 is a Number or String this results in a String that contains the
855 expr1'th single byte from expr8. expr8 is used as a String, expr1 as a
856 Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte encodings.
858 Index zero gives the first character. This is like it works in C. Careful:
859 text column numbers start with one! Example, to get the character under the
860 cursor: >
861 :let c = getline(".")[col(".") - 1]
863 If the length of the String is less than the index, the result is an empty
864 String. A negative index always results in an empty string (reason: backwards
865 compatibility). Use [-1:] to get the last byte.
867 If expr8 is a |List| then it results the item at index expr1. See |list-index|
868 for possible index values. If the index is out of range this results in an
869 error. Example: >
870 :let item = mylist[-1] " get last item
872 Generally, if a |List| index is equal to or higher than the length of the
873 |List|, or more negative than the length of the |List|, this results in an
874 error.
877 expr8[expr1a : expr1b] substring or sublist *expr-[:]*
879 If expr8 is a Number or String this results in the substring with the bytes
880 from expr1a to and including expr1b. expr8 is used as a String, expr1a and
881 expr1b are used as a Number. Note that this doesn't recognize multi-byte
882 encodings.
884 If expr1a is omitted zero is used. If expr1b is omitted the length of the
885 string minus one is used.
887 A negative number can be used to measure from the end of the string. -1 is
888 the last character, -2 the last but one, etc.
890 If an index goes out of range for the string characters are omitted. If
891 expr1b is smaller than expr1a the result is an empty string.
893 Examples: >
894 :let c = name[-1:] " last byte of a string
895 :let c = name[-2:-2] " last but one byte of a string
896 :let s = line(".")[4:] " from the fifth byte to the end
897 :let s = s[:-3] " remove last two bytes
899 If expr8 is a |List| this results in a new |List| with the items indicated by
900 the indexes expr1a and expr1b. This works like with a String, as explained
901 just above, except that indexes out of range cause an error. Examples: >
902 :let l = mylist[:3] " first four items
903 :let l = mylist[4:4] " List with one item
904 :let l = mylist[:] " shallow copy of a List
906 Using expr8[expr1] or expr8[expr1a : expr1b] on a |Funcref| results in an
907 error.
910 expr8.name entry in a |Dictionary| *expr-entry*
912 If expr8 is a |Dictionary| and it is followed by a dot, then the following
913 name will be used as a key in the |Dictionary|. This is just like:
914 expr8[name].
916 The name must consist of alphanumeric characters, just like a variable name,
917 but it may start with a number. Curly braces cannot be used.
919 There must not be white space before or after the dot.
921 Examples: >
922 :let dict = {"one": 1, 2: "two"}
923 :echo dict.one
924 :echo dict .2
926 Note that the dot is also used for String concatenation. To avoid confusion
927 always put spaces around the dot for String concatenation.
930 expr8(expr1, ...) |Funcref| function call
932 When expr8 is a |Funcref| type variable, invoke the function it refers to.
936 *expr9*
937 number
938 ------
939 number number constant *expr-number*
941 Decimal, Hexadecimal (starting with 0x or 0X), or Octal (starting with 0).
943 *floating-point-format*
944 Floating point numbers can be written in two forms:
946 [-+]{N}.{M}
947 [-+]{N}.{M}e[-+]{exp}
949 {N} and {M} are numbers. Both {N} and {M} must be present and can only
950 contain digits.
951 [-+] means there is an optional plus or minus sign.
952 {exp} is the exponent, power of 10.
953 Only a decimal point is accepted, not a comma. No matter what the current
954 locale is.
955 {only when compiled with the |+float| feature}
957 Examples:
958 123.456
959 +0.0001
960 55.0
961 -0.123
962 1.234e03
963 1.0E-6
964 -3.1416e+88
966 These are INVALID:
967 3. empty {M}
968 1e40 missing .{M}
970 *float-pi* *float-e*
971 A few useful values to copy&paste: >
972 :let pi = 3.14159265359
973 :let e = 2.71828182846
975 Rationale:
976 Before floating point was introduced, the text "123.456" was interpreted as
977 the two numbers "123" and "456", both converted to a string and concatenated,
978 resulting in the string "123456". Since this was considered pointless, and we
979 could not find it intentionally being used in Vim scripts, this backwards
980 incompatibility was accepted in favor of being able to use the normal notation
981 for floating point numbers.
983 *floating-point-precision*
984 The precision and range of floating points numbers depends on what "double"
985 means in the library Vim was compiled with. There is no way to change this at
986 runtime.
988 The default for displaying a |Float| is to use 6 decimal places, like using
989 printf("%g", f). You can select something else when using the |printf()|
990 function. Example: >
991 :echo printf('%.15e', atan(1))
992 < 7.853981633974483e-01
996 string *expr-string* *E114*
997 ------
998 "string" string constant *expr-quote*
1000 Note that double quotes are used.
1002 A string constant accepts these special characters:
1003 \... three-digit octal number (e.g., "\316")
1004 \.. two-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1005 \. one-digit octal number (must be followed by non-digit)
1006 \x.. byte specified with two hex numbers (e.g., "\x1f")
1007 \x. byte specified with one hex number (must be followed by non-hex char)
1008 \X.. same as \x..
1009 \X. same as \x.
1010 \u.... character specified with up to 4 hex numbers, stored according to the
1011 current value of 'encoding' (e.g., "\u02a4")
1012 \U.... same as \u....
1013 \b backspace <BS>
1014 \e escape <Esc>
1015 \f formfeed <FF>
1016 \n newline <NL>
1017 \r return <CR>
1018 \t tab <Tab>
1019 \\ backslash
1020 \" double quote
1021 \<xxx> Special key named "xxx". e.g. "\<C-W>" for CTRL-W.
1023 Note that "\xff" is stored as the byte 255, which may be invalid in some
1024 encodings. Use "\u00ff" to store character 255 according to the current value
1025 of 'encoding'.
1027 Note that "\000" and "\x00" force the end of the string.
1030 literal-string *literal-string* *E115*
1031 ---------------
1032 'string' string constant *expr-'*
1034 Note that single quotes are used.
1036 This string is taken as it is. No backslashes are removed or have a special
1037 meaning. The only exception is that two quotes stand for one quote.
1039 Single quoted strings are useful for patterns, so that backslashes do not need
1040 to be doubled. These two commands are equivalent: >
1041 if a =~ "\\s*"
1042 if a =~ '\s*'
1045 option *expr-option* *E112* *E113*
1046 ------
1047 &option option value, local value if possible
1048 &g:option global option value
1049 &l:option local option value
1051 Examples: >
1052 echo "tabstop is " . &tabstop
1053 if &insertmode
1055 Any option name can be used here. See |options|. When using the local value
1056 and there is no buffer-local or window-local value, the global value is used
1057 anyway.
1060 register *expr-register* *@r*
1061 --------
1062 @r contents of register 'r'
1064 The result is the contents of the named register, as a single string.
1065 Newlines are inserted where required. To get the contents of the unnamed
1066 register use @" or @@. See |registers| for an explanation of the available
1067 registers.
1069 When using the '=' register you get the expression itself, not what it
1070 evaluates to. Use |eval()| to evaluate it.
1073 nesting *expr-nesting* *E110*
1074 -------
1075 (expr1) nested expression
1078 environment variable *expr-env*
1079 --------------------
1080 $VAR environment variable
1082 The String value of any environment variable. When it is not defined, the
1083 result is an empty string.
1084 *expr-env-expand*
1085 Note that there is a difference between using $VAR directly and using
1086 expand("$VAR"). Using it directly will only expand environment variables that
1087 are known inside the current Vim session. Using expand() will first try using
1088 the environment variables known inside the current Vim session. If that
1089 fails, a shell will be used to expand the variable. This can be slow, but it
1090 does expand all variables that the shell knows about. Example: >
1091 :echo $version
1092 :echo expand("$version")
1093 The first one probably doesn't echo anything, the second echoes the $version
1094 variable (if your shell supports it).
1097 internal variable *expr-variable*
1098 -----------------
1099 variable internal variable
1100 See below |internal-variables|.
1103 function call *expr-function* *E116* *E118* *E119* *E120*
1104 -------------
1105 function(expr1, ...) function call
1106 See below |functions|.
1109 ==============================================================================
1110 3. Internal variable *internal-variables* *E121*
1111 *E461*
1112 An internal variable name can be made up of letters, digits and '_'. But it
1113 cannot start with a digit. It's also possible to use curly braces, see
1114 |curly-braces-names|.
1116 An internal variable is created with the ":let" command |:let|.
1117 An internal variable is explicitly destroyed with the ":unlet" command
1118 |:unlet|.
1119 Using a name that is not an internal variable or refers to a variable that has
1120 been destroyed results in an error.
1122 There are several name spaces for variables. Which one is to be used is
1123 specified by what is prepended:
1125 (nothing) In a function: local to a function; otherwise: global
1126 |buffer-variable| b: Local to the current buffer.
1127 |window-variable| w: Local to the current window.
1128 |tabpage-variable| t: Local to the current tab page.
1129 |global-variable| g: Global.
1130 |local-variable| l: Local to a function.
1131 |script-variable| s: Local to a |:source|'ed Vim script.
1132 |function-argument| a: Function argument (only inside a function).
1133 |vim-variable| v: Global, predefined by Vim.
1135 The scope name by itself can be used as a |Dictionary|. For example, to
1136 delete all script-local variables: >
1137 :for k in keys(s:)
1138 : unlet s:[k]
1139 :endfor
1140 <
1141 *buffer-variable* *b:var*
1142 A variable name that is preceded with "b:" is local to the current buffer.
1143 Thus you can have several "b:foo" variables, one for each buffer.
1144 This kind of variable is deleted when the buffer is wiped out or deleted with
1145 |:bdelete|.
1147 One local buffer variable is predefined:
1148 *b:changedtick-variable* *changetick*
1149 b:changedtick The total number of changes to the current buffer. It is
1150 incremented for each change. An undo command is also a change
1151 in this case. This can be used to perform an action only when
1152 the buffer has changed. Example: >
1153 :if my_changedtick != b:changedtick
1154 : let my_changedtick = b:changedtick
1155 : call My_Update()
1156 :endif
1157 <
1158 *window-variable* *w:var*
1159 A variable name that is preceded with "w:" is local to the current window. It
1160 is deleted when the window is closed.
1162 *tabpage-variable* *t:var*
1163 A variable name that is preceded with "t:" is local to the current tab page,
1164 It is deleted when the tab page is closed. {not available when compiled
1165 without the +windows feature}
1167 *global-variable* *g:var*
1168 Inside functions global variables are accessed with "g:". Omitting this will
1169 access a variable local to a function. But "g:" can also be used in any other
1170 place if you like.
1172 *local-variable* *l:var*
1173 Inside functions local variables are accessed without prepending anything.
1174 But you can also prepend "l:" if you like. However, without prepending "l:"
1175 you may run into reserved variable names. For example "count". By itself it
1176 refers to "v:count". Using "l:count" you can have a local variable with the
1177 same name.
1179 *script-variable* *s:var*
1180 In a Vim script variables starting with "s:" can be used. They cannot be
1181 accessed from outside of the scripts, thus are local to the script.
1183 They can be used in:
1184 - commands executed while the script is sourced
1185 - functions defined in the script
1186 - autocommands defined in the script
1187 - functions and autocommands defined in functions and autocommands which were
1188 defined in the script (recursively)
1189 - user defined commands defined in the script
1190 Thus not in:
1191 - other scripts sourced from this one
1192 - mappings
1193 - etc.
1195 Script variables can be used to avoid conflicts with global variable names.
1196 Take this example: >
1198 let s:counter = 0
1199 function MyCounter()
1200 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1201 echo s:counter
1202 endfunction
1203 command Tick call MyCounter()
1205 You can now invoke "Tick" from any script, and the "s:counter" variable in
1206 that script will not be changed, only the "s:counter" in the script where
1207 "Tick" was defined is used.
1209 Another example that does the same: >
1211 let s:counter = 0
1212 command Tick let s:counter = s:counter + 1 | echo s:counter
1214 When calling a function and invoking a user-defined command, the context for
1215 script variables is set to the script where the function or command was
1216 defined.
1218 The script variables are also available when a function is defined inside a
1219 function that is defined in a script. Example: >
1221 let s:counter = 0
1222 function StartCounting(incr)
1223 if a:incr
1224 function MyCounter()
1225 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1226 endfunction
1227 else
1228 function MyCounter()
1229 let s:counter = s:counter - 1
1230 endfunction
1231 endif
1232 endfunction
1234 This defines the MyCounter() function either for counting up or counting down
1235 when calling StartCounting(). It doesn't matter from where StartCounting() is
1236 called, the s:counter variable will be accessible in MyCounter().
1238 When the same script is sourced again it will use the same script variables.
1239 They will remain valid as long as Vim is running. This can be used to
1240 maintain a counter: >
1242 if !exists("s:counter")
1243 let s:counter = 1
1244 echo "script executed for the first time"
1245 else
1246 let s:counter = s:counter + 1
1247 echo "script executed " . s:counter . " times now"
1248 endif
1250 Note that this means that filetype plugins don't get a different set of script
1251 variables for each buffer. Use local buffer variables instead |b:var|.
1254 Predefined Vim variables: *vim-variable* *v:var*
1256 *v:beval_col* *beval_col-variable*
1257 v:beval_col The number of the column, over which the mouse pointer is.
1258 This is the byte index in the |v:beval_lnum| line.
1259 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1261 *v:beval_bufnr* *beval_bufnr-variable*
1262 v:beval_bufnr The number of the buffer, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1263 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1265 *v:beval_lnum* *beval_lnum-variable*
1266 v:beval_lnum The number of the line, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1267 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1269 *v:beval_text* *beval_text-variable*
1270 v:beval_text The text under or after the mouse pointer. Usually a word as
1271 it is useful for debugging a C program. 'iskeyword' applies,
1272 but a dot and "->" before the position is included. When on a
1273 ']' the text before it is used, including the matching '[' and
1274 word before it. When on a Visual area within one line the
1275 highlighted text is used.
1276 Only valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1278 *v:beval_winnr* *beval_winnr-variable*
1279 v:beval_winnr The number of the window, over which the mouse pointer is. Only
1280 valid while evaluating the 'balloonexpr' option.
1282 *v:char* *char-variable*
1283 v:char Argument for evaluating 'formatexpr'.
1285 *v:charconvert_from* *charconvert_from-variable*
1286 v:charconvert_from
1287 The name of the character encoding of a file to be converted.
1288 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1290 *v:charconvert_to* *charconvert_to-variable*
1291 v:charconvert_to
1292 The name of the character encoding of a file after conversion.
1293 Only valid while evaluating the 'charconvert' option.
1295 *v:cmdarg* *cmdarg-variable*
1296 v:cmdarg This variable is used for two purposes:
1297 1. The extra arguments given to a file read/write command.
1298 Currently these are "++enc=" and "++ff=". This variable is
1299 set before an autocommand event for a file read/write
1300 command is triggered. There is a leading space to make it
1301 possible to append this variable directly after the
1302 read/write command. Note: The "+cmd" argument isn't
1303 included here, because it will be executed anyway.
1304 2. When printing a PostScript file with ":hardcopy" this is
1305 the argument for the ":hardcopy" command. This can be used
1306 in 'printexpr'.
1308 *v:cmdbang* *cmdbang-variable*
1309 v:cmdbang Set like v:cmdarg for a file read/write command. When a "!"
1310 was used the value is 1, otherwise it is 0. Note that this
1311 can only be used in autocommands. For user commands |<bang>|
1312 can be used.
1314 *v:count* *count-variable*
1315 v:count The count given for the last Normal mode command. Can be used
1316 to get the count before a mapping. Read-only. Example: >
1317 :map _x :<C-U>echo "the count is " . v:count<CR>
1318 < Note: The <C-U> is required to remove the line range that you
1319 get when typing ':' after a count.
1320 Also used for evaluating the 'formatexpr' option.
1321 "count" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1323 *v:count1* *count1-variable*
1324 v:count1 Just like "v:count", but defaults to one when no count is
1325 used.
1327 *v:ctype* *ctype-variable*
1328 v:ctype The current locale setting for characters of the runtime
1329 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1330 current locale encoding. Technical: it's the value of
1331 LC_CTYPE. When not using a locale the value is "C".
1332 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1333 command.
1334 See |multi-lang|.
1336 *v:dying* *dying-variable*
1337 v:dying Normally zero. When a deadly signal is caught it's set to
1338 one. When multiple signals are caught the number increases.
1339 Can be used in an autocommand to check if Vim didn't
1340 terminate normally. {only works on Unix}
1341 Example: >
1342 :au VimLeave * if v:dying | echo "\nAAAAaaaarrrggghhhh!!!\n" | endif
1343 <
1344 *v:errmsg* *errmsg-variable*
1345 v:errmsg Last given error message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1346 Example: >
1347 :let v:errmsg = ""
1348 :silent! next
1349 :if v:errmsg != ""
1350 : ... handle error
1351 < "errmsg" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1353 *v:exception* *exception-variable*
1354 v:exception The value of the exception most recently caught and not
1355 finished. See also |v:throwpoint| and |throw-variables|.
1356 Example: >
1357 :try
1358 : throw "oops"
1359 :catch /.*/
1360 : echo "caught" v:exception
1361 :endtry
1362 < Output: "caught oops".
1364 *v:fcs_reason* *fcs_reason-variable*
1365 v:fcs_reason The reason why the |FileChangedShell| event was triggered.
1366 Can be used in an autocommand to decide what to do and/or what
1367 to set v:fcs_choice to. Possible values:
1368 deleted file no longer exists
1369 conflict file contents, mode or timestamp was
1370 changed and buffer is modified
1371 changed file contents has changed
1372 mode mode of file changed
1373 time only file timestamp changed
1375 *v:fcs_choice* *fcs_choice-variable*
1376 v:fcs_choice What should happen after a |FileChangedShell| event was
1377 triggered. Can be used in an autocommand to tell Vim what to
1378 do with the affected buffer:
1379 reload Reload the buffer (does not work if
1380 the file was deleted).
1381 ask Ask the user what to do, as if there
1382 was no autocommand. Except that when
1383 only the timestamp changed nothing
1384 will happen.
1385 <empty> Nothing, the autocommand should do
1386 everything that needs to be done.
1387 The default is empty. If another (invalid) value is used then
1388 Vim behaves like it is empty, there is no warning message.
1390 *v:fname_in* *fname_in-variable*
1391 v:fname_in The name of the input file. Valid while evaluating:
1392 option used for ~
1393 'charconvert' file to be converted
1394 'diffexpr' original file
1395 'patchexpr' original file
1396 'printexpr' file to be printed
1397 And set to the swap file name for |SwapExists|.
1399 *v:fname_out* *fname_out-variable*
1400 v:fname_out The name of the output file. Only valid while
1401 evaluating:
1402 option used for ~
1403 'charconvert' resulting converted file (*)
1404 'diffexpr' output of diff
1405 'patchexpr' resulting patched file
1406 (*) When doing conversion for a write command (e.g., ":w
1407 file") it will be equal to v:fname_in. When doing conversion
1408 for a read command (e.g., ":e file") it will be a temporary
1409 file and different from v:fname_in.
1411 *v:fname_new* *fname_new-variable*
1412 v:fname_new The name of the new version of the file. Only valid while
1413 evaluating 'diffexpr'.
1415 *v:fname_diff* *fname_diff-variable*
1416 v:fname_diff The name of the diff (patch) file. Only valid while
1417 evaluating 'patchexpr'.
1419 *v:folddashes* *folddashes-variable*
1420 v:folddashes Used for 'foldtext': dashes representing foldlevel of a closed
1421 fold.
1422 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
1424 *v:foldlevel* *foldlevel-variable*
1425 v:foldlevel Used for 'foldtext': foldlevel of closed fold.
1426 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
1428 *v:foldend* *foldend-variable*
1429 v:foldend Used for 'foldtext': last line of closed fold.
1430 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
1432 *v:foldstart* *foldstart-variable*
1433 v:foldstart Used for 'foldtext': first line of closed fold.
1434 Read-only in the |sandbox|. |fold-foldtext|
1436 *v:insertmode* *insertmode-variable*
1437 v:insertmode Used for the |InsertEnter| and |InsertChange| autocommand
1438 events. Values:
1439 i Insert mode
1440 r Replace mode
1441 v Virtual Replace mode
1443 *v:key* *key-variable*
1444 v:key Key of the current item of a |Dictionary|. Only valid while
1445 evaluating the expression used with |map()| and |filter()|.
1446 Read-only.
1448 *v:lang* *lang-variable*
1449 v:lang The current locale setting for messages of the runtime
1450 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1451 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_MESSAGES.
1452 The value is system dependent.
1453 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1454 command.
1455 It can be different from |v:ctype| when messages are desired
1456 in a different language than what is used for character
1457 encoding. See |multi-lang|.
1459 *v:lc_time* *lc_time-variable*
1460 v:lc_time The current locale setting for time messages of the runtime
1461 environment. This allows Vim scripts to be aware of the
1462 current language. Technical: it's the value of LC_TIME.
1463 This variable can not be set directly, use the |:language|
1464 command. See |multi-lang|.
1466 *v:lnum* *lnum-variable*
1467 v:lnum Line number for the 'foldexpr' |fold-expr| and 'indentexpr'
1468 expressions, tab page number for 'guitablabel' and
1469 'guitabtooltip'. Only valid while one of these expressions is
1470 being evaluated. Read-only when in the |sandbox|.
1472 *v:mouse_win* *mouse_win-variable*
1473 v:mouse_win Window number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1474 First window has number 1, like with |winnr()|. The value is
1475 zero when there was no mouse button click.
1477 *v:mouse_lnum* *mouse_lnum-variable*
1478 v:mouse_lnum Line number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1479 This is the text line number, not the screen line number. The
1480 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1482 *v:mouse_col* *mouse_col-variable*
1483 v:mouse_col Column number for a mouse click obtained with |getchar()|.
1484 This is the screen column number, like with |virtcol()|. The
1485 value is zero when there was no mouse button click.
1487 *v:oldfiles* *oldfiles-variable*
1488 v:oldfiles List of file names that is loaded from the |viminfo| file on
1489 startup. These are the files that Vim remembers marks for.
1490 The length of the List is limited by the ' argument of the
1491 'viminfo' option (default is 100).
1492 Also see |:oldfiles| and |c_#<|.
1493 The List can be modified, but this has no effect on what is
1494 stored in the |viminfo| file later. If you use values other
1495 than String this will cause trouble.
1496 {only when compiled with the +viminfo feature}
1498 *v:operator* *operator-variable*
1499 v:operator The last operator given in Normal mode. This is a single
1500 character except for commands starting with <g> or <z>,
1501 in which case it is two characters. Best used alongside
1502 |v:prevcount| and |v:register|. Useful if you want to cancel
1503 Operator-pending mode and then use the operator, e.g.: >
1504 :omap O <Esc>:call MyMotion(v:operator)<CR>
1505 < The value remains set until another operator is entered, thus
1506 don't expect it to be empty.
1507 v:operator is not set for |:delete|, |:yank| or other Ex
1508 commands.
1509 Read-only.
1511 *v:prevcount* *prevcount-variable*
1512 v:prevcount The count given for the last but one Normal mode command.
1513 This is the v:count value of the previous command. Useful if
1514 you want to cancel Visual or Operator-pending mode and then
1515 use the count, e.g.: >
1516 :vmap % <Esc>:call MyFilter(v:prevcount)<CR>
1517 < Read-only.
1519 *v:profiling* *profiling-variable*
1520 v:profiling Normally zero. Set to one after using ":profile start".
1521 See |profiling|.
1523 *v:progname* *progname-variable*
1524 v:progname Contains the name (with path removed) with which Vim was
1525 invoked. Allows you to do special initialisations for "view",
1526 "evim" etc., or any other name you might symlink to Vim.
1527 Read-only.
1529 *v:register* *register-variable*
1530 v:register The name of the register supplied to the last normal mode
1531 command. Empty if none were supplied. |getreg()| |setreg()|
1533 *v:scrollstart* *scrollstart-variable*
1534 v:scrollstart String describing the script or function that caused the
1535 screen to scroll up. It's only set when it is empty, thus the
1536 first reason is remembered. It is set to "Unknown" for a
1537 typed command.
1538 This can be used to find out why your script causes the
1539 hit-enter prompt.
1541 *v:servername* *servername-variable*
1542 v:servername The resulting registered |x11-clientserver| name if any.
1543 Read-only.
1546 v:searchforward *v:searchforward* *searchforward-variable*
1547 Search direction: 1 after a forward search, 0 after a
1548 backward search. It is reset to forward when directly setting
1549 the last search pattern, see |quote/|.
1550 Note that the value is restored when returning from a
1551 function. |function-search-undo|.
1552 Read-write.
1554 *v:shell_error* *shell_error-variable*
1555 v:shell_error Result of the last shell command. When non-zero, the last
1556 shell command had an error. When zero, there was no problem.
1557 This only works when the shell returns the error code to Vim.
1558 The value -1 is often used when the command could not be
1559 executed. Read-only.
1560 Example: >
1561 :!mv foo bar
1562 :if v:shell_error
1563 : echo 'could not rename "foo" to "bar"!'
1564 :endif
1565 < "shell_error" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1567 *v:statusmsg* *statusmsg-variable*
1568 v:statusmsg Last given status message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1570 *v:swapname* *swapname-variable*
1571 v:swapname Only valid when executing |SwapExists| autocommands: Name of
1572 the swap file found. Read-only.
1574 *v:swapchoice* *swapchoice-variable*
1575 v:swapchoice |SwapExists| autocommands can set this to the selected choice
1576 for handling an existing swap file:
1577 'o' Open read-only
1578 'e' Edit anyway
1579 'r' Recover
1580 'd' Delete swapfile
1581 'q' Quit
1582 'a' Abort
1583 The value should be a single-character string. An empty value
1584 results in the user being asked, as would happen when there is
1585 no SwapExists autocommand. The default is empty.
1587 *v:swapcommand* *swapcommand-variable*
1588 v:swapcommand Normal mode command to be executed after a file has been
1589 opened. Can be used for a |SwapExists| autocommand to have
1590 another Vim open the file and jump to the right place. For
1591 example, when jumping to a tag the value is ":tag tagname\r".
1592 For ":edit +cmd file" the value is ":cmd\r".
1594 *v:termresponse* *termresponse-variable*
1595 v:termresponse The escape sequence returned by the terminal for the |t_RV|
1596 termcap entry. It is set when Vim receives an escape sequence
1597 that starts with ESC [ or CSI and ends in a 'c', with only
1598 digits, ';' and '.' in between.
1599 When this option is set, the TermResponse autocommand event is
1600 fired, so that you can react to the response from the
1601 terminal.
1602 The response from a new xterm is: "<Esc>[ Pp ; Pv ; Pc c". Pp
1603 is the terminal type: 0 for vt100 and 1 for vt220. Pv is the
1604 patch level (since this was introduced in patch 95, it's
1605 always 95 or bigger). Pc is always zero.
1606 {only when compiled with |+termresponse| feature}
1608 *v:this_session* *this_session-variable*
1609 v:this_session Full filename of the last loaded or saved session file. See
1610 |:mksession|. It is allowed to set this variable. When no
1611 session file has been saved, this variable is empty.
1612 "this_session" also works, for backwards compatibility.
1614 *v:throwpoint* *throwpoint-variable*
1615 v:throwpoint The point where the exception most recently caught and not
1616 finished was thrown. Not set when commands are typed. See
1617 also |v:exception| and |throw-variables|.
1618 Example: >
1619 :try
1620 : throw "oops"
1621 :catch /.*/
1622 : echo "Exception from" v:throwpoint
1623 :endtry
1624 < Output: "Exception from test.vim, line 2"
1626 *v:val* *val-variable*
1627 v:val Value of the current item of a |List| or |Dictionary|. Only
1628 valid while evaluating the expression used with |map()| and
1629 |filter()|. Read-only.
1631 *v:version* *version-variable*
1632 v:version Version number of Vim: Major version number times 100 plus
1633 minor version number. Version 5.0 is 500. Version 5.1 (5.01)
1634 is 501. Read-only. "version" also works, for backwards
1635 compatibility.
1636 Use |has()| to check if a certain patch was included, e.g.: >
1637 if has("patch123")
1638 < Note that patch numbers are specific to the version, thus both
1639 version 5.0 and 5.1 may have a patch 123, but these are
1640 completely different.
1642 *v:warningmsg* *warningmsg-variable*
1643 v:warningmsg Last given warning message. It's allowed to set this variable.
1645 ==============================================================================
1646 4. Builtin Functions *functions*
1648 See |function-list| for a list grouped by what the function is used for.
1650 (Use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to the full explanation.)
1652 USAGE RESULT DESCRIPTION ~
1654 abs( {expr}) Float or Number absolute value of {expr}
1655 add( {list}, {item}) List append {item} to |List| {list}
1656 append( {lnum}, {string}) Number append {string} below line {lnum}
1657 append( {lnum}, {list}) Number append lines {list} below line {lnum}
1658 argc() Number number of files in the argument list
1659 argidx() Number current index in the argument list
1660 argv( {nr}) String {nr} entry of the argument list
1661 argv( ) List the argument list
1662 atan( {expr}) Float arc tangent of {expr}
1663 browse( {save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
1664 String put up a file requester
1665 browsedir( {title}, {initdir}) String put up a directory requester
1666 bufexists( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} exists
1667 buflisted( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is listed
1668 bufloaded( {expr}) Number TRUE if buffer {expr} is loaded
1669 bufname( {expr}) String Name of the buffer {expr}
1670 bufnr( {expr}) Number Number of the buffer {expr}
1671 bufwinnr( {expr}) Number window number of buffer {expr}
1672 byte2line( {byte}) Number line number at byte count {byte}
1673 byteidx( {expr}, {nr}) Number byte index of {nr}'th char in {expr}
1674 call( {func}, {arglist} [, {dict}])
1675 any call {func} with arguments {arglist}
1676 ceil( {expr}) Float round {expr} up
1677 changenr() Number current change number
1678 char2nr( {expr}) Number ASCII value of first char in {expr}
1679 cindent( {lnum}) Number C indent for line {lnum}
1680 clearmatches() None clear all matches
1681 col( {expr}) Number column nr of cursor or mark
1682 complete({startcol}, {matches}) String set Insert mode completion
1683 complete_add( {expr}) Number add completion match
1684 complete_check() Number check for key typed during completion
1685 confirm( {msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
1686 Number number of choice picked by user
1687 copy( {expr}) any make a shallow copy of {expr}
1688 cos( {expr}) Float cosine of {expr}
1689 count( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1690 Number count how many {expr} are in {list}
1691 cscope_connection( [{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
1692 Number checks existence of cscope connection
1693 cursor( {lnum}, {col} [, {coladd}])
1694 Number move cursor to {lnum}, {col}, {coladd}
1695 cursor( {list}) Number move cursor to position in {list}
1696 deepcopy( {expr}) any make a full copy of {expr}
1697 delete( {fname}) Number delete file {fname}
1698 did_filetype() Number TRUE if FileType autocommand event used
1699 diff_filler( {lnum}) Number diff filler lines about {lnum}
1700 diff_hlID( {lnum}, {col}) Number diff highlighting at {lnum}/{col}
1701 empty( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is empty
1702 escape( {string}, {chars}) String escape {chars} in {string} with '\'
1703 eval( {string}) any evaluate {string} into its value
1704 eventhandler( ) Number TRUE if inside an event handler
1705 executable( {expr}) Number 1 if executable {expr} exists
1706 exists( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} exists
1707 extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}])
1708 List/Dict insert items of {expr2} into {expr1}
1709 expand( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand special keywords in {expr}
1710 feedkeys( {string} [, {mode}]) Number add key sequence to typeahead buffer
1711 filereadable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a readable file
1712 filewritable( {file}) Number TRUE if {file} is a writable file
1713 filter( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict remove items from {expr} where
1714 {string} is 0
1715 finddir( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1716 String find directory {name} in {path}
1717 findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
1718 String find file {name} in {path}
1719 float2nr( {expr}) Number convert Float {expr} to a Number
1720 floor( {expr}) Float round {expr} down
1721 fnameescape( {fname}) String escape special characters in {fname}
1722 fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods}) String modify file name
1723 foldclosed( {lnum}) Number first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1724 foldclosedend( {lnum}) Number last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
1725 foldlevel( {lnum}) Number fold level at {lnum}
1726 foldtext( ) String line displayed for closed fold
1727 foldtextresult( {lnum}) String text for closed fold at {lnum}
1728 foreground( ) Number bring the Vim window to the foreground
1729 function( {name}) Funcref reference to function {name}
1730 garbagecollect( [at_exit]) none free memory, breaking cyclic references
1731 get( {list}, {idx} [, {def}]) any get item {idx} from {list} or {def}
1732 get( {dict}, {key} [, {def}]) any get item {key} from {dict} or {def}
1733 getbufline( {expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
1734 List lines {lnum} to {end} of buffer {expr}
1735 getbufvar( {expr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in buffer {expr}
1736 getchar( [expr]) Number get one character from the user
1737 getcharmod( ) Number modifiers for the last typed character
1738 getcmdline() String return the current command-line
1739 getcmdpos() Number return cursor position in command-line
1740 getcmdtype() String return the current command-line type
1741 getcwd() String the current working directory
1742 getfperm( {fname}) String file permissions of file {fname}
1743 getfsize( {fname}) Number size in bytes of file {fname}
1744 getfontname( [{name}]) String name of font being used
1745 getftime( {fname}) Number last modification time of file
1746 getftype( {fname}) String description of type of file {fname}
1747 getline( {lnum}) String line {lnum} of current buffer
1748 getline( {lnum}, {end}) List lines {lnum} to {end} of current buffer
1749 getloclist({nr}) List list of location list items
1750 getmatches() List list of current matches
1751 getpid() Number process ID of Vim
1752 getpos( {expr}) List position of cursor, mark, etc.
1753 getqflist() List list of quickfix items
1754 getreg( [{regname} [, 1]]) String contents of register
1755 getregtype( [{regname}]) String type of register
1756 gettabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {name})
1757 any {name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
1758 getwinposx() Number X coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1759 getwinposy() Number Y coord in pixels of GUI Vim window
1760 getwinvar( {nr}, {varname}) any variable {varname} in window {nr}
1761 glob( {expr} [, {flag}]) String expand file wildcards in {expr}
1762 globpath( {path}, {expr} [, {flag}])
1763 String do glob({expr}) for all dirs in {path}
1764 has( {feature}) Number TRUE if feature {feature} supported
1765 has_key( {dict}, {key}) Number TRUE if {dict} has entry {key}
1766 haslocaldir() Number TRUE if current window executed |:lcd|
1767 hasmapto( {what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1768 Number TRUE if mapping to {what} exists
1769 histadd( {history},{item}) String add an item to a history
1770 histdel( {history} [, {item}]) String remove an item from a history
1771 histget( {history} [, {index}]) String get the item {index} from a history
1772 histnr( {history}) Number highest index of a history
1773 hlexists( {name}) Number TRUE if highlight group {name} exists
1774 hlID( {name}) Number syntax ID of highlight group {name}
1775 hostname() String name of the machine Vim is running on
1776 iconv( {expr}, {from}, {to}) String convert encoding of {expr}
1777 indent( {lnum}) Number indent of line {lnum}
1778 index( {list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]])
1779 Number index in {list} where {expr} appears
1780 input( {prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]])
1781 String get input from the user
1782 inputdialog( {p} [, {t} [, {c}]]) String like input() but in a GUI dialog
1783 inputlist( {textlist}) Number let the user pick from a choice list
1784 inputrestore() Number restore typeahead
1785 inputsave() Number save and clear typeahead
1786 inputsecret( {prompt} [, {text}]) String like input() but hiding the text
1787 insert( {list}, {item} [, {idx}]) List insert {item} in {list} [before {idx}]
1788 isdirectory( {directory}) Number TRUE if {directory} is a directory
1789 islocked( {expr}) Number TRUE if {expr} is locked
1790 items( {dict}) List key-value pairs in {dict}
1791 join( {list} [, {sep}]) String join {list} items into one String
1792 keys( {dict}) List keys in {dict}
1793 len( {expr}) Number the length of {expr}
1794 libcall( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) String call {func} in library {lib} with {arg}
1795 libcallnr( {lib}, {func}, {arg}) Number idem, but return a Number
1796 line( {expr}) Number line nr of cursor, last line or mark
1797 line2byte( {lnum}) Number byte count of line {lnum}
1798 lispindent( {lnum}) Number Lisp indent for line {lnum}
1799 localtime() Number current time
1800 log10( {expr}) Float logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10
1801 map( {expr}, {string}) List/Dict change each item in {expr} to {expr}
1802 maparg( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1803 String rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}
1804 mapcheck( {name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]])
1805 String check for mappings matching {name}
1806 match( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1807 Number position where {pat} matches in {expr}
1808 matchadd( {group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
1809 Number highlight {pattern} with {group}
1810 matcharg( {nr}) List arguments of |:match|
1811 matchdelete( {id}) Number delete match identified by {id}
1812 matchend( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1813 Number position where {pat} ends in {expr}
1814 matchlist( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1815 List match and submatches of {pat} in {expr}
1816 matchstr( {expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]])
1817 String {count}'th match of {pat} in {expr}
1818 max({list}) Number maximum value of items in {list}
1819 min({list}) Number minimum value of items in {list}
1820 mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
1821 Number create directory {name}
1822 mode( [expr]) String current editing mode
1823 nextnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line >= {lnum}
1824 nr2char( {expr}) String single char with ASCII value {expr}
1825 pathshorten( {expr}) String shorten directory names in a path
1826 pow( {x}, {y}) Float {x} to the power of {y}
1827 prevnonblank( {lnum}) Number line nr of non-blank line <= {lnum}
1828 printf( {fmt}, {expr1}...) String format text
1829 pumvisible() Number whether popup menu is visible
1830 range( {expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]])
1831 List items from {expr} to {max}
1832 readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
1833 List get list of lines from file {fname}
1834 reltime( [{start} [, {end}]]) List get time value
1835 reltimestr( {time}) String turn time value into a String
1836 remote_expr( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1837 String send expression
1838 remote_foreground( {server}) Number bring Vim server to the foreground
1839 remote_peek( {serverid} [, {retvar}])
1840 Number check for reply string
1841 remote_read( {serverid}) String read reply string
1842 remote_send( {server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
1843 String send key sequence
1844 remove( {list}, {idx} [, {end}]) any remove items {idx}-{end} from {list}
1845 remove( {dict}, {key}) any remove entry {key} from {dict}
1846 rename( {from}, {to}) Number rename (move) file from {from} to {to}
1847 repeat( {expr}, {count}) String repeat {expr} {count} times
1848 resolve( {filename}) String get filename a shortcut points to
1849 reverse( {list}) List reverse {list} in-place
1850 round( {expr}) Float round off {expr}
1851 search( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1852 Number search for {pattern}
1853 searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]])
1854 Number search for variable declaration
1855 searchpair( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
1856 Number search for other end of start/end pair
1857 searchpairpos( {start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip} [...]]])
1858 List search for other end of start/end pair
1859 searchpos( {pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]])
1860 List search for {pattern}
1861 server2client( {clientid}, {string})
1862 Number send reply string
1863 serverlist() String get a list of available servers
1864 setbufvar( {expr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in buffer {expr} to {val}
1865 setcmdpos( {pos}) Number set cursor position in command-line
1866 setline( {lnum}, {line}) Number set line {lnum} to {line}
1867 setloclist( {nr}, {list}[, {action}])
1868 Number modify location list using {list}
1869 setmatches( {list}) Number restore a list of matches
1870 setpos( {expr}, {list}) none set the {expr} position to {list}
1871 setqflist( {list}[, {action}]) Number modify quickfix list using {list}
1872 setreg( {n}, {v}[, {opt}]) Number set register to value and type
1873 settabwinvar( {tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window
1874 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr} to {val}
1875 setwinvar( {nr}, {varname}, {val}) set {varname} in window {nr} to {val}
1876 shellescape( {string} [, {special}])
1877 String escape {string} for use as shell
1878 command argument
1879 simplify( {filename}) String simplify filename as much as possible
1880 sin( {expr}) Float sine of {expr}
1881 sort( {list} [, {func}]) List sort {list}, using {func} to compare
1882 soundfold( {word}) String sound-fold {word}
1883 spellbadword() String badly spelled word at cursor
1884 spellsuggest( {word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
1885 List spelling suggestions
1886 split( {expr} [, {pat} [, {keepempty}]])
1887 List make |List| from {pat} separated {expr}
1888 sqrt( {expr} Float squar root of {expr}
1889 str2float( {expr}) Float convert String to Float
1890 str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) Number convert String to Number
1891 strftime( {format}[, {time}]) String time in specified format
1892 stridx( {haystack}, {needle}[, {start}])
1893 Number index of {needle} in {haystack}
1894 string( {expr}) String String representation of {expr} value
1895 strlen( {expr}) Number length of the String {expr}
1896 strpart( {src}, {start}[, {len}])
1897 String {len} characters of {src} at {start}
1898 strridx( {haystack}, {needle} [, {start}])
1899 Number last index of {needle} in {haystack}
1900 strtrans( {expr}) String translate string to make it printable
1901 submatch( {nr}) String specific match in ":substitute"
1902 substitute( {expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags})
1903 String all {pat} in {expr} replaced with {sub}
1904 synID( {lnum}, {col}, {trans}) Number syntax ID at {lnum} and {col}
1905 synIDattr( {synID}, {what} [, {mode}])
1906 String attribute {what} of syntax ID {synID}
1907 synIDtrans( {synID}) Number translated syntax ID of {synID}
1908 synstack({lnum}, {col}) List stack of syntax IDs at {lnum} and {col}
1909 system( {expr} [, {input}]) String output of shell command/filter {expr}
1910 tabpagebuflist( [{arg}]) List list of buffer numbers in tab page
1911 tabpagenr( [{arg}]) Number number of current or last tab page
1912 tabpagewinnr( {tabarg}[, {arg}])
1913 Number number of current window in tab page
1914 taglist( {expr}) List list of tags matching {expr}
1915 tagfiles() List tags files used
1916 tempname() String name for a temporary file
1917 tolower( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to lowercase
1918 toupper( {expr}) String the String {expr} switched to uppercase
1919 tr( {src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) String translate chars of {src} in {fromstr}
1920 to chars in {tostr}
1921 trunc( {expr} Float truncate Float {expr}
1922 type( {name}) Number type of variable {name}
1923 values( {dict}) List values in {dict}
1924 virtcol( {expr}) Number screen column of cursor or mark
1925 visualmode( [expr]) String last visual mode used
1926 winbufnr( {nr}) Number buffer number of window {nr}
1927 wincol() Number window column of the cursor
1928 winheight( {nr}) Number height of window {nr}
1929 winline() Number window line of the cursor
1930 winnr( [{expr}]) Number number of current window
1931 winrestcmd() String returns command to restore window sizes
1932 winrestview({dict}) None restore view of current window
1933 winsaveview() Dict save view of current window
1934 winwidth( {nr}) Number width of window {nr}
1935 writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
1936 Number write list of lines to file {fname}
1938 abs({expr}) *abs()*
1939 Return the absolute value of {expr}. When {expr} evaluates to
1940 a |Float| abs() returns a |Float|. When {expr} can be
1941 converted to a |Number| abs() returns a |Number|. Otherwise
1942 abs() gives an error message and returns -1.
1943 Examples: >
1944 echo abs(1.456)
1945 < 1.456 >
1946 echo abs(-5.456)
1947 < 5.456 >
1948 echo abs(-4)
1949 < 4
1950 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
1952 acos({expr}) *acos()*
1953 Return the arc cosine of {expr} measured in radians, as a
1954 |Float|in the range of [0,pi].
1955 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|in [-1,1].
1956 Examples: >
1957 :echo acos(0)
1958 < 1.570796 >
1959 :echo acos(-0.5)
1960 < 2.094395
1961 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
1963 add({list}, {expr}) *add()*
1964 Append the item {expr} to |List| {list}. Returns the
1965 resulting |List|. Examples: >
1966 :let alist = add([1, 2, 3], item)
1967 :call add(mylist, "woodstock")
1968 < Note that when {expr} is a |List| it is appended as a single
1969 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
1970 Use |insert()| to add an item at another position.
1973 append({lnum}, {expr}) *append()*
1974 When {expr} is a |List|: Append each item of the |List| as a
1975 text line below line {lnum} in the current buffer.
1976 Otherwise append {expr} as one text line below line {lnum} in
1977 the current buffer.
1978 {lnum} can be zero to insert a line before the first one.
1979 Returns 1 for failure ({lnum} out of range or out of memory),
1980 0 for success. Example: >
1981 :let failed = append(line('$'), "# THE END")
1982 :let failed = append(0, ["Chapter 1", "the beginning"])
1983 <
1984 *argc()*
1985 argc() The result is the number of files in the argument list of the
1986 current window. See |arglist|.
1988 *argidx()*
1989 argidx() The result is the current index in the argument list. 0 is
1990 the first file. argc() - 1 is the last one. See |arglist|.
1992 *argv()*
1993 argv([{nr}]) The result is the {nr}th file in the argument list of the
1994 current window. See |arglist|. "argv(0)" is the first one.
1995 Example: >
1996 :let i = 0
1997 :while i < argc()
1998 : let f = escape(fnameescape(argv(i)), '.')
1999 : exe 'amenu Arg.' . f . ' :e ' . f . '<CR>'
2000 : let i = i + 1
2001 :endwhile
2002 < Without the {nr} argument a |List| with the whole |arglist| is
2003 returned.
2005 asin({expr}) *asin()*
2006 Return the arc sine of {expr} measured in radians, as a|Float|
2007 in the range of [-pi/2,pi/2].
2008 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|in [-1,1].
2009 Examples: >
2010 :echo asin(0.8)
2011 < 0.927295 >
2012 :echo asin(-0.5)
2013 < -0.523599
2014 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
2016 atan({expr}) *atan()*
2017 Return the principal value of the arc tangent of {expr}, in
2018 the range [-pi/2, +pi/2] radians, as a |Float|.
2019 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2020 Examples: >
2021 :echo atan(100)
2022 < 1.560797 >
2023 :echo atan(-4.01)
2024 < -1.326405
2025 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2027 atan2({expr1},{expr2}) *atan2()*
2028 Return the arc tangent of {expr1}/{expr2}, measured in radians,
2029 as a|Float|in the range [-pi,pi].
2030 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
2031 Examples: >
2032 :echo atan2(-1,1)
2033 < -0.785398 >
2034 :echo atan2(1,-1)
2035 < 2.356194
2036 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
2038 *browse()*
2039 browse({save}, {title}, {initdir}, {default})
2040 Put up a file requester. This only works when "has("browse")"
2041 returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2042 The input fields are:
2043 {save} when non-zero, select file to write
2044 {title} title for the requester
2045 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2046 {default} default file name
2047 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2048 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2050 *browsedir()*
2051 browsedir({title}, {initdir})
2052 Put up a directory requester. This only works when
2053 "has("browse")" returns non-zero (only in some GUI versions).
2054 On systems where a directory browser is not supported a file
2055 browser is used. In that case: select a file in the directory
2056 to be used.
2057 The input fields are:
2058 {title} title for the requester
2059 {initdir} directory to start browsing in
2060 When the "Cancel" button is hit, something went wrong, or
2061 browsing is not possible, an empty string is returned.
2063 bufexists({expr}) *bufexists()*
2064 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2065 {expr} exists.
2066 If the {expr} argument is a number, buffer numbers are used.
2067 If the {expr} argument is a string it must match a buffer name
2068 exactly. The name can be:
2069 - Relative to the current directory.
2070 - A full path.
2071 - The name of a buffer with 'buftype' set to "nofile".
2072 - A URL name.
2073 Unlisted buffers will be found.
2074 Note that help files are listed by their short name in the
2075 output of |:buffers|, but bufexists() requires using their
2076 long name to be able to find them.
2077 bufexists() may report a buffer exists, but to use the name
2078 with a |:buffer| command you may need to use |expand()|. Esp
2079 for MS-Windows 8.3 names in the form "c:\DOCUME~1"
2080 Use "bufexists(0)" to test for the existence of an alternate
2081 file name.
2082 *buffer_exists()*
2083 Obsolete name: buffer_exists().
2085 buflisted({expr}) *buflisted()*
2086 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2087 {expr} exists and is listed (has the 'buflisted' option set).
2088 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
2090 bufloaded({expr}) *bufloaded()*
2091 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a buffer called
2092 {expr} exists and is loaded (shown in a window or hidden).
2093 The {expr} argument is used like with |bufexists()|.
2095 bufname({expr}) *bufname()*
2096 The result is the name of a buffer, as it is displayed by the
2097 ":ls" command.
2098 If {expr} is a Number, that buffer number's name is given.
2099 Number zero is the alternate buffer for the current window.
2100 If {expr} is a String, it is used as a |file-pattern| to match
2101 with the buffer names. This is always done like 'magic' is
2102 set and 'cpoptions' is empty. When there is more than one
2103 match an empty string is returned.
2104 "" or "%" can be used for the current buffer, "#" for the
2105 alternate buffer.
2106 A full match is preferred, otherwise a match at the start, end
2107 or middle of the buffer name is accepted. If you only want a
2108 full match then put "^" at the start and "$" at the end of the
2109 pattern.
2110 Listed buffers are found first. If there is a single match
2111 with a listed buffer, that one is returned. Next unlisted
2112 buffers are searched for.
2113 If the {expr} is a String, but you want to use it as a buffer
2114 number, force it to be a Number by adding zero to it: >
2115 :echo bufname("3" + 0)
2116 < If the buffer doesn't exist, or doesn't have a name, an empty
2117 string is returned. >
2118 bufname("#") alternate buffer name
2119 bufname(3) name of buffer 3
2120 bufname("%") name of current buffer
2121 bufname("file2") name of buffer where "file2" matches.
2122 < *buffer_name()*
2123 Obsolete name: buffer_name().
2125 *bufnr()*
2126 bufnr({expr} [, {create}])
2127 The result is the number of a buffer, as it is displayed by
2128 the ":ls" command. For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()|
2129 above.
2130 If the buffer doesn't exist, -1 is returned. Or, if the
2131 {create} argument is present and not zero, a new, unlisted,
2132 buffer is created and its number is returned.
2133 bufnr("$") is the last buffer: >
2134 :let last_buffer = bufnr("$")
2135 < The result is a Number, which is the highest buffer number
2136 of existing buffers. Note that not all buffers with a smaller
2137 number necessarily exist, because ":bwipeout" may have removed
2138 them. Use bufexists() to test for the existence of a buffer.
2139 *buffer_number()*
2140 Obsolete name: buffer_number().
2141 *last_buffer_nr()*
2142 Obsolete name for bufnr("$"): last_buffer_nr().
2144 bufwinnr({expr}) *bufwinnr()*
2145 The result is a Number, which is the number of the first
2146 window associated with buffer {expr}. For the use of {expr},
2147 see |bufname()| above. If buffer {expr} doesn't exist or
2148 there is no such window, -1 is returned. Example: >
2150 echo "A window containing buffer 1 is " . (bufwinnr(1))
2152 < The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
2153 |:wincmd|.
2154 Only deals with the current tab page.
2157 byte2line({byte}) *byte2line()*
2158 Return the line number that contains the character at byte
2159 count {byte} in the current buffer. This includes the
2160 end-of-line character, depending on the 'fileformat' option
2161 for the current buffer. The first character has byte count
2162 one.
2163 Also see |line2byte()|, |go| and |:goto|.
2164 {not available when compiled without the |+byte_offset|
2165 feature}
2167 byteidx({expr}, {nr}) *byteidx()*
2168 Return byte index of the {nr}'th character in the string
2169 {expr}. Use zero for the first character, it returns zero.
2170 This function is only useful when there are multibyte
2171 characters, otherwise the returned value is equal to {nr}.
2172 Composing characters are counted as a separate character.
2173 Example : >
2174 echo matchstr(str, ".", byteidx(str, 3))
2175 < will display the fourth character. Another way to do the
2176 same: >
2177 let s = strpart(str, byteidx(str, 3))
2178 echo strpart(s, 0, byteidx(s, 1))
2179 < If there are less than {nr} characters -1 is returned.
2180 If there are exactly {nr} characters the length of the string
2181 is returned.
2183 call({func}, {arglist} [, {dict}]) *call()* *E699*
2184 Call function {func} with the items in |List| {arglist} as
2185 arguments.
2186 {func} can either be a |Funcref| or the name of a function.
2187 a:firstline and a:lastline are set to the cursor line.
2188 Returns the return value of the called function.
2189 {dict} is for functions with the "dict" attribute. It will be
2190 used to set the local variable "self". |Dictionary-function|
2192 ceil({expr}) *ceil()*
2193 Return the smallest integral value greater than or equal to
2194 {expr} as a |Float| (round up).
2195 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2196 Examples: >
2197 echo ceil(1.456)
2198 < 2.0 >
2199 echo ceil(-5.456)
2200 < -5.0 >
2201 echo ceil(4.0)
2202 < 4.0
2203 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2205 changenr() *changenr()*
2206 Return the number of the most recent change. This is the same
2207 number as what is displayed with |:undolist| and can be used
2208 with the |:undo| command.
2209 When a change was made it is the number of that change. After
2210 redo it is the number of the redone change. After undo it is
2211 one less than the number of the undone change.
2213 char2nr({expr}) *char2nr()*
2214 Return number value of the first char in {expr}. Examples: >
2215 char2nr(" ") returns 32
2216 char2nr("ABC") returns 65
2217 < The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
2218 char2nr("á") returns 225
2219 char2nr("á"[0]) returns 195
2220 < |nr2char()| does the opposite.
2222 cindent({lnum}) *cindent()*
2223 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the C
2224 indenting rules, as with 'cindent'.
2225 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
2226 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
2227 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the |+cindent|
2228 feature, -1 is returned.
2229 See |C-indenting|.
2231 clearmatches() *clearmatches()*
2232 Clears all matches previously defined by |matchadd()| and the
2233 |:match| commands.
2235 *col()*
2236 col({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the byte index of the column
2237 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
2238 . the cursor position
2239 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
2240 number of characters in the cursor line plus one)
2241 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
2242 returned)
2243 Additionally {expr} can be [lnum, col]: a |List| with the line
2244 and column number. Most useful when the column is "$", to get
2245 the last column of a specific line. When "lnum" or "col" is
2246 out of range then col() returns zero.
2247 To get the line number use |line()|. To get both use
2248 |getpos()|.
2249 For the screen column position use |virtcol()|.
2250 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
2251 Examples: >
2252 col(".") column of cursor
2253 col("$") length of cursor line plus one
2254 col("'t") column of mark t
2255 col("'" . markname) column of mark markname
2256 < The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
2257 For an uppercase mark the column may actually be in another
2258 buffer.
2259 For the cursor position, when 'virtualedit' is active, the
2260 column is one higher if the cursor is after the end of the
2261 line. This can be used to obtain the column in Insert mode: >
2262 :imap <F2> <C-O>:let save_ve = &ve<CR>
2263 \<C-O>:set ve=all<CR>
2264 \<C-O>:echo col(".") . "\n" <Bar>
2265 \let &ve = save_ve<CR>
2266 <
2268 complete({startcol}, {matches}) *complete()* *E785*
2269 Set the matches for Insert mode completion.
2270 Can only be used in Insert mode. You need to use a mapping
2271 with CTRL-R = |i_CTRL-R|. It does not work after CTRL-O or
2272 with an expression mapping.
2273 {startcol} is the byte offset in the line where the completed
2274 text start. The text up to the cursor is the original text
2275 that will be replaced by the matches. Use col('.') for an
2276 empty string. "col('.') - 1" will replace one character by a
2277 match.
2278 {matches} must be a |List|. Each |List| item is one match.
2279 See |complete-items| for the kind of items that are possible.
2280 Note that the after calling this function you need to avoid
2281 inserting anything that would completion to stop.
2282 The match can be selected with CTRL-N and CTRL-P as usual with
2283 Insert mode completion. The popup menu will appear if
2284 specified, see |ins-completion-menu|.
2285 Example: >
2286 inoremap <F5> <C-R>=ListMonths()<CR>
2288 func! ListMonths()
2289 call complete(col('.'), ['January', 'February', 'March',
2290 \ 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September',
2291 \ 'October', 'November', 'December'])
2292 return ''
2293 endfunc
2294 < This isn't very useful, but it shows how it works. Note that
2295 an empty string is returned to avoid a zero being inserted.
2297 complete_add({expr}) *complete_add()*
2298 Add {expr} to the list of matches. Only to be used by the
2299 function specified with the 'completefunc' option.
2300 Returns 0 for failure (empty string or out of memory),
2301 1 when the match was added, 2 when the match was already in
2302 the list.
2303 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of {expr}. It is
2304 the same as one item in the list that 'omnifunc' would return.
2306 complete_check() *complete_check()*
2307 Check for a key typed while looking for completion matches.
2308 This is to be used when looking for matches takes some time.
2309 Returns non-zero when searching for matches is to be aborted,
2310 zero otherwise.
2311 Only to be used by the function specified with the
2312 'completefunc' option.
2314 *confirm()*
2315 confirm({msg} [, {choices} [, {default} [, {type}]]])
2316 Confirm() offers the user a dialog, from which a choice can be
2317 made. It returns the number of the choice. For the first
2318 choice this is 1.
2319 Note: confirm() is only supported when compiled with dialog
2320 support, see |+dialog_con| and |+dialog_gui|.
2321 {msg} is displayed in a |dialog| with {choices} as the
2322 alternatives. When {choices} is missing or empty, "&OK" is
2323 used (and translated).
2324 {msg} is a String, use '\n' to include a newline. Only on
2325 some systems the string is wrapped when it doesn't fit.
2326 {choices} is a String, with the individual choices separated
2327 by '\n', e.g. >
2328 confirm("Save changes?", "&Yes\n&No\n&Cancel")
2329 < The letter after the '&' is the shortcut key for that choice.
2330 Thus you can type 'c' to select "Cancel". The shortcut does
2331 not need to be the first letter: >
2332 confirm("file has been modified", "&Save\nSave &All")
2333 < For the console, the first letter of each choice is used as
2334 the default shortcut key.
2335 The optional {default} argument is the number of the choice
2336 that is made if the user hits <CR>. Use 1 to make the first
2337 choice the default one. Use 0 to not set a default. If
2338 {default} is omitted, 1 is used.
2339 The optional {type} argument gives the type of dialog. This
2340 is only used for the icon of the Win32 GUI. It can be one of
2341 these values: "Error", "Question", "Info", "Warning" or
2342 "Generic". Only the first character is relevant. When {type}
2343 is omitted, "Generic" is used.
2344 If the user aborts the dialog by pressing <Esc>, CTRL-C,
2345 or another valid interrupt key, confirm() returns 0.
2347 An example: >
2348 :let choice = confirm("What do you want?", "&Apples\n&Oranges\n&Bananas", 2)
2349 :if choice == 0
2350 : echo "make up your mind!"
2351 :elseif choice == 3
2352 : echo "tasteful"
2353 :else
2354 : echo "I prefer bananas myself."
2355 :endif
2356 < In a GUI dialog, buttons are used. The layout of the buttons
2357 depends on the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'. If it is included,
2358 the buttons are always put vertically. Otherwise, confirm()
2359 tries to put the buttons in one horizontal line. If they
2360 don't fit, a vertical layout is used anyway. For some systems
2361 the horizontal layout is always used.
2363 *copy()*
2364 copy({expr}) Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2365 different from using {expr} directly.
2366 When {expr} is a |List| a shallow copy is created. This means
2367 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2368 copy, and vice versa. But the items are identical, thus
2369 changing an item changes the contents of both |Lists|. Also
2370 see |deepcopy()|.
2372 cos({expr}) *cos()*
2373 Return the cosine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
2374 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2375 Examples: >
2376 :echo cos(100)
2377 < 0.862319 >
2378 :echo cos(-4.01)
2379 < -0.646043
2380 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2383 cosh({expr}) *cosh()*
2384 Return the hyperbolic cosine of {expr} as a|Float|in [1,inf].
2385 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
2386 Examples: >
2387 :echo cosh(0.5)
2388 < 1.127626 >
2389 :echo cosh(-0.5)
2390 < -1.127626
2391 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
2394 count({comp}, {expr} [, {ic} [, {start}]]) *count()*
2395 Return the number of times an item with value {expr} appears
2396 in |List| or |Dictionary| {comp}.
2397 If {start} is given then start with the item with this index.
2398 {start} can only be used with a |List|.
2399 When {ic} is given and it's non-zero then case is ignored.
2402 *cscope_connection()*
2403 cscope_connection([{num} , {dbpath} [, {prepend}]])
2404 Checks for the existence of a |cscope| connection. If no
2405 parameters are specified, then the function returns:
2406 0, if cscope was not available (not compiled in), or
2407 if there are no cscope connections;
2408 1, if there is at least one cscope connection.
2410 If parameters are specified, then the value of {num}
2411 determines how existence of a cscope connection is checked:
2413 {num} Description of existence check
2414 ----- ------------------------------
2415 0 Same as no parameters (e.g., "cscope_connection()").
2416 1 Ignore {prepend}, and use partial string matches for
2417 {dbpath}.
2418 2 Ignore {prepend}, and use exact string matches for
2419 {dbpath}.
2420 3 Use {prepend}, use partial string matches for both
2421 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2422 4 Use {prepend}, use exact string matches for both
2423 {dbpath} and {prepend}.
2425 Note: All string comparisons are case sensitive!
2427 Examples. Suppose we had the following (from ":cs show"): >
2429 # pid database name prepend path
2430 0 27664 cscope.out /usr/local
2431 <
2432 Invocation Return Val ~
2433 ---------- ---------- >
2434 cscope_connection() 1
2435 cscope_connection(1, "out") 1
2436 cscope_connection(2, "out") 0
2437 cscope_connection(3, "out") 0
2438 cscope_connection(3, "out", "local") 1
2439 cscope_connection(4, "out") 0
2440 cscope_connection(4, "out", "local") 0
2441 cscope_connection(4, "cscope.out", "/usr/local") 1
2442 <
2443 cursor({lnum}, {col} [, {off}]) *cursor()*
2444 cursor({list})
2445 Positions the cursor at the column (byte count) {col} in the
2446 line {lnum}. The first column is one.
2447 When there is one argument {list} this is used as a |List|
2448 with two or three items {lnum}, {col} and {off}. This is like
2449 the return value of |getpos()|, but without the first item.
2450 Does not change the jumplist.
2451 If {lnum} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
2452 the cursor will be positioned at the last line in the buffer.
2453 If {lnum} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current line.
2454 If {col} is greater than the number of bytes in the line,
2455 the cursor will be positioned at the last character in the
2456 line.
2457 If {col} is zero, the cursor will stay in the current column.
2458 When 'virtualedit' is used {off} specifies the offset in
2459 screen columns from the start of the character. E.g., a
2460 position within a <Tab> or after the last character.
2461 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
2464 deepcopy({expr}[, {noref}]) *deepcopy()* *E698*
2465 Make a copy of {expr}. For Numbers and Strings this isn't
2466 different from using {expr} directly.
2467 When {expr} is a |List| a full copy is created. This means
2468 that the original |List| can be changed without changing the
2469 copy, and vice versa. When an item is a |List|, a copy for it
2470 is made, recursively. Thus changing an item in the copy does
2471 not change the contents of the original |List|.
2472 When {noref} is omitted or zero a contained |List| or
2473 |Dictionary| is only copied once. All references point to
2474 this single copy. With {noref} set to 1 every occurrence of a
2475 |List| or |Dictionary| results in a new copy. This also means
2476 that a cyclic reference causes deepcopy() to fail.
2477 *E724*
2478 Nesting is possible up to 100 levels. When there is an item
2479 that refers back to a higher level making a deep copy with
2480 {noref} set to 1 will fail.
2481 Also see |copy()|.
2483 delete({fname}) *delete()*
2484 Deletes the file by the name {fname}. The result is a Number,
2485 which is 0 if the file was deleted successfully, and non-zero
2486 when the deletion failed.
2487 Use |remove()| to delete an item from a |List|.
2489 *did_filetype()*
2490 did_filetype() Returns non-zero when autocommands are being executed and the
2491 FileType event has been triggered at least once. Can be used
2492 to avoid triggering the FileType event again in the scripts
2493 that detect the file type. |FileType|
2494 When editing another file, the counter is reset, thus this
2495 really checks if the FileType event has been triggered for the
2496 current buffer. This allows an autocommand that starts
2497 editing another buffer to set 'filetype' and load a syntax
2498 file.
2500 diff_filler({lnum}) *diff_filler()*
2501 Returns the number of filler lines above line {lnum}.
2502 These are the lines that were inserted at this point in
2503 another diff'ed window. These filler lines are shown in the
2504 display but don't exist in the buffer.
2505 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2506 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2507 Returns 0 if the current window is not in diff mode.
2509 diff_hlID({lnum}, {col}) *diff_hlID()*
2510 Returns the highlight ID for diff mode at line {lnum} column
2511 {col} (byte index). When the current line does not have a
2512 diff change zero is returned.
2513 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2514 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2515 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
2516 line.
2517 The highlight ID can be used with |synIDattr()| to obtain
2518 syntax information about the highlighting.
2520 empty({expr}) *empty()*
2521 Return the Number 1 if {expr} is empty, zero otherwise.
2522 A |List| or |Dictionary| is empty when it does not have any
2523 items. A Number is empty when its value is zero.
2524 For a long |List| this is much faster then comparing the
2525 length with zero.
2527 escape({string}, {chars}) *escape()*
2528 Escape the characters in {chars} that occur in {string} with a
2529 backslash. Example: >
2530 :echo escape('c:\program files\vim', ' \')
2531 < results in: >
2532 c:\\program\ files\\vim
2533 < Also see |shellescape()|.
2535 *eval()*
2536 eval({string}) Evaluate {string} and return the result. Especially useful to
2537 turn the result of |string()| back into the original value.
2538 This works for Numbers, Floats, Strings and composites of
2539 them. Also works for |Funcref|s that refer to existing
2540 functions.
2542 eventhandler() *eventhandler()*
2543 Returns 1 when inside an event handler. That is that Vim got
2544 interrupted while waiting for the user to type a character,
2545 e.g., when dropping a file on Vim. This means interactive
2546 commands cannot be used. Otherwise zero is returned.
2548 executable({expr}) *executable()*
2549 This function checks if an executable with the name {expr}
2550 exists. {expr} must be the name of the program without any
2551 arguments.
2552 executable() uses the value of $PATH and/or the normal
2553 searchpath for programs. *PATHEXT*
2554 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows the ".exe", ".bat", etc. can
2555 optionally be included. Then the extensions in $PATHEXT are
2556 tried. Thus if "foo.exe" does not exist, "foo.exe.bat" can be
2557 found. If $PATHEXT is not set then ".exe;.com;.bat;.cmd" is
2558 used. A dot by itself can be used in $PATHEXT to try using
2559 the name without an extension. When 'shell' looks like a
2560 Unix shell, then the name is also tried without adding an
2561 extension.
2562 On MS-DOS and MS-Windows it only checks if the file exists and
2563 is not a directory, not if it's really executable.
2564 On MS-Windows an executable in the same directory as Vim is
2565 always found. Since this directory is added to $PATH it
2566 should also work to execute it |win32-PATH|.
2567 The result is a Number:
2568 1 exists
2569 0 does not exist
2570 -1 not implemented on this system
2572 *exists()*
2573 exists({expr}) The result is a Number, which is non-zero if {expr} is
2574 defined, zero otherwise. The {expr} argument is a string,
2575 which contains one of these:
2576 &option-name Vim option (only checks if it exists,
2577 not if it really works)
2578 +option-name Vim option that works.
2579 $ENVNAME environment variable (could also be
2580 done by comparing with an empty
2581 string)
2582 *funcname built-in function (see |functions|)
2583 or user defined function (see
2584 |user-functions|).
2585 varname internal variable (see
2586 |internal-variables|). Also works
2587 for |curly-braces-names|, |Dictionary|
2588 entries, |List| items, etc. Beware
2589 that evaluating an index may cause an
2590 error message for an invalid
2591 expression. E.g.: >
2592 :let l = [1, 2, 3]
2593 :echo exists("l[5]")
2594 < 0 >
2595 :echo exists("l[xx]")
2596 < E121: Undefined variable: xx
2597 0
2598 :cmdname Ex command: built-in command, user
2599 command or command modifier |:command|.
2600 Returns:
2601 1 for match with start of a command
2602 2 full match with a command
2603 3 matches several user commands
2604 To check for a supported command
2605 always check the return value to be 2.
2606 :2match The |:2match| command.
2607 :3match The |:3match| command.
2608 #event autocommand defined for this event
2609 #event#pattern autocommand defined for this event and
2610 pattern (the pattern is taken
2611 literally and compared to the
2612 autocommand patterns character by
2613 character)
2614 #group autocommand group exists
2615 #group#event autocommand defined for this group and
2616 event.
2617 #group#event#pattern
2618 autocommand defined for this group,
2619 event and pattern.
2620 ##event autocommand for this event is
2621 supported.
2622 For checking for a supported feature use |has()|.
2624 Examples: >
2625 exists("&shortname")
2626 exists("$HOSTNAME")
2627 exists("*strftime")
2628 exists("*s:MyFunc")
2629 exists("bufcount")
2630 exists(":Make")
2631 exists("#CursorHold")
2632 exists("#BufReadPre#*.gz")
2633 exists("#filetypeindent")
2634 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType")
2635 exists("#filetypeindent#FileType#*")
2636 exists("##ColorScheme")
2637 < There must be no space between the symbol (&/$/*/#) and the
2638 name.
2639 There must be no extra characters after the name, although in
2640 a few cases this is ignored. That may become more strict in
2641 the future, thus don't count on it!
2642 Working example: >
2643 exists(":make")
2644 < NOT working example: >
2645 exists(":make install")
2647 < Note that the argument must be a string, not the name of the
2648 variable itself. For example: >
2649 exists(bufcount)
2650 < This doesn't check for existence of the "bufcount" variable,
2651 but gets the value of "bufcount", and checks if that exists.
2653 exp({expr}) *exp()*
2654 Return the exponential of {expr} as a|Float|in [0,inf].
2655 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
2656 Examples: >
2657 :echo exp(2)
2658 < 7.389056 >
2659 :echo exp(-1)
2660 < 0.367879
2661 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
2663 expand({expr} [, {flag}]) *expand()*
2664 Expand wildcards and the following special keywords in {expr}.
2665 The result is a String.
2667 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
2668 characters. [Note: in version 5.0 a space was used, which
2669 caused problems when a file name contains a space]
2671 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string. A name
2672 for a non-existing file is not included.
2674 When {expr} starts with '%', '#' or '<', the expansion is done
2675 like for the |cmdline-special| variables with their associated
2676 modifiers. Here is a short overview:
2678 % current file name
2679 # alternate file name
2680 #n alternate file name n
2681 <cfile> file name under the cursor
2682 <afile> autocmd file name
2683 <abuf> autocmd buffer number (as a String!)
2684 <amatch> autocmd matched name
2685 <sfile> sourced script file name
2686 <cword> word under the cursor
2687 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor
2688 <client> the {clientid} of the last received
2689 message |server2client()|
2690 Modifiers:
2691 :p expand to full path
2692 :h head (last path component removed)
2693 :t tail (last path component only)
2694 :r root (one extension removed)
2695 :e extension only
2697 Example: >
2698 :let &tags = expand("%:p:h") . "/tags"
2699 < Note that when expanding a string that starts with '%', '#' or
2700 '<', any following text is ignored. This does NOT work: >
2701 :let doesntwork = expand("%:h.bak")
2702 < Use this: >
2703 :let doeswork = expand("%:h") . ".bak"
2704 < Also note that expanding "<cfile>" and others only returns the
2705 referenced file name without further expansion. If "<cfile>"
2706 is "~/.cshrc", you need to do another expand() to have the
2707 "~/" expanded into the path of the home directory: >
2708 :echo expand(expand("<cfile>"))
2709 <
2710 There cannot be white space between the variables and the
2711 following modifier. The |fnamemodify()| function can be used
2712 to modify normal file names.
2714 When using '%' or '#', and the current or alternate file name
2715 is not defined, an empty string is used. Using "%:p" in a
2716 buffer with no name, results in the current directory, with a
2717 '/' added.
2719 When {expr} does not start with '%', '#' or '<', it is
2720 expanded like a file name is expanded on the command line.
2721 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' are used, unless the optional
2722 {flag} argument is given and it is non-zero. Names for
2723 non-existing files are included. The "**" item can be used to
2724 search in a directory tree. For example, to find all "README"
2725 files in the current directory and below: >
2726 :echo expand("**/README")
2727 <
2728 Expand() can also be used to expand variables and environment
2729 variables that are only known in a shell. But this can be
2730 slow, because a shell must be started. See |expr-env-expand|.
2731 The expanded variable is still handled like a list of file
2732 names. When an environment variable cannot be expanded, it is
2733 left unchanged. Thus ":echo expand('$FOOBAR')" results in
2734 "$FOOBAR".
2736 See |glob()| for finding existing files. See |system()| for
2737 getting the raw output of an external command.
2739 extend({expr1}, {expr2} [, {expr3}]) *extend()*
2740 {expr1} and {expr2} must be both |Lists| or both
2741 |Dictionaries|.
2743 If they are |Lists|: Append {expr2} to {expr1}.
2744 If {expr3} is given insert the items of {expr2} before item
2745 {expr3} in {expr1}. When {expr3} is zero insert before the
2746 first item. When {expr3} is equal to len({expr1}) then
2747 {expr2} is appended.
2748 Examples: >
2749 :echo sort(extend(mylist, [7, 5]))
2750 :call extend(mylist, [2, 3], 1)
2751 < When {expr1} is the same List as {expr2} then the number of
2752 items copied is equal to the original length of the List.
2753 E.g., when {expr3} is 1 you get N new copies of the first item
2754 (where N is the original length of the List).
2755 Use |add()| to concatenate one item to a list. To concatenate
2756 two lists into a new list use the + operator: >
2757 :let newlist = [1, 2, 3] + [4, 5]
2758 <
2759 If they are |Dictionaries|:
2760 Add all entries from {expr2} to {expr1}.
2761 If a key exists in both {expr1} and {expr2} then {expr3} is
2762 used to decide what to do:
2763 {expr3} = "keep": keep the value of {expr1}
2764 {expr3} = "force": use the value of {expr2}
2765 {expr3} = "error": give an error message *E737*
2766 When {expr3} is omitted then "force" is assumed.
2768 {expr1} is changed when {expr2} is not empty. If necessary
2769 make a copy of {expr1} first.
2770 {expr2} remains unchanged.
2771 Returns {expr1}.
2774 feedkeys({string} [, {mode}]) *feedkeys()*
2775 Characters in {string} are queued for processing as if they
2776 come from a mapping or were typed by the user. They are added
2777 to the end of the typeahead buffer, thus if a mapping is still
2778 being executed these characters come after them.
2779 The function does not wait for processing of keys contained in
2780 {string}.
2781 To include special keys into {string}, use double-quotes
2782 and "\..." notation |expr-quote|. For example,
2783 feedkeys("\<CR>") simulates pressing of the <Enter> key. But
2784 feedkeys('\<CR>') pushes 5 characters.
2785 If {mode} is absent, keys are remapped.
2786 {mode} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
2787 'm' Remap keys. This is default.
2788 'n' Do not remap keys.
2789 't' Handle keys as if typed; otherwise they are handled as
2790 if coming from a mapping. This matters for undo,
2791 opening folds, etc.
2792 Return value is always 0.
2794 filereadable({file}) *filereadable()*
2795 The result is a Number, which is TRUE when a file with the
2796 name {file} exists, and can be read. If {file} doesn't exist,
2797 or is a directory, the result is FALSE. {file} is any
2798 expression, which is used as a String.
2799 If you don't care about the file being readable you can use
2800 |glob()|.
2801 *file_readable()*
2802 Obsolete name: file_readable().
2805 filewritable({file}) *filewritable()*
2806 The result is a Number, which is 1 when a file with the
2807 name {file} exists, and can be written. If {file} doesn't
2808 exist, or is not writable, the result is 0. If {file} is a
2809 directory, and we can write to it, the result is 2.
2812 filter({expr}, {string}) *filter()*
2813 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
2814 For each item in {expr} evaluate {string} and when the result
2815 is zero remove the item from the |List| or |Dictionary|.
2816 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
2817 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item.
2818 Examples: >
2819 :call filter(mylist, 'v:val !~ "OLD"')
2820 < Removes the items where "OLD" appears. >
2821 :call filter(mydict, 'v:key >= 8')
2822 < Removes the items with a key below 8. >
2823 :call filter(var, 0)
2824 < Removes all the items, thus clears the |List| or |Dictionary|.
2826 Note that {string} is the result of expression and is then
2827 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
2828 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes.
2830 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
2831 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
2832 :let l = filter(copy(mylist), 'v:val =~ "KEEP"')
2834 < Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
2835 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
2836 further items in {expr} are processed.
2839 finddir({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *finddir()*
2840 Find directory {name} in {path}. Supports both downwards and
2841 upwards recursive directory searches. See |file-searching|
2842 for the syntax of {path}.
2843 Returns the path of the first found match. When the found
2844 directory is below the current directory a relative path is
2845 returned. Otherwise a full path is returned.
2846 If {path} is omitted or empty then 'path' is used.
2847 If the optional {count} is given, find {count}'s occurrence of
2848 {name} in {path} instead of the first one.
2849 When {count} is negative return all the matches in a |List|.
2850 This is quite similar to the ex-command |:find|.
2851 {only available when compiled with the +file_in_path feature}
2853 findfile({name}[, {path}[, {count}]]) *findfile()*
2854 Just like |finddir()|, but find a file instead of a directory.
2855 Uses 'suffixesadd'.
2856 Example: >
2857 :echo findfile("tags.vim", ".;")
2858 < Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
2859 it finds the file "tags.vim".
2861 float2nr({expr}) *float2nr()*
2862 Convert {expr} to a Number by omitting the part after the
2863 decimal point.
2864 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a Number.
2865 When the value of {expr} is out of range for a |Number| the
2866 result is truncated to 0x7fffffff or -0x7fffffff. NaN results
2867 in -0x80000000.
2868 Examples: >
2869 echo float2nr(3.95)
2870 < 3 >
2871 echo float2nr(-23.45)
2872 < -23 >
2873 echo float2nr(1.0e100)
2874 < 2147483647 >
2875 echo float2nr(-1.0e150)
2876 < -2147483647 >
2877 echo float2nr(1.0e-100)
2878 < 0
2879 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2882 floor({expr}) *floor()*
2883 Return the largest integral value less than or equal to
2884 {expr} as a |Float| (round down).
2885 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
2886 Examples: >
2887 echo floor(1.856)
2888 < 1.0 >
2889 echo floor(-5.456)
2890 < -6.0 >
2891 echo floor(4.0)
2892 < 4.0
2893 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
2895 fmod({expr1},{expr2}) *fmod()*
2896 Return the remainder of {expr1}/{expr2}, even if the division
2897 is not representable. Returns {expr1} - i * {expr2} for some
2898 integer i such that if {expr2} is non-zero, the result has the
2899 same sign as {expr1} and magnitude less than the magnitude of
2900 {expr2}. If {expr2} is zero, the value returned is zero. The
2901 value returned is a|Float|.
2902 {expr1} and {expr2} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
2903 Examples: >
2904 :echo fmod(12.33,1.22)
2905 < 0.13 >
2906 :echo fmod(-12.33,1.22)
2907 < -0.13
2908 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
2910 fnameescape({string}) *fnameescape()*
2911 Escape {string} for use as file name command argument. All
2912 characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
2913 are escaped with a backslash.
2914 For most systems the characters escaped are
2915 " \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<". For systems where a backslash
2916 appears in a filename, it depends on the value of 'isfname'.
2917 A leading '+' and '>' is also escaped (special after |:edit|
2918 and |:write|). And a "-" by itself (special after |:cd|).
2919 Example: >
2920 :let fname = '+some str%nge|name'
2921 :exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
2922 < results in executing: >
2923 edit \+some\ str\%nge\|name
2925 fnamemodify({fname}, {mods}) *fnamemodify()*
2926 Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}. {mods} is a
2927 string of characters like it is used for file names on the
2928 command line. See |filename-modifiers|.
2929 Example: >
2930 :echo fnamemodify("main.c", ":p:h")
2931 < results in: >
2932 /home/mool/vim/vim/src
2933 < Note: Environment variables don't work in {fname}, use
2934 |expand()| first then.
2936 foldclosed({lnum}) *foldclosed()*
2937 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2938 fold, the result is the number of the first line in that fold.
2939 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2941 foldclosedend({lnum}) *foldclosedend()*
2942 The result is a Number. If the line {lnum} is in a closed
2943 fold, the result is the number of the last line in that fold.
2944 If the line {lnum} is not in a closed fold, -1 is returned.
2946 foldlevel({lnum}) *foldlevel()*
2947 The result is a Number, which is the foldlevel of line {lnum}
2948 in the current buffer. For nested folds the deepest level is
2949 returned. If there is no fold at line {lnum}, zero is
2950 returned. It doesn't matter if the folds are open or closed.
2951 When used while updating folds (from 'foldexpr') -1 is
2952 returned for lines where folds are still to be updated and the
2953 foldlevel is unknown. As a special case the level of the
2954 previous line is usually available.
2956 *foldtext()*
2957 foldtext() Returns a String, to be displayed for a closed fold. This is
2958 the default function used for the 'foldtext' option and should
2959 only be called from evaluating 'foldtext'. It uses the
2960 |v:foldstart|, |v:foldend| and |v:folddashes| variables.
2961 The returned string looks like this: >
2962 +-- 45 lines: abcdef
2963 < The number of dashes depends on the foldlevel. The "45" is
2964 the number of lines in the fold. "abcdef" is the text in the
2965 first non-blank line of the fold. Leading white space, "//"
2966 or "/*" and the text from the 'foldmarker' and 'commentstring'
2967 options is removed.
2968 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2970 foldtextresult({lnum}) *foldtextresult()*
2971 Returns the text that is displayed for the closed fold at line
2972 {lnum}. Evaluates 'foldtext' in the appropriate context.
2973 When there is no closed fold at {lnum} an empty string is
2974 returned.
2975 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|. Thus "." is the current
2976 line, "'m" mark m, etc.
2977 Useful when exporting folded text, e.g., to HTML.
2978 {not available when compiled without the |+folding| feature}
2980 *foreground()*
2981 foreground() Move the Vim window to the foreground. Useful when sent from
2982 a client to a Vim server. |remote_send()|
2983 On Win32 systems this might not work, the OS does not always
2984 allow a window to bring itself to the foreground. Use
2985 |remote_foreground()| instead.
2986 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
2987 Win32 console version}
2990 function({name}) *function()* *E700*
2991 Return a |Funcref| variable that refers to function {name}.
2992 {name} can be a user defined function or an internal function.
2995 garbagecollect([at_exit]) *garbagecollect()*
2996 Cleanup unused |Lists| and |Dictionaries| that have circular
2997 references. There is hardly ever a need to invoke this
2998 function, as it is automatically done when Vim runs out of
2999 memory or is waiting for the user to press a key after
3000 'updatetime'. Items without circular references are always
3001 freed when they become unused.
3002 This is useful if you have deleted a very big |List| and/or
3003 |Dictionary| with circular references in a script that runs
3004 for a long time.
3005 When the optional "at_exit" argument is one, garbage
3006 collection will also be done when exiting Vim, if it wasn't
3007 done before. This is useful when checking for memory leaks.
3009 get({list}, {idx} [, {default}]) *get()*
3010 Get item {idx} from |List| {list}. When this item is not
3011 available return {default}. Return zero when {default} is
3012 omitted.
3013 get({dict}, {key} [, {default}])
3014 Get item with key {key} from |Dictionary| {dict}. When this
3015 item is not available return {default}. Return zero when
3016 {default} is omitted.
3018 *getbufline()*
3019 getbufline({expr}, {lnum} [, {end}])
3020 Return a |List| with the lines starting from {lnum} to {end}
3021 (inclusive) in the buffer {expr}. If {end} is omitted, a
3022 |List| with only the line {lnum} is returned.
3024 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3026 For {lnum} and {end} "$" can be used for the last line of the
3027 buffer. Otherwise a number must be used.
3029 When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3030 lines in the buffer, an empty |List| is returned.
3032 When {end} is greater than the number of lines in the buffer,
3033 it is treated as {end} is set to the number of lines in the
3034 buffer. When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is
3035 returned.
3037 This function works only for loaded buffers. For unloaded and
3038 non-existing buffers, an empty |List| is returned.
3040 Example: >
3041 :let lines = getbufline(bufnr("myfile"), 1, "$")
3043 getbufvar({expr}, {varname}) *getbufvar()*
3044 The result is the value of option or local buffer variable
3045 {varname} in buffer {expr}. Note that the name without "b:"
3046 must be used.
3047 When {varname} is empty returns a dictionary with all the
3048 buffer-local variables.
3049 This also works for a global or buffer-local option, but it
3050 doesn't work for a global variable, window-local variable or
3051 window-local option.
3052 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
3053 When the buffer or variable doesn't exist an empty string is
3054 returned, there is no error message.
3055 Examples: >
3056 :let bufmodified = getbufvar(1, "&mod")
3057 :echo "todo myvar = " . getbufvar("todo", "myvar")
3058 <
3059 getchar([expr]) *getchar()*
3060 Get a single character from the user or input stream.
3061 If [expr] is omitted, wait until a character is available.
3062 If [expr] is 0, only get a character when one is available.
3063 Return zero otherwise.
3064 If [expr] is 1, only check if a character is available, it is
3065 not consumed. Return zero if no character available.
3067 Without {expr} and when {expr} is 0 a whole character or
3068 special key is returned. If it is an 8-bit character, the
3069 result is a number. Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3070 Otherwise a String is returned with the encoded character.
3071 For a special key it's a sequence of bytes starting with 0x80
3072 (decimal: 128). This is the same value as the string
3073 "\<Key>", e.g., "\<Left>". The returned value is also a
3074 String when a modifier (shift, control, alt) was used that is
3075 not included in the character.
3077 When {expr} is 1 only the first byte is returned. For a
3078 one-byte character it is the character itself as a number.
3079 Use nr2char() to convert it to a String.
3081 When the user clicks a mouse button, the mouse event will be
3082 returned. The position can then be found in |v:mouse_col|,
3083 |v:mouse_lnum| and |v:mouse_win|. This example positions the
3084 mouse as it would normally happen: >
3085 let c = getchar()
3086 if c == "\<LeftMouse>" && v:mouse_win > 0
3087 exe v:mouse_win . "wincmd w"
3088 exe v:mouse_lnum
3089 exe "normal " . v:mouse_col . "|"
3090 endif
3091 <
3092 There is no prompt, you will somehow have to make clear to the
3093 user that a character has to be typed.
3094 There is no mapping for the character.
3095 Key codes are replaced, thus when the user presses the <Del>
3096 key you get the code for the <Del> key, not the raw character
3097 sequence. Examples: >
3098 getchar() == "\<Del>"
3099 getchar() == "\<S-Left>"
3100 < This example redefines "f" to ignore case: >
3101 :nmap f :call FindChar()<CR>
3102 :function FindChar()
3103 : let c = nr2char(getchar())
3104 : while col('.') < col('$') - 1
3105 : normal l
3106 : if getline('.')[col('.') - 1] ==? c
3107 : break
3108 : endif
3109 : endwhile
3110 :endfunction
3112 getcharmod() *getcharmod()*
3113 The result is a Number which is the state of the modifiers for
3114 the last obtained character with getchar() or in another way.
3115 These values are added together:
3116 2 shift
3117 4 control
3118 8 alt (meta)
3119 16 mouse double click
3120 32 mouse triple click
3121 64 mouse quadruple click
3122 128 Macintosh only: command
3123 Only the modifiers that have not been included in the
3124 character itself are obtained. Thus Shift-a results in "A"
3125 with no modifier.
3127 getcmdline() *getcmdline()*
3128 Return the current command-line. Only works when the command
3129 line is being edited, thus requires use of |c_CTRL-\_e| or
3130 |c_CTRL-R_=|.
3131 Example: >
3132 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eescape(getcmdline(), ' \')<CR>
3133 < Also see |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdpos()| and |setcmdpos()|.
3135 getcmdpos() *getcmdpos()*
3136 Return the position of the cursor in the command line as a
3137 byte count. The first column is 1.
3138 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3139 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns 0 otherwise.
3140 Also see |getcmdtype()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3142 getcmdtype() *getcmdtype()*
3143 Return the current command-line type. Possible return values
3144 are:
3145 : normal Ex command
3146 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
3147 / forward search command
3148 ? backward search command
3149 @ |input()| command
3150 - |:insert| or |:append| command
3151 Only works when editing the command line, thus requires use of
3152 |c_CTRL-\_e| or |c_CTRL-R_=|. Returns an empty string
3153 otherwise.
3154 Also see |getcmdpos()|, |setcmdpos()| and |getcmdline()|.
3156 *getcwd()*
3157 getcwd() The result is a String, which is the name of the current
3158 working directory.
3160 getfsize({fname}) *getfsize()*
3161 The result is a Number, which is the size in bytes of the
3162 given file {fname}.
3163 If {fname} is a directory, 0 is returned.
3164 If the file {fname} can't be found, -1 is returned.
3165 If the size of {fname} is too big to fit in a Number then -2
3166 is returned.
3168 getfontname([{name}]) *getfontname()*
3169 Without an argument returns the name of the normal font being
3170 used. Like what is used for the Normal highlight group
3171 |hl-Normal|.
3172 With an argument a check is done whether {name} is a valid
3173 font name. If not then an empty string is returned.
3174 Otherwise the actual font name is returned, or {name} if the
3175 GUI does not support obtaining the real name.
3176 Only works when the GUI is running, thus not in your vimrc or
3177 gvimrc file. Use the |GUIEnter| autocommand to use this
3178 function just after the GUI has started.
3179 Note that the GTK 2 GUI accepts any font name, thus checking
3180 for a valid name does not work.
3182 getfperm({fname}) *getfperm()*
3183 The result is a String, which is the read, write, and execute
3184 permissions of the given file {fname}.
3185 If {fname} does not exist or its directory cannot be read, an
3186 empty string is returned.
3187 The result is of the form "rwxrwxrwx", where each group of
3188 "rwx" flags represent, in turn, the permissions of the owner
3189 of the file, the group the file belongs to, and other users.
3190 If a user does not have a given permission the flag for this
3191 is replaced with the string "-". Example: >
3192 :echo getfperm("/etc/passwd")
3193 < This will hopefully (from a security point of view) display
3194 the string "rw-r--r--" or even "rw-------".
3196 getftime({fname}) *getftime()*
3197 The result is a Number, which is the last modification time of
3198 the given file {fname}. The value is measured as seconds
3199 since 1st Jan 1970, and may be passed to strftime(). See also
3200 |localtime()| and |strftime()|.
3201 If the file {fname} can't be found -1 is returned.
3203 getftype({fname}) *getftype()*
3204 The result is a String, which is a description of the kind of
3205 file of the given file {fname}.
3206 If {fname} does not exist an empty string is returned.
3207 Here is a table over different kinds of files and their
3208 results:
3209 Normal file "file"
3210 Directory "dir"
3211 Symbolic link "link"
3212 Block device "bdev"
3213 Character device "cdev"
3214 Socket "socket"
3215 FIFO "fifo"
3216 All other "other"
3217 Example: >
3218 getftype("/home")
3219 < Note that a type such as "link" will only be returned on
3220 systems that support it. On some systems only "dir" and
3221 "file" are returned.
3223 *getline()*
3224 getline({lnum} [, {end}])
3225 Without {end} the result is a String, which is line {lnum}
3226 from the current buffer. Example: >
3227 getline(1)
3228 < When {lnum} is a String that doesn't start with a
3229 digit, line() is called to translate the String into a Number.
3230 To get the line under the cursor: >
3231 getline(".")
3232 < When {lnum} is smaller than 1 or bigger than the number of
3233 lines in the buffer, an empty string is returned.
3235 When {end} is given the result is a |List| where each item is
3236 a line from the current buffer in the range {lnum} to {end},
3237 including line {end}.
3238 {end} is used in the same way as {lnum}.
3239 Non-existing lines are silently omitted.
3240 When {end} is before {lnum} an empty |List| is returned.
3241 Example: >
3242 :let start = line('.')
3243 :let end = search("^$") - 1
3244 :let lines = getline(start, end)
3246 < To get lines from another buffer see |getbufline()|
3248 getloclist({nr}) *getloclist()*
3249 Returns a list with all the entries in the location list for
3250 window {nr}. When {nr} is zero the current window is used.
3251 For a location list window, the displayed location list is
3252 returned. For an invalid window number {nr}, an empty list is
3253 returned. Otherwise, same as getqflist().
3255 getmatches() *getmatches()*
3256 Returns a |List| with all matches previously defined by
3257 |matchadd()| and the |:match| commands. |getmatches()| is
3258 useful in combination with |setmatches()|, as |setmatches()|
3259 can restore a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|.
3260 Example: >
3261 :echo getmatches()
3262 < [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3263 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3264 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3265 :let m = getmatches()
3266 :call clearmatches()
3267 :echo getmatches()
3268 < [] >
3269 :call setmatches(m)
3270 :echo getmatches()
3271 < [{'group': 'MyGroup1', 'pattern': 'TODO',
3272 'priority': 10, 'id': 1}, {'group': 'MyGroup2',
3273 'pattern': 'FIXME', 'priority': 10, 'id': 2}] >
3274 :unlet m
3275 <
3277 getqflist() *getqflist()*
3278 Returns a list with all the current quickfix errors. Each
3279 list item is a dictionary with these entries:
3280 bufnr number of buffer that has the file name, use
3281 bufname() to get the name
3282 lnum line number in the buffer (first line is 1)
3283 col column number (first column is 1)
3284 vcol non-zero: "col" is visual column
3285 zero: "col" is byte index
3286 nr error number
3287 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
3288 text description of the error
3289 type type of the error, 'E', '1', etc.
3290 valid non-zero: recognized error message
3292 When there is no error list or it's empty an empty list is
3293 returned. Quickfix list entries with non-existing buffer
3294 number are returned with "bufnr" set to zero.
3296 Useful application: Find pattern matches in multiple files and
3297 do something with them: >
3298 :vimgrep /theword/jg *.c
3299 :for d in getqflist()
3300 : echo bufname(d.bufnr) ':' d.lnum '=' d.text
3301 :endfor
3304 getreg([{regname} [, 1]]) *getreg()*
3305 The result is a String, which is the contents of register
3306 {regname}. Example: >
3307 :let cliptext = getreg('*')
3308 < getreg('=') returns the last evaluated value of the expression
3309 register. (For use in maps.)
3310 getreg('=', 1) returns the expression itself, so that it can
3311 be restored with |setreg()|. For other registers the extra
3312 argument is ignored, thus you can always give it.
3313 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3316 getregtype([{regname}]) *getregtype()*
3317 The result is a String, which is type of register {regname}.
3318 The value will be one of:
3319 "v" for |characterwise| text
3320 "V" for |linewise| text
3321 "<CTRL-V>{width}" for |blockwise-visual| text
3322 0 for an empty or unknown register
3323 <CTRL-V> is one character with value 0x16.
3324 If {regname} is not specified, |v:register| is used.
3326 gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}) *gettabwinvar()*
3327 Get the value of window-local variable {varname} in window
3328 {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}.
3329 When {varname} starts with "&" get the value of a window-local
3330 option.
3331 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
3332 use |getwinvar()|.
3333 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
3334 This also works for a global option, buffer-local option and
3335 window-local option, but it doesn't work for a global variable
3336 or buffer-local variable.
3337 When {varname} is empty a dictionary with all window-local
3338 variables is returned.
3339 Note that {varname} must be the name without "w:".
3340 Examples: >
3341 :let list_is_on = gettabwinvar(1, 2, '&list')
3342 :echo "myvar = " . gettabwinvar(3, 1, 'myvar')
3343 <
3344 *getwinposx()*
3345 getwinposx() The result is a Number, which is the X coordinate in pixels of
3346 the left hand side of the GUI Vim window. The result will be
3347 -1 if the information is not available.
3349 *getwinposy()*
3350 getwinposy() The result is a Number, which is the Y coordinate in pixels of
3351 the top of the GUI Vim window. The result will be -1 if the
3352 information is not available.
3354 getwinvar({winnr}, {varname}) *getwinvar()*
3355 Like |gettabwinvar()| for the current tabpage.
3356 Examples: >
3357 :let list_is_on = getwinvar(2, '&list')
3358 :echo "myvar = " . getwinvar(1, 'myvar')
3359 <
3360 glob({expr} [, {flag}]) *glob()*
3361 Expand the file wildcards in {expr}. See |wildcards| for the
3362 use of special characters.
3363 The result is a String.
3364 When there are several matches, they are separated by <NL>
3365 characters.
3366 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3367 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3368 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3369 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
3370 If the expansion fails, the result is an empty string.
3371 A name for a non-existing file is not included.
3373 For most systems backticks can be used to get files names from
3374 any external command. Example: >
3375 :let tagfiles = glob("`find . -name tags -print`")
3376 :let &tags = substitute(tagfiles, "\n", ",", "g")
3377 < The result of the program inside the backticks should be one
3378 item per line. Spaces inside an item are allowed.
3380 See |expand()| for expanding special Vim variables. See
3381 |system()| for getting the raw output of an external command.
3383 globpath({path}, {expr} [, {flag}]) *globpath()*
3384 Perform glob() on all directories in {path} and concatenate
3385 the results. Example: >
3386 :echo globpath(&rtp, "syntax/c.vim")
3387 < {path} is a comma-separated list of directory names. Each
3388 directory name is prepended to {expr} and expanded like with
3389 |glob()|. A path separator is inserted when needed.
3390 To add a comma inside a directory name escape it with a
3391 backslash. Note that on MS-Windows a directory may have a
3392 trailing backslash, remove it if you put a comma after it.
3393 If the expansion fails for one of the directories, there is no
3394 error message.
3395 Unless the optional {flag} argument is given and is non-zero,
3396 the 'suffixes' and 'wildignore' options apply: Names matching
3397 one of the patterns in 'wildignore' will be skipped and
3398 'suffixes' affect the ordering of matches.
3400 The "**" item can be used to search in a directory tree.
3401 For example, to find all "README.txt" files in the directories
3402 in 'runtimepath' and below: >
3403 :echo globpath(&rtp, "**/README.txt")
3404 < Upwards search and limiting the depth of "**" is not
3405 supported, thus using 'path' will not always work properly.
3407 *has()*
3408 has({feature}) The result is a Number, which is 1 if the feature {feature} is
3409 supported, zero otherwise. The {feature} argument is a
3410 string. See |feature-list| below.
3411 Also see |exists()|.
3414 has_key({dict}, {key}) *has_key()*
3415 The result is a Number, which is 1 if |Dictionary| {dict} has
3416 an entry with key {key}. Zero otherwise.
3418 haslocaldir() *haslocaldir()*
3419 The result is a Number, which is 1 when the current
3420 window has set a local path via |:lcd|, and 0 otherwise.
3422 hasmapto({what} [, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *hasmapto()*
3423 The result is a Number, which is 1 if there is a mapping that
3424 contains {what} in somewhere in the rhs (what it is mapped to)
3425 and this mapping exists in one of the modes indicated by
3426 {mode}.
3427 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3428 instead of mappings. Don't forget to specify Insert and/or
3429 Command-line mode.
3430 Both the global mappings and the mappings local to the current
3431 buffer are checked for a match.
3432 If no matching mapping is found 0 is returned.
3433 The following characters are recognized in {mode}:
3434 n Normal mode
3435 v Visual mode
3436 o Operator-pending mode
3437 i Insert mode
3438 l Language-Argument ("r", "f", "t", etc.)
3439 c Command-line mode
3440 When {mode} is omitted, "nvo" is used.
3442 This function is useful to check if a mapping already exists
3443 to a function in a Vim script. Example: >
3444 :if !hasmapto('\ABCdoit')
3445 : map <Leader>d \ABCdoit
3446 :endif
3447 < This installs the mapping to "\ABCdoit" only if there isn't
3448 already a mapping to "\ABCdoit".
3450 histadd({history}, {item}) *histadd()*
3451 Add the String {item} to the history {history} which can be
3452 one of: *hist-names*
3453 "cmd" or ":" command line history
3454 "search" or "/" search pattern history
3455 "expr" or "=" typed expression history
3456 "input" or "@" input line history
3457 If {item} does already exist in the history, it will be
3458 shifted to become the newest entry.
3459 The result is a Number: 1 if the operation was successful,
3460 otherwise 0 is returned.
3462 Example: >
3463 :call histadd("input", strftime("%Y %b %d"))
3464 :let date=input("Enter date: ")
3465 < This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
3467 histdel({history} [, {item}]) *histdel()*
3468 Clear {history}, i.e. delete all its entries. See |hist-names|
3469 for the possible values of {history}.
3471 If the parameter {item} evaluates to a String, it is used as a
3472 regular expression. All entries matching that expression will
3473 be removed from the history (if there are any).
3474 Upper/lowercase must match, unless "\c" is used |/\c|.
3475 If {item} evaluates to a Number, it will be interpreted as
3476 an index, see |:history-indexing|. The respective entry will
3477 be removed if it exists.
3479 The result is a Number: 1 for a successful operation,
3480 otherwise 0 is returned.
3482 Examples:
3483 Clear expression register history: >
3484 :call histdel("expr")
3485 <
3486 Remove all entries starting with "*" from the search history: >
3487 :call histdel("/", '^\*')
3488 <
3489 The following three are equivalent: >
3490 :call histdel("search", histnr("search"))
3491 :call histdel("search", -1)
3492 :call histdel("search", '^'.histget("search", -1).'$')
3493 <
3494 To delete the last search pattern and use the last-but-one for
3495 the "n" command and 'hlsearch': >
3496 :call histdel("search", -1)
3497 :let @/ = histget("search", -1)
3499 histget({history} [, {index}]) *histget()*
3500 The result is a String, the entry with Number {index} from
3501 {history}. See |hist-names| for the possible values of
3502 {history}, and |:history-indexing| for {index}. If there is
3503 no such entry, an empty String is returned. When {index} is
3504 omitted, the most recent item from the history is used.
3506 Examples:
3507 Redo the second last search from history. >
3508 :execute '/' . histget("search", -2)
3510 < Define an Ex command ":H {num}" that supports re-execution of
3511 the {num}th entry from the output of |:history|. >
3512 :command -nargs=1 H execute histget("cmd", 0+<args>)
3513 <
3514 histnr({history}) *histnr()*
3515 The result is the Number of the current entry in {history}.
3516 See |hist-names| for the possible values of {history}.
3517 If an error occurred, -1 is returned.
3519 Example: >
3520 :let inp_index = histnr("expr")
3521 <
3522 hlexists({name}) *hlexists()*
3523 The result is a Number, which is non-zero if a highlight group
3524 called {name} exists. This is when the group has been
3525 defined in some way. Not necessarily when highlighting has
3526 been defined for it, it may also have been used for a syntax
3527 item.
3528 *highlight_exists()*
3529 Obsolete name: highlight_exists().
3531 *hlID()*
3532 hlID({name}) The result is a Number, which is the ID of the highlight group
3533 with name {name}. When the highlight group doesn't exist,
3534 zero is returned.
3535 This can be used to retrieve information about the highlight
3536 group. For example, to get the background color of the
3537 "Comment" group: >
3538 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(hlID("Comment")), "bg")
3539 < *highlightID()*
3540 Obsolete name: highlightID().
3542 hostname() *hostname()*
3543 The result is a String, which is the name of the machine on
3544 which Vim is currently running. Machine names greater than
3545 256 characters long are truncated.
3547 iconv({expr}, {from}, {to}) *iconv()*
3548 The result is a String, which is the text {expr} converted
3549 from encoding {from} to encoding {to}.
3550 When the conversion fails an empty string is returned.
3551 The encoding names are whatever the iconv() library function
3552 can accept, see ":!man 3 iconv".
3553 Most conversions require Vim to be compiled with the |+iconv|
3554 feature. Otherwise only UTF-8 to latin1 conversion and back
3555 can be done.
3556 This can be used to display messages with special characters,
3557 no matter what 'encoding' is set to. Write the message in
3558 UTF-8 and use: >
3559 echo iconv(utf8_str, "utf-8", &enc)
3560 < Note that Vim uses UTF-8 for all Unicode encodings, conversion
3561 from/to UCS-2 is automatically changed to use UTF-8. You
3562 cannot use UCS-2 in a string anyway, because of the NUL bytes.
3563 {only available when compiled with the +multi_byte feature}
3565 *indent()*
3566 indent({lnum}) The result is a Number, which is indent of line {lnum} in the
3567 current buffer. The indent is counted in spaces, the value
3568 of 'tabstop' is relevant. {lnum} is used just like in
3569 |getline()|.
3570 When {lnum} is invalid -1 is returned.
3573 index({list}, {expr} [, {start} [, {ic}]]) *index()*
3574 Return the lowest index in |List| {list} where the item has a
3575 value equal to {expr}.
3576 If {start} is given then start looking at the item with index
3577 {start} (may be negative for an item relative to the end).
3578 When {ic} is given and it is non-zero, ignore case. Otherwise
3579 case must match.
3580 -1 is returned when {expr} is not found in {list}.
3581 Example: >
3582 :let idx = index(words, "the")
3583 :if index(numbers, 123) >= 0
3586 input({prompt} [, {text} [, {completion}]]) *input()*
3587 The result is a String, which is whatever the user typed on
3588 the command-line. The parameter is either a prompt string, or
3589 a blank string (for no prompt). A '\n' can be used in the
3590 prompt to start a new line.
3591 The highlighting set with |:echohl| is used for the prompt.
3592 The input is entered just like a command-line, with the same
3593 editing commands and mappings. There is a separate history
3594 for lines typed for input().
3595 Example: >
3596 :if input("Coffee or beer? ") == "beer"
3597 : echo "Cheers!"
3598 :endif
3599 <
3600 If the optional {text} is present and not empty, this is used
3601 for the default reply, as if the user typed this. Example: >
3602 :let color = input("Color? ", "white")
3604 < The optional {completion} argument specifies the type of
3605 completion supported for the input. Without it completion is
3606 not performed. The supported completion types are the same as
3607 that can be supplied to a user-defined command using the
3608 "-complete=" argument. Refer to |:command-completion| for
3609 more information. Example: >
3610 let fname = input("File: ", "", "file")
3611 <
3612 NOTE: This function must not be used in a startup file, for
3613 the versions that only run in GUI mode (e.g., the Win32 GUI).
3614 Note: When input() is called from within a mapping it will
3615 consume remaining characters from that mapping, because a
3616 mapping is handled like the characters were typed.
3617 Use |inputsave()| before input() and |inputrestore()|
3618 after input() to avoid that. Another solution is to avoid
3619 that further characters follow in the mapping, e.g., by using
3620 |:execute| or |:normal|.
3622 Example with a mapping: >
3623 :nmap \x :call GetFoo()<CR>:exe "/" . Foo<CR>
3624 :function GetFoo()
3625 : call inputsave()
3626 : let g:Foo = input("enter search pattern: ")
3627 : call inputrestore()
3628 :endfunction
3630 inputdialog({prompt} [, {text} [, {cancelreturn}]]) *inputdialog()*
3631 Like input(), but when the GUI is running and text dialogs are
3632 supported, a dialog window pops up to input the text.
3633 Example: >
3634 :let n = inputdialog("value for shiftwidth", &sw)
3635 :if n != ""
3636 : let &sw = n
3637 :endif
3638 < When the dialog is cancelled {cancelreturn} is returned. When
3639 omitted an empty string is returned.
3640 Hitting <Enter> works like pressing the OK button. Hitting
3641 <Esc> works like pressing the Cancel button.
3642 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
3644 inputlist({textlist}) *inputlist()*
3645 {textlist} must be a |List| of strings. This |List| is
3646 displayed, one string per line. The user will be prompted to
3647 enter a number, which is returned.
3648 The user can also select an item by clicking on it with the
3649 mouse. For the first string 0 is returned. When clicking
3650 above the first item a negative number is returned. When
3651 clicking on the prompt one more than the length of {textlist}
3652 is returned.
3653 Make sure {textlist} has less then 'lines' entries, otherwise
3654 it won't work. It's a good idea to put the entry number at
3655 the start of the string. And put a prompt in the first item.
3656 Example: >
3657 let color = inputlist(['Select color:', '1. red',
3658 \ '2. green', '3. blue'])
3660 inputrestore() *inputrestore()*
3661 Restore typeahead that was saved with a previous inputsave().
3662 Should be called the same number of times inputsave() is
3663 called. Calling it more often is harmless though.
3664 Returns 1 when there is nothing to restore, 0 otherwise.
3666 inputsave() *inputsave()*
3667 Preserve typeahead (also from mappings) and clear it, so that
3668 a following prompt gets input from the user. Should be
3669 followed by a matching inputrestore() after the prompt. Can
3670 be used several times, in which case there must be just as
3671 many inputrestore() calls.
3672 Returns 1 when out of memory, 0 otherwise.
3674 inputsecret({prompt} [, {text}]) *inputsecret()*
3675 This function acts much like the |input()| function with but
3676 two exceptions:
3677 a) the user's response will be displayed as a sequence of
3678 asterisks ("*") thereby keeping the entry secret, and
3679 b) the user's response will not be recorded on the input
3680 |history| stack.
3681 The result is a String, which is whatever the user actually
3682 typed on the command-line in response to the issued prompt.
3683 NOTE: Command-line completion is not supported.
3685 insert({list}, {item} [, {idx}]) *insert()*
3686 Insert {item} at the start of |List| {list}.
3687 If {idx} is specified insert {item} before the item with index
3688 {idx}. If {idx} is zero it goes before the first item, just
3689 like omitting {idx}. A negative {idx} is also possible, see
3690 |list-index|. -1 inserts just before the last item.
3691 Returns the resulting |List|. Examples: >
3692 :let mylist = insert([2, 3, 5], 1)
3693 :call insert(mylist, 4, -1)
3694 :call insert(mylist, 6, len(mylist))
3695 < The last example can be done simpler with |add()|.
3696 Note that when {item} is a |List| it is inserted as a single
3697 item. Use |extend()| to concatenate |Lists|.
3699 isdirectory({directory}) *isdirectory()*
3700 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when a directory
3701 with the name {directory} exists. If {directory} doesn't
3702 exist, or isn't a directory, the result is FALSE. {directory}
3703 is any expression, which is used as a String.
3705 islocked({expr}) *islocked()* *E786*
3706 The result is a Number, which is non-zero when {expr} is the
3707 name of a locked variable.
3708 {expr} must be the name of a variable, |List| item or
3709 |Dictionary| entry, not the variable itself! Example: >
3710 :let alist = [0, ['a', 'b'], 2, 3]
3711 :lockvar 1 alist
3712 :echo islocked('alist') " 1
3713 :echo islocked('alist[1]') " 0
3715 < When {expr} is a variable that does not exist you get an error
3716 message. Use |exists()| to check for existence.
3718 items({dict}) *items()*
3719 Return a |List| with all the key-value pairs of {dict}. Each
3720 |List| item is a list with two items: the key of a {dict}
3721 entry and the value of this entry. The |List| is in arbitrary
3722 order.
3725 join({list} [, {sep}]) *join()*
3726 Join the items in {list} together into one String.
3727 When {sep} is specified it is put in between the items. If
3728 {sep} is omitted a single space is used.
3729 Note that {sep} is not added at the end. You might want to
3730 add it there too: >
3731 let lines = join(mylist, "\n") . "\n"
3732 < String items are used as-is. |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are
3733 converted into a string like with |string()|.
3734 The opposite function is |split()|.
3736 keys({dict}) *keys()*
3737 Return a |List| with all the keys of {dict}. The |List| is in
3738 arbitrary order.
3740 *len()* *E701*
3741 len({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the argument.
3742 When {expr} is a String or a Number the length in bytes is
3743 used, as with |strlen()|.
3744 When {expr} is a |List| the number of items in the |List| is
3745 returned.
3746 When {expr} is a |Dictionary| the number of entries in the
3747 |Dictionary| is returned.
3748 Otherwise an error is given.
3750 *libcall()* *E364* *E368*
3751 libcall({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3752 Call function {funcname} in the run-time library {libname}
3753 with single argument {argument}.
3754 This is useful to call functions in a library that you
3755 especially made to be used with Vim. Since only one argument
3756 is possible, calling standard library functions is rather
3757 limited.
3758 The result is the String returned by the function. If the
3759 function returns NULL, this will appear as an empty string ""
3760 to Vim.
3761 If the function returns a number, use libcallnr()!
3762 If {argument} is a number, it is passed to the function as an
3763 int; if {argument} is a string, it is passed as a
3764 null-terminated string.
3765 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
3767 libcall() allows you to write your own 'plug-in' extensions to
3768 Vim without having to recompile the program. It is NOT a
3769 means to call system functions! If you try to do so Vim will
3770 very probably crash.
3772 For Win32, the functions you write must be placed in a DLL
3773 and use the normal C calling convention (NOT Pascal which is
3774 used in Windows System DLLs). The function must take exactly
3775 one parameter, either a character pointer or a long integer,
3776 and must return a character pointer or NULL. The character
3777 pointer returned must point to memory that will remain valid
3778 after the function has returned (e.g. in static data in the
3779 DLL). If it points to allocated memory, that memory will
3780 leak away. Using a static buffer in the function should work,
3781 it's then freed when the DLL is unloaded.
3783 WARNING: If the function returns a non-valid pointer, Vim may
3784 crash! This also happens if the function returns a number,
3785 because Vim thinks it's a pointer.
3786 For Win32 systems, {libname} should be the filename of the DLL
3787 without the ".DLL" suffix. A full path is only required if
3788 the DLL is not in the usual places.
3789 For Unix: When compiling your own plugins, remember that the
3790 object code must be compiled as position-independent ('PIC').
3791 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3792 feature is present}
3793 Examples: >
3794 :echo libcall("libc.so", "getenv", "HOME")
3795 <
3796 *libcallnr()*
3797 libcallnr({libname}, {funcname}, {argument})
3798 Just like libcall(), but used for a function that returns an
3799 int instead of a string.
3800 {only in Win32 on some Unix versions, when the |+libcall|
3801 feature is present}
3802 Examples: >
3803 :echo libcallnr("/usr/lib/libc.so", "getpid", "")
3804 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "printf", "Hello World!\n")
3805 :call libcallnr("libc.so", "sleep", 10)
3806 <
3807 *line()*
3808 line({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the line number of the file
3809 position given with {expr}. The accepted positions are:
3810 . the cursor position
3811 $ the last line in the current buffer
3812 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
3813 returned)
3814 w0 first line visible in current window
3815 w$ last line visible in current window
3816 v In Visual mode: the start of the Visual area (the
3817 cursor is the end). When not in Visual mode
3818 returns the cursor position. Differs from |'<| in
3819 that it's updated right away.
3820 Note that a mark in another file can be used. The line number
3821 then applies to another buffer.
3822 To get the column number use |col()|. To get both use
3823 |getpos()|.
3824 Examples: >
3825 line(".") line number of the cursor
3826 line("'t") line number of mark t
3827 line("'" . marker) line number of mark marker
3828 < *last-position-jump*
3829 This autocommand jumps to the last known position in a file
3830 just after opening it, if the '" mark is set: >
3831 :au BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g'\"" | endif
3833 line2byte({lnum}) *line2byte()*
3834 Return the byte count from the start of the buffer for line
3835 {lnum}. This includes the end-of-line character, depending on
3836 the 'fileformat' option for the current buffer. The first
3837 line returns 1.
3838 This can also be used to get the byte count for the line just
3839 below the last line: >
3840 line2byte(line("$") + 1)
3841 < This is the file size plus one.
3842 When {lnum} is invalid, or the |+byte_offset| feature has been
3843 disabled at compile time, -1 is returned.
3844 Also see |byte2line()|, |go| and |:goto|.
3846 lispindent({lnum}) *lispindent()*
3847 Get the amount of indent for line {lnum} according the lisp
3848 indenting rules, as with 'lisp'.
3849 The indent is counted in spaces, the value of 'tabstop' is
3850 relevant. {lnum} is used just like in |getline()|.
3851 When {lnum} is invalid or Vim was not compiled the
3852 |+lispindent| feature, -1 is returned.
3854 localtime() *localtime()*
3855 Return the current time, measured as seconds since 1st Jan
3856 1970. See also |strftime()| and |getftime()|.
3859 log({expr}) *log()*
3860 Return the natural logarithm (base e) of {expr} as a|Float|.
3861 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|in (0,inf].
3862 Examples: >
3863 :echo log(10)
3864 < 2.302585 >
3865 :echo log(exp(5))
3866 < 5.0
3867 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
3870 log10({expr}) *log10()*
3871 Return the logarithm of Float {expr} to base 10 as a |Float|.
3872 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
3873 Examples: >
3874 :echo log10(1000)
3875 < 3.0 >
3876 :echo log10(0.01)
3877 < -2.0
3878 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
3880 map({expr}, {string}) *map()*
3881 {expr} must be a |List| or a |Dictionary|.
3882 Replace each item in {expr} with the result of evaluating
3883 {string}.
3884 Inside {string} |v:val| has the value of the current item.
3885 For a |Dictionary| |v:key| has the key of the current item
3886 and for a |List| |v:key| has the index of the current item.
3887 Example: >
3888 :call map(mylist, '"> " . v:val . " <"')
3889 < This puts "> " before and " <" after each item in "mylist".
3891 Note that {string} is the result of an expression and is then
3892 used as an expression again. Often it is good to use a
3893 |literal-string| to avoid having to double backslashes. You
3894 still have to double ' quotes
3896 The operation is done in-place. If you want a |List| or
3897 |Dictionary| to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
3898 :let tlist = map(copy(mylist), ' & . "\t"')
3900 < Returns {expr}, the |List| or |Dictionary| that was filtered.
3901 When an error is encountered while evaluating {string} no
3902 further items in {expr} are processed.
3905 maparg({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *maparg()*
3906 Return the rhs of mapping {name} in mode {mode}. When there
3907 is no mapping for {name}, an empty String is returned.
3908 {mode} can be one of these strings:
3909 "n" Normal
3910 "v" Visual
3911 "o" Operator-pending
3912 "i" Insert
3913 "c" Cmd-line
3914 "l" langmap |language-mapping|
3915 "" Normal, Visual and Operator-pending
3916 When {mode} is omitted, the modes for "" are used.
3917 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3918 instead of mappings.
3919 The {name} can have special key names, like in the ":map"
3920 command. The returned String has special characters
3921 translated like in the output of the ":map" command listing.
3922 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3923 then the global mappings.
3924 This function can be used to map a key even when it's already
3925 mapped, and have it do the original mapping too. Sketch: >
3926 exe 'nnoremap <Tab> ==' . maparg('<Tab>', 'n')
3929 mapcheck({name}[, {mode} [, {abbr}]]) *mapcheck()*
3930 Check if there is a mapping that matches with {name} in mode
3931 {mode}. See |maparg()| for {mode} and special names in
3932 {name}.
3933 When {abbr} is there and it is non-zero use abbreviations
3934 instead of mappings.
3935 A match happens with a mapping that starts with {name} and
3936 with a mapping which is equal to the start of {name}.
3938 matches mapping "a" "ab" "abc" ~
3939 mapcheck("a") yes yes yes
3940 mapcheck("abc") yes yes yes
3941 mapcheck("ax") yes no no
3942 mapcheck("b") no no no
3944 The difference with maparg() is that mapcheck() finds a
3945 mapping that matches with {name}, while maparg() only finds a
3946 mapping for {name} exactly.
3947 When there is no mapping that starts with {name}, an empty
3948 String is returned. If there is one, the rhs of that mapping
3949 is returned. If there are several mappings that start with
3950 {name}, the rhs of one of them is returned.
3951 The mappings local to the current buffer are checked first,
3952 then the global mappings.
3953 This function can be used to check if a mapping can be added
3954 without being ambiguous. Example: >
3955 :if mapcheck("_vv") == ""
3956 : map _vv :set guifont=7x13<CR>
3957 :endif
3958 < This avoids adding the "_vv" mapping when there already is a
3959 mapping for "_v" or for "_vvv".
3961 match({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *match()*
3962 When {expr} is a |List| then this returns the index of the
3963 first item where {pat} matches. Each item is used as a
3964 String, |Lists| and |Dictionaries| are used as echoed.
3965 Otherwise, {expr} is used as a String. The result is a
3966 Number, which gives the index (byte offset) in {expr} where
3967 {pat} matches.
3968 A match at the first character or |List| item returns zero.
3969 If there is no match -1 is returned.
3970 Example: >
3971 :echo match("testing", "ing") " results in 4
3972 :echo match([1, 'x'], '\a') " results in 1
3973 < See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
3974 *strpbrk()*
3975 Vim doesn't have a strpbrk() function. But you can do: >
3976 :let sepidx = match(line, '[.,;: \t]')
3977 < *strcasestr()*
3978 Vim doesn't have a strcasestr() function. But you can add
3979 "\c" to the pattern to ignore case: >
3980 :let idx = match(haystack, '\cneedle')
3981 <
3982 If {start} is given, the search starts from byte index
3983 {start} in a String or item {start} in a |List|.
3984 The result, however, is still the index counted from the
3985 first character/item. Example: >
3986 :echo match("testing", "ing", 2)
3987 < result is again "4". >
3988 :echo match("testing", "ing", 4)
3989 < result is again "4". >
3990 :echo match("testing", "t", 2)
3991 < result is "3".
3992 For a String, if {start} > 0 then it is like the string starts
3993 {start} bytes later, thus "^" will match at {start}. Except
3994 when {count} is given, then it's like matches before the
3995 {start} byte are ignored (this is a bit complicated to keep it
3996 backwards compatible).
3997 For a String, if {start} < 0, it will be set to 0. For a list
3998 the index is counted from the end.
3999 If {start} is out of range ({start} > strlen({expr}) for a
4000 String or {start} > len({expr}) for a |List|) -1 is returned.
4002 When {count} is given use the {count}'th match. When a match
4003 is found in a String the search for the next one starts one
4004 character further. Thus this example results in 1: >
4005 echo match("testing", "..", 0, 2)
4006 < In a |List| the search continues in the next item.
4007 Note that when {count} is added the way {start} works changes,
4008 see above.
4010 See |pattern| for the patterns that are accepted.
4011 The 'ignorecase' option is used to set the ignore-caseness of
4012 the pattern. 'smartcase' is NOT used. The matching is always
4013 done like 'magic' is set and 'cpoptions' is empty.
4015 *matchadd()* *E798* *E799* *E801*
4016 matchadd({group}, {pattern}[, {priority}[, {id}]])
4017 Defines a pattern to be highlighted in the current window (a
4018 "match"). It will be highlighted with {group}. Returns an
4019 identification number (ID), which can be used to delete the
4020 match using |matchdelete()|.
4022 The optional {priority} argument assigns a priority to the
4023 match. A match with a high priority will have its
4024 highlighting overrule that of a match with a lower priority.
4025 A priority is specified as an integer (negative numbers are no
4026 exception). If the {priority} argument is not specified, the
4027 default priority is 10. The priority of 'hlsearch' is zero,
4028 hence all matches with a priority greater than zero will
4029 overrule it. Syntax highlighting (see 'syntax') is a separate
4030 mechanism, and regardless of the chosen priority a match will
4031 always overrule syntax highlighting.
4033 The optional {id} argument allows the request for a specific
4034 match ID. If a specified ID is already taken, an error
4035 message will appear and the match will not be added. An ID
4036 is specified as a positive integer (zero excluded). IDs 1, 2
4037 and 3 are reserved for |:match|, |:2match| and |:3match|,
4038 respectively. If the {id} argument is not specified,
4039 |matchadd()| automatically chooses a free ID.
4041 The number of matches is not limited, as it is the case with
4042 the |:match| commands.
4044 Example: >
4045 :highlight MyGroup ctermbg=green guibg=green
4046 :let m = matchadd("MyGroup", "TODO")
4047 < Deletion of the pattern: >
4048 :call matchdelete(m)
4050 < A list of matches defined by |matchadd()| and |:match| are
4051 available from |getmatches()|. All matches can be deleted in
4052 one operation by |clearmatches()|.
4054 matcharg({nr}) *matcharg()*
4055 Selects the {nr} match item, as set with a |:match|,
4056 |:2match| or |:3match| command.
4057 Return a |List| with two elements:
4058 The name of the highlight group used
4059 The pattern used.
4060 When {nr} is not 1, 2 or 3 returns an empty |List|.
4061 When there is no match item set returns ['', ''].
4062 This is useful to save and restore a |:match|.
4063 Highlighting matches using the |:match| commands are limited
4064 to three matches. |matchadd()| does not have this limitation.
4066 matchdelete({id}) *matchdelete()* *E802* *E803*
4067 Deletes a match with ID {id} previously defined by |matchadd()|
4068 or one of the |:match| commands. Returns 0 if successful,
4069 otherwise -1. See example for |matchadd()|. All matches can
4070 be deleted in one operation by |clearmatches()|.
4072 matchend({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchend()*
4073 Same as match(), but return the index of first character after
4074 the match. Example: >
4075 :echo matchend("testing", "ing")
4076 < results in "7".
4077 *strspn()* *strcspn()*
4078 Vim doesn't have a strspn() or strcspn() function, but you can
4079 do it with matchend(): >
4080 :let span = matchend(line, '[a-zA-Z]')
4081 :let span = matchend(line, '[^a-zA-Z]')
4082 < Except that -1 is returned when there are no matches.
4084 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4085 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 2)
4086 < results in "7". >
4087 :echo matchend("testing", "ing", 5)
4088 < result is "-1".
4089 When {expr} is a |List| the result is equal to match().
4091 matchlist({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchlist()*
4092 Same as match(), but return a |List|. The first item in the
4093 list is the matched string, same as what matchstr() would
4094 return. Following items are submatches, like "\1", "\2", etc.
4095 in |:substitute|. When an optional submatch didn't match an
4096 empty string is used. Example: >
4097 echo matchlist('acd', '\(a\)\?\(b\)\?\(c\)\?\(.*\)')
4098 < Results in: ['acd', 'a', '', 'c', 'd', '', '', '', '', '']
4099 When there is no match an empty list is returned.
4101 matchstr({expr}, {pat}[, {start}[, {count}]]) *matchstr()*
4102 Same as |match()|, but return the matched string. Example: >
4103 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing")
4104 < results in "ing".
4105 When there is no match "" is returned.
4106 The {start}, if given, has the same meaning as for match(). >
4107 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 2)
4108 < results in "ing". >
4109 :echo matchstr("testing", "ing", 5)
4110 < result is "".
4111 When {expr} is a |List| then the matching item is returned.
4112 The type isn't changed, it's not necessarily a String.
4114 *max()*
4115 max({list}) Return the maximum value of all items in {list}.
4116 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4117 be used as a Number this results in an error.
4118 An empty |List| results in zero.
4120 *min()*
4121 min({list}) Return the minimum value of all items in {list}.
4122 If {list} is not a list or one of the items in {list} cannot
4123 be used as a Number this results in an error.
4124 An empty |List| results in zero.
4126 *mkdir()* *E739*
4127 mkdir({name} [, {path} [, {prot}]])
4128 Create directory {name}.
4129 If {path} is "p" then intermediate directories are created as
4130 necessary. Otherwise it must be "".
4131 If {prot} is given it is used to set the protection bits of
4132 the new directory. The default is 0755 (rwxr-xr-x: r/w for
4133 the user readable for others). Use 0700 to make it unreadable
4134 for others. This is only used for the last part of {name}.
4135 Thus if you create /tmp/foo/bar then /tmp/foo will be created
4136 with 0755.
4137 Example: >
4138 :call mkdir($HOME . "/tmp/foo/bar", "p", 0700)
4139 < This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4140 Not available on all systems. To check use: >
4141 :if exists("*mkdir")
4142 <
4143 *mode()*
4144 mode([expr]) Return a string that indicates the current mode.
4145 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
4146 a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then the full mode is
4147 returned, otherwise only the first letter is returned. Note
4148 that " " and "0" are also non-empty strings.
4150 n Normal
4151 no Operator-pending
4152 v Visual by character
4153 V Visual by line
4154 CTRL-V Visual blockwise
4155 s Select by character
4156 S Select by line
4157 CTRL-S Select blockwise
4158 i Insert
4159 R Replace |R|
4160 Rv Virtual Replace |gR|
4161 c Command-line
4162 cv Vim Ex mode |gQ|
4163 ce Normal Ex mode |Q|
4164 r Hit-enter prompt
4165 rm The -- more -- prompt
4166 r? A |:confirm| query of some sort
4167 ! Shell or external command is executing
4168 This is useful in the 'statusline' option or when used
4169 with |remote_expr()| In most other places it always returns
4170 "c" or "n".
4171 Also see |visualmode()|.
4173 nextnonblank({lnum}) *nextnonblank()*
4174 Return the line number of the first line at or below {lnum}
4175 that is not blank. Example: >
4176 if getline(nextnonblank(1)) =~ "Java"
4177 < When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4178 below it, zero is returned.
4179 See also |prevnonblank()|.
4181 nr2char({expr}) *nr2char()*
4182 Return a string with a single character, which has the number
4183 value {expr}. Examples: >
4184 nr2char(64) returns "@"
4185 nr2char(32) returns " "
4186 < The current 'encoding' is used. Example for "utf-8": >
4187 nr2char(300) returns I with bow character
4188 < Note that a NUL character in the file is specified with
4189 nr2char(10), because NULs are represented with newline
4190 characters. nr2char(0) is a real NUL and terminates the
4191 string, thus results in an empty string.
4193 *getpid()*
4194 getpid() Return a Number which is the process ID of the Vim process.
4195 On Unix and MS-Windows this is a unique number, until Vim
4196 exits. On MS-DOS it's always zero.
4198 *getpos()*
4199 getpos({expr}) Get the position for {expr}. For possible values of {expr}
4200 see |line()|.
4201 The result is a |List| with four numbers:
4202 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4203 "bufnum" is zero, unless a mark like '0 or 'A is used, then it
4204 is the buffer number of the mark.
4205 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4206 column is 1.
4207 The "off" number is zero, unless 'virtualedit' is used. Then
4208 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4209 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
4210 character.
4211 This can be used to save and restore the cursor position: >
4212 let save_cursor = getpos(".")
4213 MoveTheCursorAround
4214 call setpos('.', save_cursor)
4215 < Also see |setpos()|.
4217 pathshorten({expr}) *pathshorten()*
4218 Shorten directory names in the path {expr} and return the
4219 result. The tail, the file name, is kept as-is. The other
4220 components in the path are reduced to single letters. Leading
4221 '~' and '.' characters are kept. Example: >
4222 :echo pathshorten('~/.vim/autoload/myfile.vim')
4223 < ~/.v/a/myfile.vim ~
4224 It doesn't matter if the path exists or not.
4226 pow({x}, {y}) *pow()*
4227 Return the power of {x} to the exponent {y} as a |Float|.
4228 {x} and {y} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4229 Examples: >
4230 :echo pow(3, 3)
4231 < 27.0 >
4232 :echo pow(2, 16)
4233 < 65536.0 >
4234 :echo pow(32, 0.20)
4235 < 2.0
4236 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4238 prevnonblank({lnum}) *prevnonblank()*
4239 Return the line number of the first line at or above {lnum}
4240 that is not blank. Example: >
4241 let ind = indent(prevnonblank(v:lnum - 1))
4242 < When {lnum} is invalid or there is no non-blank line at or
4243 above it, zero is returned.
4244 Also see |nextnonblank()|.
4247 printf({fmt}, {expr1} ...) *printf()*
4248 Return a String with {fmt}, where "%" items are replaced by
4249 the formatted form of their respective arguments. Example: >
4250 printf("%4d: E%d %.30s", lnum, errno, msg)
4251 < May result in:
4252 " 99: E42 asdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfasdfas" ~
4254 Often used items are:
4255 %s string
4256 %6s string right-aligned in 6 bytes
4257 %.9s string truncated to 9 bytes
4258 %c single byte
4259 %d decimal number
4260 %5d decimal number padded with spaces to 5 characters
4261 %x hex number
4262 %04x hex number padded with zeros to at least 4 characters
4263 %X hex number using upper case letters
4264 %o octal number
4265 %f floating point number in the form 123.456
4266 %e floating point number in the form 1.234e3
4267 %E floating point number in the form 1.234E3
4268 %g floating point number, as %f or %e depending on value
4269 %G floating point number, as %f or %E depending on value
4270 %% the % character itself
4272 Conversion specifications start with '%' and end with the
4273 conversion type. All other characters are copied unchanged to
4274 the result.
4276 The "%" starts a conversion specification. The following
4277 arguments appear in sequence:
4279 % [flags] [field-width] [.precision] type
4281 flags
4282 Zero or more of the following flags:
4284 # The value should be converted to an "alternate
4285 form". For c, d, and s conversions, this option
4286 has no effect. For o conversions, the precision
4287 of the number is increased to force the first
4288 character of the output string to a zero (except
4289 if a zero value is printed with an explicit
4290 precision of zero).
4291 For x and X conversions, a non-zero result has
4292 the string "0x" (or "0X" for X conversions)
4293 prepended to it.
4295 0 (zero) Zero padding. For all conversions the converted
4296 value is padded on the left with zeros rather
4297 than blanks. If a precision is given with a
4298 numeric conversion (d, o, x, and X), the 0 flag
4299 is ignored.
4301 - A negative field width flag; the converted value
4302 is to be left adjusted on the field boundary.
4303 The converted value is padded on the right with
4304 blanks, rather than on the left with blanks or
4305 zeros. A - overrides a 0 if both are given.
4307 ' ' (space) A blank should be left before a positive
4308 number produced by a signed conversion (d).
4310 + A sign must always be placed before a number
4311 produced by a signed conversion. A + overrides
4312 a space if both are used.
4314 field-width
4315 An optional decimal digit string specifying a minimum
4316 field width. If the converted value has fewer bytes
4317 than the field width, it will be padded with spaces on
4318 the left (or right, if the left-adjustment flag has
4319 been given) to fill out the field width.
4321 .precision
4322 An optional precision, in the form of a period '.'
4323 followed by an optional digit string. If the digit
4324 string is omitted, the precision is taken as zero.
4325 This gives the minimum number of digits to appear for
4326 d, o, x, and X conversions, or the maximum number of
4327 bytes to be printed from a string for s conversions.
4328 For floating point it is the number of digits after
4329 the decimal point.
4331 type
4332 A character that specifies the type of conversion to
4333 be applied, see below.
4335 A field width or precision, or both, may be indicated by an
4336 asterisk '*' instead of a digit string. In this case, a
4337 Number argument supplies the field width or precision. A
4338 negative field width is treated as a left adjustment flag
4339 followed by a positive field width; a negative precision is
4340 treated as though it were missing. Example: >
4341 :echo printf("%d: %.*s", nr, width, line)
4342 < This limits the length of the text used from "line" to
4343 "width" bytes.
4345 The conversion specifiers and their meanings are:
4347 *printf-d* *printf-o* *printf-x* *printf-X*
4348 doxX The Number argument is converted to signed decimal
4349 (d), unsigned octal (o), or unsigned hexadecimal (x
4350 and X) notation. The letters "abcdef" are used for
4351 x conversions; the letters "ABCDEF" are used for X
4352 conversions.
4353 The precision, if any, gives the minimum number of
4354 digits that must appear; if the converted value
4355 requires fewer digits, it is padded on the left with
4356 zeros.
4357 In no case does a non-existent or small field width
4358 cause truncation of a numeric field; if the result of
4359 a conversion is wider than the field width, the field
4360 is expanded to contain the conversion result.
4362 *printf-c*
4363 c The Number argument is converted to a byte, and the
4364 resulting character is written.
4366 *printf-s*
4367 s The text of the String argument is used. If a
4368 precision is specified, no more bytes than the number
4369 specified are used.
4371 *printf-f* *E807*
4372 f The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4373 form 123.456. The precision specifies the number of
4374 digits after the decimal point. When the precision is
4375 zero the decimal point is omitted. When the precision
4376 is not specified 6 is used. A really big number
4377 (out of range or dividing by zero) results in "inf".
4378 "0.0 / 0.0" results in "nan".
4379 Example: >
4380 echo printf("%.2f", 12.115)
4381 < 12.12
4382 Note that roundoff depends on the system libraries.
4383 Use |round()| when in doubt.
4385 *printf-e* *printf-E*
4386 e E The Float argument is converted into a string of the
4387 form 1.234e+03 or 1.234E+03 when using 'E'. The
4388 precision specifies the number of digits after the
4389 decimal point, like with 'f'.
4391 *printf-g* *printf-G*
4392 g G The Float argument is converted like with 'f' if the
4393 value is between 0.001 (inclusive) and 10000000.0
4394 (exclusive). Otherwise 'e' is used for 'g' and 'E'
4395 for 'G'. When no precision is specified superfluous
4396 zeroes and '+' signs are removed, except for the zero
4397 immediately after the decimal point. Thus 10000000.0
4398 results in 1.0e7.
4400 *printf-%*
4401 % A '%' is written. No argument is converted. The
4402 complete conversion specification is "%%".
4404 When a Number argument is expected a String argument is also
4405 accepted and automatically converted.
4406 When a Float or String argument is expected a Number argument
4407 is also accepted and automatically converted.
4408 Any other argument type results in an error message.
4410 *E766* *E767*
4411 The number of {exprN} arguments must exactly match the number
4412 of "%" items. If there are not sufficient or too many
4413 arguments an error is given. Up to 18 arguments can be used.
4416 pumvisible() *pumvisible()*
4417 Returns non-zero when the popup menu is visible, zero
4418 otherwise. See |ins-completion-menu|.
4419 This can be used to avoid some things that would remove the
4420 popup menu.
4422 *E726* *E727*
4423 range({expr} [, {max} [, {stride}]]) *range()*
4424 Returns a |List| with Numbers:
4425 - If only {expr} is specified: [0, 1, ..., {expr} - 1]
4426 - If {max} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + 1, ..., {max}]
4427 - If {stride} is specified: [{expr}, {expr} + {stride}, ...,
4428 {max}] (increasing {expr} with {stride} each time, not
4429 producing a value past {max}).
4430 When the maximum is one before the start the result is an
4431 empty list. When the maximum is more than one before the
4432 start this is an error.
4433 Examples: >
4434 range(4) " [0, 1, 2, 3]
4435 range(2, 4) " [2, 3, 4]
4436 range(2, 9, 3) " [2, 5, 8]
4437 range(2, -2, -1) " [2, 1, 0, -1, -2]
4438 range(0) " []
4439 range(2, 0) " error!
4440 <
4441 *readfile()*
4442 readfile({fname} [, {binary} [, {max}]])
4443 Read file {fname} and return a |List|, each line of the file
4444 as an item. Lines broken at NL characters. Macintosh files
4445 separated with CR will result in a single long line (unless a
4446 NL appears somewhere).
4447 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used:
4448 - When the last line ends in a NL an extra empty list item is
4449 added.
4450 - No CR characters are removed.
4451 Otherwise:
4452 - CR characters that appear before a NL are removed.
4453 - Whether the last line ends in a NL or not does not matter.
4454 All NUL characters are replaced with a NL character.
4455 When {max} is given this specifies the maximum number of lines
4456 to be read. Useful if you only want to check the first ten
4457 lines of a file: >
4458 :for line in readfile(fname, '', 10)
4459 : if line =~ 'Date' | echo line | endif
4460 :endfor
4461 < When {max} is negative -{max} lines from the end of the file
4462 are returned, or as many as there are.
4463 When {max} is zero the result is an empty list.
4464 Note that without {max} the whole file is read into memory.
4465 Also note that there is no recognition of encoding. Read a
4466 file into a buffer if you need to.
4467 When the file can't be opened an error message is given and
4468 the result is an empty list.
4469 Also see |writefile()|.
4471 reltime([{start} [, {end}]]) *reltime()*
4472 Return an item that represents a time value. The format of
4473 the item depends on the system. It can be passed to
4474 |reltimestr()| to convert it to a string.
4475 Without an argument it returns the current time.
4476 With one argument is returns the time passed since the time
4477 specified in the argument.
4478 With two arguments it returns the time passed between {start}
4479 and {end}.
4480 The {start} and {end} arguments must be values returned by
4481 reltime().
4482 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4484 reltimestr({time}) *reltimestr()*
4485 Return a String that represents the time value of {time}.
4486 This is the number of seconds, a dot and the number of
4487 microseconds. Example: >
4488 let start = reltime()
4489 call MyFunction()
4490 echo reltimestr(reltime(start))
4491 < Note that overhead for the commands will be added to the time.
4492 The accuracy depends on the system.
4493 Leading spaces are used to make the string align nicely. You
4494 can use split() to remove it. >
4495 echo split(reltimestr(reltime(start)))[0]
4496 < Also see |profiling|.
4497 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4499 *remote_expr()* *E449*
4500 remote_expr({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
4501 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as an
4502 expression and the result is returned after evaluation.
4503 The result must be a String or a |List|. A |List| is turned
4504 into a String by joining the items with a line break in
4505 between (not at the end), like with join(expr, "\n").
4506 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a
4507 variable and a {serverid} for later use with
4508 remote_read() is stored there.
4509 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4510 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4511 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4512 Note: Any errors will cause a local error message to be issued
4513 and the result will be the empty string.
4514 Examples: >
4515 :echo remote_expr("gvim", "2+2")
4516 :echo remote_expr("gvim1", "b:current_syntax")
4517 <
4519 remote_foreground({server}) *remote_foreground()*
4520 Move the Vim server with the name {server} to the foreground.
4521 This works like: >
4522 remote_expr({server}, "foreground()")
4523 < Except that on Win32 systems the client does the work, to work
4524 around the problem that the OS doesn't always allow the server
4525 to bring itself to the foreground.
4526 Note: This does not restore the window if it was minimized,
4527 like foreground() does.
4528 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4529 {only in the Win32, Athena, Motif and GTK GUI versions and the
4530 Win32 console version}
4533 remote_peek({serverid} [, {retvar}]) *remote_peek()*
4534 Returns a positive number if there are available strings
4535 from {serverid}. Copies any reply string into the variable
4536 {retvar} if specified. {retvar} must be a string with the
4537 name of a variable.
4538 Returns zero if none are available.
4539 Returns -1 if something is wrong.
4540 See also |clientserver|.
4541 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4542 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4543 Examples: >
4544 :let repl = ""
4545 :echo "PEEK: ".remote_peek(id, "repl").": ".repl
4547 remote_read({serverid}) *remote_read()*
4548 Return the oldest available reply from {serverid} and consume
4549 it. It blocks until a reply is available.
4550 See also |clientserver|.
4551 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4552 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4553 Example: >
4554 :echo remote_read(id)
4555 <
4556 *remote_send()* *E241*
4557 remote_send({server}, {string} [, {idvar}])
4558 Send the {string} to {server}. The string is sent as input
4559 keys and the function returns immediately. At the Vim server
4560 the keys are not mapped |:map|.
4561 If {idvar} is present, it is taken as the name of a variable
4562 and a {serverid} for later use with remote_read() is stored
4563 there.
4564 See also |clientserver| |RemoteReply|.
4565 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4566 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4567 Note: Any errors will be reported in the server and may mess
4568 up the display.
4569 Examples: >
4570 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":DropAndReply ".file, "serverid").
4571 \ remote_read(serverid)
4573 :autocmd NONE RemoteReply *
4574 \ echo remote_read(expand("<amatch>"))
4575 :echo remote_send("gvim", ":sleep 10 | echo ".
4576 \ 'server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")<CR>')
4577 <
4578 remove({list}, {idx} [, {end}]) *remove()*
4579 Without {end}: Remove the item at {idx} from |List| {list} and
4580 return it.
4581 With {end}: Remove items from {idx} to {end} (inclusive) and
4582 return a list with these items. When {idx} points to the same
4583 item as {end} a list with one item is returned. When {end}
4584 points to an item before {idx} this is an error.
4585 See |list-index| for possible values of {idx} and {end}.
4586 Example: >
4587 :echo "last item: " . remove(mylist, -1)
4588 :call remove(mylist, 0, 9)
4589 remove({dict}, {key})
4590 Remove the entry from {dict} with key {key}. Example: >
4591 :echo "removed " . remove(dict, "one")
4592 < If there is no {key} in {dict} this is an error.
4594 Use |delete()| to remove a file.
4596 rename({from}, {to}) *rename()*
4597 Rename the file by the name {from} to the name {to}. This
4598 should also work to move files across file systems. The
4599 result is a Number, which is 0 if the file was renamed
4600 successfully, and non-zero when the renaming failed.
4601 NOTE: If {to} exists it is overwritten without warning.
4602 This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4604 repeat({expr}, {count}) *repeat()*
4605 Repeat {expr} {count} times and return the concatenated
4606 result. Example: >
4607 :let separator = repeat('-', 80)
4608 < When {count} is zero or negative the result is empty.
4609 When {expr} is a |List| the result is {expr} concatenated
4610 {count} times. Example: >
4611 :let longlist = repeat(['a', 'b'], 3)
4612 < Results in ['a', 'b', 'a', 'b', 'a', 'b'].
4615 resolve({filename}) *resolve()* *E655*
4616 On MS-Windows, when {filename} is a shortcut (a .lnk file),
4617 returns the path the shortcut points to in a simplified form.
4618 On Unix, repeat resolving symbolic links in all path
4619 components of {filename} and return the simplified result.
4620 To cope with link cycles, resolving of symbolic links is
4621 stopped after 100 iterations.
4622 On other systems, return the simplified {filename}.
4623 The simplification step is done as by |simplify()|.
4624 resolve() keeps a leading path component specifying the
4625 current directory (provided the result is still a relative
4626 path name) and also keeps a trailing path separator.
4628 *reverse()*
4629 reverse({list}) Reverse the order of items in {list} in-place. Returns
4630 {list}.
4631 If you want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
4632 :let revlist = reverse(copy(mylist))
4634 round({expr}) *round()*
4635 Round off {expr} to the nearest integral value and return it
4636 as a |Float|. If {expr} lies halfway between two integral
4637 values, then use the larger one (away from zero).
4638 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
4639 Examples: >
4640 echo round(0.456)
4641 < 0.0 >
4642 echo round(4.5)
4643 < 5.0 >
4644 echo round(-4.5)
4645 < -5.0
4646 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
4649 search({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *search()*
4650 Search for regexp pattern {pattern}. The search starts at the
4651 cursor position (you can use |cursor()| to set it).
4653 {flags} is a String, which can contain these character flags:
4654 'b' search backward instead of forward
4655 'c' accept a match at the cursor position
4656 'e' move to the End of the match
4657 'n' do Not move the cursor
4658 'p' return number of matching sub-pattern (see below)
4659 's' set the ' mark at the previous location of the cursor
4660 'w' wrap around the end of the file
4661 'W' don't wrap around the end of the file
4662 If neither 'w' or 'W' is given, the 'wrapscan' option applies.
4664 If the 's' flag is supplied, the ' mark is set, only if the
4665 cursor is moved. The 's' flag cannot be combined with the 'n'
4666 flag.
4668 'ignorecase', 'smartcase' and 'magic' are used.
4670 When the {stopline} argument is given then the search stops
4671 after searching this line. This is useful to restrict the
4672 search to a range of lines. Examples: >
4673 let match = search('(', 'b', line("w0"))
4674 let end = search('END', '', line("w$"))
4675 < When {stopline} is used and it is not zero this also implies
4676 that the search does not wrap around the end of the file.
4677 A zero value is equal to not giving the argument.
4679 When the {timeout} argument is given the search stops when
4680 more than this many milli seconds have passed. Thus when
4681 {timeout} is 500 the search stops after half a second.
4682 The value must not be negative. A zero value is like not
4683 giving the argument.
4684 {only available when compiled with the +reltime feature}
4686 If there is no match a 0 is returned and the cursor doesn't
4687 move. No error message is given.
4688 When a match has been found its line number is returned.
4689 *search()-sub-match*
4690 With the 'p' flag the returned value is one more than the
4691 first sub-match in \(\). One if none of them matched but the
4692 whole pattern did match.
4693 To get the column number too use |searchpos()|.
4695 The cursor will be positioned at the match, unless the 'n'
4696 flag is used.
4698 Example (goes over all files in the argument list): >
4699 :let n = 1
4700 :while n <= argc() " loop over all files in arglist
4701 : exe "argument " . n
4702 : " start at the last char in the file and wrap for the
4703 : " first search to find match at start of file
4704 : normal G$
4705 : let flags = "w"
4706 : while search("foo", flags) > 0
4707 : s/foo/bar/g
4708 : let flags = "W"
4709 : endwhile
4710 : update " write the file if modified
4711 : let n = n + 1
4712 :endwhile
4713 <
4714 Example for using some flags: >
4715 :echo search('\<if\|\(else\)\|\(endif\)', 'ncpe')
4716 < This will search for the keywords "if", "else", and "endif"
4717 under or after the cursor. Because of the 'p' flag, it
4718 returns 1, 2, or 3 depending on which keyword is found, or 0
4719 if the search fails. With the cursor on the first word of the
4720 line:
4721 if (foo == 0) | let foo = foo + 1 | endif ~
4722 the function returns 1. Without the 'c' flag, the function
4723 finds the "endif" and returns 3. The same thing happens
4724 without the 'e' flag if the cursor is on the "f" of "if".
4725 The 'n' flag tells the function not to move the cursor.
4728 searchdecl({name} [, {global} [, {thisblock}]]) *searchdecl()*
4729 Search for the declaration of {name}.
4731 With a non-zero {global} argument it works like |gD|, find
4732 first match in the file. Otherwise it works like |gd|, find
4733 first match in the function.
4735 With a non-zero {thisblock} argument matches in a {} block
4736 that ends before the cursor position are ignored. Avoids
4737 finding variable declarations only valid in another scope.
4739 Moves the cursor to the found match.
4740 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
4741 Example: >
4742 if searchdecl('myvar') == 0
4743 echo getline('.')
4744 endif
4745 <
4746 *searchpair()*
4747 searchpair({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4748 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
4749 Search for the match of a nested start-end pair. This can be
4750 used to find the "endif" that matches an "if", while other
4751 if/endif pairs in between are ignored.
4752 The search starts at the cursor. The default is to search
4753 forward, include 'b' in {flags} to search backward.
4754 If a match is found, the cursor is positioned at it and the
4755 line number is returned. If no match is found 0 or -1 is
4756 returned and the cursor doesn't move. No error message is
4757 given.
4759 {start}, {middle} and {end} are patterns, see |pattern|. They
4760 must not contain \( \) pairs. Use of \%( \) is allowed. When
4761 {middle} is not empty, it is found when searching from either
4762 direction, but only when not in a nested start-end pair. A
4763 typical use is: >
4764 searchpair('\<if\>', '\<else\>', '\<endif\>')
4765 < By leaving {middle} empty the "else" is skipped.
4767 {flags} 'b', 'c', 'n', 's', 'w' and 'W' are used like with
4768 |search()|. Additionally:
4769 'r' Repeat until no more matches found; will find the
4770 outer pair. Implies the 'W' flag.
4771 'm' Return number of matches instead of line number with
4772 the match; will be > 1 when 'r' is used.
4773 Note: it's nearly always a good idea to use the 'W' flag, to
4774 avoid wrapping around the end of the file.
4776 When a match for {start}, {middle} or {end} is found, the
4777 {skip} expression is evaluated with the cursor positioned on
4778 the start of the match. It should return non-zero if this
4779 match is to be skipped. E.g., because it is inside a comment
4780 or a string.
4781 When {skip} is omitted or empty, every match is accepted.
4782 When evaluating {skip} causes an error the search is aborted
4783 and -1 returned.
4785 For {stopline} and {timeout} see |search()|.
4787 The value of 'ignorecase' is used. 'magic' is ignored, the
4788 patterns are used like it's on.
4790 The search starts exactly at the cursor. A match with
4791 {start}, {middle} or {end} at the next character, in the
4792 direction of searching, is the first one found. Example: >
4793 if 1
4794 if 2
4795 endif 2
4796 endif 1
4797 < When starting at the "if 2", with the cursor on the "i", and
4798 searching forwards, the "endif 2" is found. When starting on
4799 the character just before the "if 2", the "endif 1" will be
4800 found. That's because the "if 2" will be found first, and
4801 then this is considered to be a nested if/endif from "if 2" to
4802 "endif 2".
4803 When searching backwards and {end} is more than one character,
4804 it may be useful to put "\zs" at the end of the pattern, so
4805 that when the cursor is inside a match with the end it finds
4806 the matching start.
4808 Example, to find the "endif" command in a Vim script: >
4810 :echo searchpair('\<if\>', '\<el\%[seif]\>', '\<en\%[dif]\>', 'W',
4811 \ 'getline(".") =~ "^\\s*\""')
4813 < The cursor must be at or after the "if" for which a match is
4814 to be found. Note that single-quote strings are used to avoid
4815 having to double the backslashes. The skip expression only
4816 catches comments at the start of a line, not after a command.
4817 Also, a word "en" or "if" halfway a line is considered a
4818 match.
4819 Another example, to search for the matching "{" of a "}": >
4821 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW')
4823 < This works when the cursor is at or before the "}" for which a
4824 match is to be found. To reject matches that syntax
4825 highlighting recognized as strings: >
4827 :echo searchpair('{', '', '}', 'bW',
4828 \ 'synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 0), "name") =~? "string"')
4829 <
4830 *searchpairpos()*
4831 searchpairpos({start}, {middle}, {end} [, {flags} [, {skip}
4832 [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]])
4833 Same as searchpair(), but returns a |List| with the line and
4834 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4835 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4836 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4837 returns [0, 0].
4838 >
4839 :let [lnum,col] = searchpairpos('{', '', '}', 'n')
4840 <
4841 See |match-parens| for a bigger and more useful example.
4843 searchpos({pattern} [, {flags} [, {stopline} [, {timeout}]]]) *searchpos()*
4844 Same as |search()|, but returns a |List| with the line and
4845 column position of the match. The first element of the |List|
4846 is the line number and the second element is the byte index of
4847 the column position of the match. If no match is found,
4848 returns [0, 0].
4849 Example: >
4850 :let [lnum, col] = searchpos('mypattern', 'n')
4852 < When the 'p' flag is given then there is an extra item with
4853 the sub-pattern match number |search()-sub-match|. Example: >
4854 :let [lnum, col, submatch] = searchpos('\(\l\)\|\(\u\)', 'np')
4855 < In this example "submatch" is 2 when a lowercase letter is
4856 found |/\l|, 3 when an uppercase letter is found |/\u|.
4858 server2client( {clientid}, {string}) *server2client()*
4859 Send a reply string to {clientid}. The most recent {clientid}
4860 that sent a string can be retrieved with expand("<client>").
4861 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4862 Note:
4863 This id has to be stored before the next command can be
4864 received. I.e. before returning from the received command and
4865 before calling any commands that waits for input.
4866 See also |clientserver|.
4867 Example: >
4868 :echo server2client(expand("<client>"), "HELLO")
4869 <
4870 serverlist() *serverlist()*
4871 Return a list of available server names, one per line.
4872 When there are no servers or the information is not available
4873 an empty string is returned. See also |clientserver|.
4874 {only available when compiled with the |+clientserver| feature}
4875 Example: >
4876 :echo serverlist()
4877 <
4878 setbufvar({expr}, {varname}, {val}) *setbufvar()*
4879 Set option or local variable {varname} in buffer {expr} to
4880 {val}.
4881 This also works for a global or local window option, but it
4882 doesn't work for a global or local window variable.
4883 For a local window option the global value is unchanged.
4884 For the use of {expr}, see |bufname()| above.
4885 Note that the variable name without "b:" must be used.
4886 Examples: >
4887 :call setbufvar(1, "&mod", 1)
4888 :call setbufvar("todo", "myvar", "foobar")
4889 < This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
4891 setcmdpos({pos}) *setcmdpos()*
4892 Set the cursor position in the command line to byte position
4893 {pos}. The first position is 1.
4894 Use |getcmdpos()| to obtain the current position.
4895 Only works while editing the command line, thus you must use
4896 |c_CTRL-\_e|, |c_CTRL-R_=| or |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '='. For
4897 |c_CTRL-\_e| and |c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R| with '=' the position is
4898 set after the command line is set to the expression. For
4899 |c_CTRL-R_=| it is set after evaluating the expression but
4900 before inserting the resulting text.
4901 When the number is too big the cursor is put at the end of the
4902 line. A number smaller than one has undefined results.
4903 Returns 0 when successful, 1 when not editing the command
4904 line.
4906 setline({lnum}, {text}) *setline()*
4907 Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.
4908 {lnum} is used like with |getline()|.
4909 When {lnum} is just below the last line the {text} will be
4910 added as a new line.
4911 If this succeeds, 0 is returned. If this fails (most likely
4912 because {lnum} is invalid) 1 is returned. Example: >
4913 :call setline(5, strftime("%c"))
4914 < When {text} is a |List| then line {lnum} and following lines
4915 will be set to the items in the list. Example: >
4916 :call setline(5, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
4917 < This is equivalent to: >
4918 :for [n, l] in [[5, 6, 7], ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc']]
4919 : call setline(n, l)
4920 :endfor
4921 < Note: The '[ and '] marks are not set.
4923 setloclist({nr}, {list} [, {action}]) *setloclist()*
4924 Create or replace or add to the location list for window {nr}.
4925 When {nr} is zero the current window is used. For a location
4926 list window, the displayed location list is modified. For an
4927 invalid window number {nr}, -1 is returned.
4928 Otherwise, same as |setqflist()|.
4929 Also see |location-list|.
4931 setmatches({list}) *setmatches()*
4932 Restores a list of matches saved by |getmatches()|. Returns 0
4933 if successful, otherwise -1. All current matches are cleared
4934 before the list is restored. See example for |getmatches()|.
4936 *setpos()*
4937 setpos({expr}, {list})
4938 Set the position for {expr}. Possible values:
4939 . the cursor
4940 'x mark x
4942 {list} must be a |List| with four numbers:
4943 [bufnum, lnum, col, off]
4945 "bufnum" is the buffer number. Zero can be used for the
4946 current buffer. Setting the cursor is only possible for
4947 the current buffer. To set a mark in another buffer you can
4948 use the |bufnr()| function to turn a file name into a buffer
4949 number.
4950 Does not change the jumplist.
4952 "lnum" and "col" are the position in the buffer. The first
4953 column is 1. Use a zero "lnum" to delete a mark.
4955 The "off" number is only used when 'virtualedit' is set. Then
4956 it is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
4957 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
4958 character.
4960 Returns 0 when the position could be set, -1 otherwise.
4961 An error message is given if {expr} is invalid.
4963 Also see |getpos()|
4965 This does not restore the preferred column for moving
4966 vertically. See |winrestview()| for that.
4969 setqflist({list} [, {action}]) *setqflist()*
4970 Create or replace or add to the quickfix list using the items
4971 in {list}. Each item in {list} is a dictionary.
4972 Non-dictionary items in {list} are ignored. Each dictionary
4973 item can contain the following entries:
4975 bufnr buffer number; must be the number of a valid
4976 buffer
4977 filename name of a file; only used when "bufnr" is not
4978 present or it is invalid.
4979 lnum line number in the file
4980 pattern search pattern used to locate the error
4981 col column number
4982 vcol when non-zero: "col" is visual column
4983 when zero: "col" is byte index
4984 nr error number
4985 text description of the error
4986 type single-character error type, 'E', 'W', etc.
4988 The "col", "vcol", "nr", "type" and "text" entries are
4989 optional. Either "lnum" or "pattern" entry can be used to
4990 locate a matching error line.
4991 If the "filename" and "bufnr" entries are not present or
4992 neither the "lnum" or "pattern" entries are present, then the
4993 item will not be handled as an error line.
4994 If both "pattern" and "lnum" are present then "pattern" will
4995 be used.
4996 Note that the list is not exactly the same as what
4997 |getqflist()| returns.
4999 If {action} is set to 'a', then the items from {list} are
5000 added to the existing quickfix list. If there is no existing
5001 list, then a new list is created. If {action} is set to 'r',
5002 then the items from the current quickfix list are replaced
5003 with the items from {list}. If {action} is not present or is
5004 set to ' ', then a new list is created.
5006 Returns zero for success, -1 for failure.
5008 This function can be used to create a quickfix list
5009 independent of the 'errorformat' setting. Use a command like
5010 ":cc 1" to jump to the first position.
5013 *setreg()*
5014 setreg({regname}, {value} [,{options}])
5015 Set the register {regname} to {value}.
5016 If {options} contains "a" or {regname} is upper case,
5017 then the value is appended.
5018 {options} can also contains a register type specification:
5019 "c" or "v" |characterwise| mode
5020 "l" or "V" |linewise| mode
5021 "b" or "<CTRL-V>" |blockwise-visual| mode
5022 If a number immediately follows "b" or "<CTRL-V>" then this is
5023 used as the width of the selection - if it is not specified
5024 then the width of the block is set to the number of characters
5025 in the longest line (counting a <Tab> as 1 character).
5027 If {options} contains no register settings, then the default
5028 is to use character mode unless {value} ends in a <NL>.
5029 Setting the '=' register is not possible.
5030 Returns zero for success, non-zero for failure.
5032 Examples: >
5033 :call setreg(v:register, @*)
5034 :call setreg('*', @%, 'ac')
5035 :call setreg('a', "1\n2\n3", 'b5')
5037 < This example shows using the functions to save and restore a
5038 register. >
5039 :let var_a = getreg('a', 1)
5040 :let var_amode = getregtype('a')
5041 ....
5042 :call setreg('a', var_a, var_amode)
5044 < You can also change the type of a register by appending
5045 nothing: >
5046 :call setreg('a', '', 'al')
5048 settabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {varname}, {val}) *settabwinvar()*
5049 Set option or local variable {varname} in window {winnr} to
5050 {val}.
5051 Tabs are numbered starting with one. For the current tabpage
5052 use |setwinvar()|.
5053 When {winnr} is zero the current window is used.
5054 This also works for a global or local buffer option, but it
5055 doesn't work for a global or local buffer variable.
5056 For a local buffer option the global value is unchanged.
5057 Note that the variable name without "w:" must be used.
5058 Vim briefly goes to the tab page {tabnr}, this may trigger
5059 TabLeave and TabEnter autocommands.
5060 Examples: >
5061 :call settabwinvar(1, 1, "&list", 0)
5062 :call settabwinvar(3, 2, "myvar", "foobar")
5063 < This function is not available in the |sandbox|.
5065 setwinvar({nr}, {varname}, {val}) *setwinvar()*
5066 Like |settabwinvar()| for the current tab page.
5067 Examples: >
5068 :call setwinvar(1, "&list", 0)
5069 :call setwinvar(2, "myvar", "foobar")
5071 shellescape({string} [, {special}]) *shellescape()*
5072 Escape {string} for use as shell command argument.
5073 On MS-Windows and MS-DOS, when 'shellslash' is not set, it
5074 will enclose {string} in double quotes and double all double
5075 quotes within {string}.
5076 For other systems, it will enclose {string} in single quotes
5077 and replace all "'" with "'\''".
5078 When the {special} argument is present and it's a non-zero
5079 Number or a non-empty String (|non-zero-arg|), then special
5080 items such as "!", "%", "#" and "<cword>" will be preceded by
5081 a backslash. This backslash will be removed again by the |:!|
5082 command.
5083 The "!" character will be escaped (again with a |non-zero-arg|
5084 {special}) when 'shell' contains "csh" in the tail. That is
5085 because for csh and tcsh "!" is used for history replacement
5086 even when inside single quotes.
5087 The <NL> character is also escaped. With a |non-zero-arg|
5088 {special} and 'shell' containing "csh" in the tail it's
5089 escaped a second time.
5090 Example of use with a |:!| command: >
5091 :exe '!dir ' . shellescape(expand('<cfile>'), 1)
5092 < This results in a directory listing for the file under the
5093 cursor. Example of use with |system()|: >
5094 :call system("chmod +w -- " . shellescape(expand("%")))
5097 simplify({filename}) *simplify()*
5098 Simplify the file name as much as possible without changing
5099 the meaning. Shortcuts (on MS-Windows) or symbolic links (on
5100 Unix) are not resolved. If the first path component in
5101 {filename} designates the current directory, this will be
5102 valid for the result as well. A trailing path separator is
5103 not removed either.
5104 Example: >
5105 simplify("./dir/.././/file/") == "./file/"
5106 < Note: The combination "dir/.." is only removed if "dir" is
5107 a searchable directory or does not exist. On Unix, it is also
5108 removed when "dir" is a symbolic link within the same
5109 directory. In order to resolve all the involved symbolic
5110 links before simplifying the path name, use |resolve()|.
5113 sin({expr}) *sin()*
5114 Return the sine of {expr}, measured in radians, as a |Float|.
5115 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5116 Examples: >
5117 :echo sin(100)
5118 < -0.506366 >
5119 :echo sin(-4.01)
5120 < 0.763301
5121 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5124 sinh({expr}) *sinh()*
5125 Return the hyperbolic sine of {expr} as a|Float|in [-inf,inf].
5126 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
5127 Examples: >
5128 :echo sinh(0.5)
5129 < 0.521095 >
5130 :echo sinh(-0.9)
5131 < -1.026517
5132 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
5135 sort({list} [, {func}]) *sort()* *E702*
5136 Sort the items in {list} in-place. Returns {list}. If you
5137 want a list to remain unmodified make a copy first: >
5138 :let sortedlist = sort(copy(mylist))
5139 < Uses the string representation of each item to sort on.
5140 Numbers sort after Strings, |Lists| after Numbers.
5141 For sorting text in the current buffer use |:sort|.
5142 When {func} is given and it is one then case is ignored.
5143 When {func} is a |Funcref| or a function name, this function
5144 is called to compare items. The function is invoked with two
5145 items as argument and must return zero if they are equal, 1 if
5146 the first one sorts after the second one, -1 if the first one
5147 sorts before the second one. Example: >
5148 func MyCompare(i1, i2)
5149 return a:i1 == a:i2 ? 0 : a:i1 > a:i2 ? 1 : -1
5150 endfunc
5151 let sortedlist = sort(mylist, "MyCompare")
5152 <
5154 *soundfold()*
5155 soundfold({word})
5156 Return the sound-folded equivalent of {word}. Uses the first
5157 language in 'spelllang' for the current window that supports
5158 soundfolding. 'spell' must be set. When no sound folding is
5159 possible the {word} is returned unmodified.
5160 This can be used for making spelling suggestions. Note that
5161 the method can be quite slow.
5163 *spellbadword()*
5164 spellbadword([{sentence}])
5165 Without argument: The result is the badly spelled word under
5166 or after the cursor. The cursor is moved to the start of the
5167 bad word. When no bad word is found in the cursor line the
5168 result is an empty string and the cursor doesn't move.
5170 With argument: The result is the first word in {sentence} that
5171 is badly spelled. If there are no spelling mistakes the
5172 result is an empty string.
5174 The return value is a list with two items:
5175 - The badly spelled word or an empty string.
5176 - The type of the spelling error:
5177 "bad" spelling mistake
5178 "rare" rare word
5179 "local" word only valid in another region
5180 "caps" word should start with Capital
5181 Example: >
5182 echo spellbadword("the quik brown fox")
5183 < ['quik', 'bad'] ~
5185 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5186 'spell' option must be set and the value of 'spelllang' is
5187 used.
5189 *spellsuggest()*
5190 spellsuggest({word} [, {max} [, {capital}]])
5191 Return a |List| with spelling suggestions to replace {word}.
5192 When {max} is given up to this number of suggestions are
5193 returned. Otherwise up to 25 suggestions are returned.
5195 When the {capital} argument is given and it's non-zero only
5196 suggestions with a leading capital will be given. Use this
5197 after a match with 'spellcapcheck'.
5199 {word} can be a badly spelled word followed by other text.
5200 This allows for joining two words that were split. The
5201 suggestions also include the following text, thus you can
5202 replace a line.
5204 {word} may also be a good word. Similar words will then be
5205 returned. {word} itself is not included in the suggestions,
5206 although it may appear capitalized.
5208 The spelling information for the current window is used. The
5209 'spell' option must be set and the values of 'spelllang' and
5210 'spellsuggest' are used.
5213 split({expr} [, {pattern} [, {keepempty}]]) *split()*
5214 Make a |List| out of {expr}. When {pattern} is omitted or
5215 empty each white-separated sequence of characters becomes an
5216 item.
5217 Otherwise the string is split where {pattern} matches,
5218 removing the matched characters.
5219 When the first or last item is empty it is omitted, unless the
5220 {keepempty} argument is given and it's non-zero.
5221 Other empty items are kept when {pattern} matches at least one
5222 character or when {keepempty} is non-zero.
5223 Example: >
5224 :let words = split(getline('.'), '\W\+')
5225 < To split a string in individual characters: >
5226 :for c in split(mystring, '\zs')
5227 < If you want to keep the separator you can also use '\zs': >
5228 :echo split('abc:def:ghi', ':\zs')
5229 < ['abc:', 'def:', 'ghi'] ~
5230 Splitting a table where the first element can be empty: >
5231 :let items = split(line, ':', 1)
5232 < The opposite function is |join()|.
5235 sqrt({expr}) *sqrt()*
5236 Return the non-negative square root of Float {expr} as a
5237 |Float|.
5238 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|. When {expr}
5239 is negative the result is NaN (Not a Number).
5240 Examples: >
5241 :echo sqrt(100)
5242 < 10.0 >
5243 :echo sqrt(-4.01)
5244 < nan
5245 "nan" may be different, it depends on system libraries.
5246 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5249 str2float( {expr}) *str2float()*
5250 Convert String {expr} to a Float. This mostly works the same
5251 as when using a floating point number in an expression, see
5252 |floating-point-format|. But it's a bit more permissive.
5253 E.g., "1e40" is accepted, while in an expression you need to
5254 write "1.0e40".
5255 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5256 The decimal point is always '.', no matter what the locale is
5257 set to. A comma ends the number: "12,345.67" is converted to
5258 12.0. You can strip out thousands separators with
5259 |substitute()|: >
5260 let f = str2float(substitute(text, ',', '', 'g'))
5261 < {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5264 str2nr( {expr} [, {base}]) *str2nr()*
5265 Convert string {expr} to a number.
5266 {base} is the conversion base, it can be 8, 10 or 16.
5267 When {base} is omitted base 10 is used. This also means that
5268 a leading zero doesn't cause octal conversion to be used, as
5269 with the default String to Number conversion.
5270 When {base} is 16 a leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored. With a
5271 different base the result will be zero.
5272 Text after the number is silently ignored.
5275 strftime({format} [, {time}]) *strftime()*
5276 The result is a String, which is a formatted date and time, as
5277 specified by the {format} string. The given {time} is used,
5278 or the current time if no time is given. The accepted
5279 {format} depends on your system, thus this is not portable!
5280 See the manual page of the C function strftime() for the
5281 format. The maximum length of the result is 80 characters.
5282 See also |localtime()| and |getftime()|.
5283 The language can be changed with the |:language| command.
5284 Examples: >
5285 :echo strftime("%c") Sun Apr 27 11:49:23 1997
5286 :echo strftime("%Y %b %d %X") 1997 Apr 27 11:53:25
5287 :echo strftime("%y%m%d %T") 970427 11:53:55
5288 :echo strftime("%H:%M") 11:55
5289 :echo strftime("%c", getftime("file.c"))
5290 Show mod time of file.c.
5291 < Not available on all systems. To check use: >
5292 :if exists("*strftime")
5294 stridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *stridx()*
5295 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5296 {haystack} of the first occurrence of the String {needle}.
5297 If {start} is specified, the search starts at index {start}.
5298 This can be used to find a second match: >
5299 :let comma1 = stridx(line, ",")
5300 :let comma2 = stridx(line, ",", comma1 + 1)
5301 < The search is done case-sensitive.
5302 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5303 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
5304 See also |strridx()|.
5305 Examples: >
5306 :echo stridx("An Example", "Example") 3
5307 :echo stridx("Starting point", "Start") 0
5308 :echo stridx("Starting point", "start") -1
5309 < *strstr()* *strchr()*
5310 stridx() works similar to the C function strstr(). When used
5311 with a single character it works similar to strchr().
5313 *string()*
5314 string({expr}) Return {expr} converted to a String. If {expr} is a Number,
5315 Float, String or a composition of them, then the result can be
5316 parsed back with |eval()|.
5317 {expr} type result ~
5318 String 'string'
5319 Number 123
5320 Float 123.123456 or 1.123456e8
5321 Funcref function('name')
5322 List [item, item]
5323 Dictionary {key: value, key: value}
5324 Note that in String values the ' character is doubled.
5325 Also see |strtrans()|.
5327 *strlen()*
5328 strlen({expr}) The result is a Number, which is the length of the String
5329 {expr} in bytes.
5330 If you want to count the number of multi-byte characters (not
5331 counting composing characters) use something like this: >
5333 :let len = strlen(substitute(str, ".", "x", "g"))
5334 <
5335 If the argument is a Number it is first converted to a String.
5336 For other types an error is given.
5337 Also see |len()|.
5339 strpart({src}, {start}[, {len}]) *strpart()*
5340 The result is a String, which is part of {src}, starting from
5341 byte {start}, with the byte length {len}.
5342 When non-existing bytes are included, this doesn't result in
5343 an error, the bytes are simply omitted.
5344 If {len} is missing, the copy continues from {start} till the
5345 end of the {src}. >
5346 strpart("abcdefg", 3, 2) == "de"
5347 strpart("abcdefg", -2, 4) == "ab"
5348 strpart("abcdefg", 5, 4) == "fg"
5349 strpart("abcdefg", 3) == "defg"
5350 < Note: To get the first character, {start} must be 0. For
5351 example, to get three bytes under and after the cursor: >
5352 strpart(getline("."), col(".") - 1, 3)
5353 <
5354 strridx({haystack}, {needle} [, {start}]) *strridx()*
5355 The result is a Number, which gives the byte index in
5356 {haystack} of the last occurrence of the String {needle}.
5357 When {start} is specified, matches beyond this index are
5358 ignored. This can be used to find a match before a previous
5359 match: >
5360 :let lastcomma = strridx(line, ",")
5361 :let comma2 = strridx(line, ",", lastcomma - 1)
5362 < The search is done case-sensitive.
5363 For pattern searches use |match()|.
5364 -1 is returned if the {needle} does not occur in {haystack}.
5365 If the {needle} is empty the length of {haystack} is returned.
5366 See also |stridx()|. Examples: >
5367 :echo strridx("an angry armadillo", "an") 3
5368 < *strrchr()*
5369 When used with a single character it works similar to the C
5370 function strrchr().
5372 strtrans({expr}) *strtrans()*
5373 The result is a String, which is {expr} with all unprintable
5374 characters translated into printable characters |'isprint'|.
5375 Like they are shown in a window. Example: >
5376 echo strtrans(@a)
5377 < This displays a newline in register a as "^@" instead of
5378 starting a new line.
5380 submatch({nr}) *submatch()*
5381 Only for an expression in a |:substitute| command. Returns
5382 the {nr}'th submatch of the matched text. When {nr} is 0
5383 the whole matched text is returned.
5384 Example: >
5385 :s/\d\+/\=submatch(0) + 1/
5386 < This finds the first number in the line and adds one to it.
5387 A line break is included as a newline character.
5389 substitute({expr}, {pat}, {sub}, {flags}) *substitute()*
5390 The result is a String, which is a copy of {expr}, in which
5391 the first match of {pat} is replaced with {sub}. This works
5392 like the ":substitute" command (without any flags). But the
5393 matching with {pat} is always done like the 'magic' option is
5394 set and 'cpoptions' is empty (to make scripts portable).
5395 'ignorecase' is still relevant. 'smartcase' is not used.
5396 See |string-match| for how {pat} is used.
5397 And a "~" in {sub} is not replaced with the previous {sub}.
5398 Note that some codes in {sub} have a special meaning
5399 |sub-replace-special|. For example, to replace something with
5400 "\n" (two characters), use "\\\\n" or '\\n'.
5401 When {pat} does not match in {expr}, {expr} is returned
5402 unmodified.
5403 When {flags} is "g", all matches of {pat} in {expr} are
5404 replaced. Otherwise {flags} should be "".
5405 Example: >
5406 :let &path = substitute(&path, ",\\=[^,]*$", "", "")
5407 < This removes the last component of the 'path' option. >
5408 :echo substitute("testing", ".*", "\\U\\0", "")
5409 < results in "TESTING".
5411 synID({lnum}, {col}, {trans}) *synID()*
5412 The result is a Number, which is the syntax ID at the position
5413 {lnum} and {col} in the current window.
5414 The syntax ID can be used with |synIDattr()| and
5415 |synIDtrans()| to obtain syntax information about text.
5417 {col} is 1 for the leftmost column, {lnum} is 1 for the first
5418 line. 'synmaxcol' applies, in a longer line zero is returned.
5420 When {trans} is non-zero, transparent items are reduced to the
5421 item that they reveal. This is useful when wanting to know
5422 the effective color. When {trans} is zero, the transparent
5423 item is returned. This is useful when wanting to know which
5424 syntax item is effective (e.g. inside parens).
5425 Warning: This function can be very slow. Best speed is
5426 obtained by going through the file in forward direction.
5428 Example (echoes the name of the syntax item under the cursor): >
5429 :echo synIDattr(synID(line("."), col("."), 1), "name")
5430 <
5431 synIDattr({synID}, {what} [, {mode}]) *synIDattr()*
5432 The result is a String, which is the {what} attribute of
5433 syntax ID {synID}. This can be used to obtain information
5434 about a syntax item.
5435 {mode} can be "gui", "cterm" or "term", to get the attributes
5436 for that mode. When {mode} is omitted, or an invalid value is
5437 used, the attributes for the currently active highlighting are
5438 used (GUI, cterm or term).
5439 Use synIDtrans() to follow linked highlight groups.
5440 {what} result
5441 "name" the name of the syntax item
5442 "fg" foreground color (GUI: color name used to set
5443 the color, cterm: color number as a string,
5444 term: empty string)
5445 "bg" background color (as with "fg")
5446 "sp" special color (as with "fg") |highlight-guisp|
5447 "fg#" like "fg", but for the GUI and the GUI is
5448 running the name in "#RRGGBB" form
5449 "bg#" like "fg#" for "bg"
5450 "sp#" like "fg#" for "sp"
5451 "bold" "1" if bold
5452 "italic" "1" if italic
5453 "reverse" "1" if reverse
5454 "inverse" "1" if inverse (= reverse)
5455 "underline" "1" if underlined
5456 "undercurl" "1" if undercurled
5458 Example (echoes the color of the syntax item under the
5459 cursor): >
5460 :echo synIDattr(synIDtrans(synID(line("."), col("."), 1)), "fg")
5461 <
5462 synIDtrans({synID}) *synIDtrans()*
5463 The result is a Number, which is the translated syntax ID of
5464 {synID}. This is the syntax group ID of what is being used to
5465 highlight the character. Highlight links given with
5466 ":highlight link" are followed.
5468 synstack({lnum}, {col}) *synstack()*
5469 Return a |List|, which is the stack of syntax items at the
5470 position {lnum} and {col} in the current window. Each item in
5471 the List is an ID like what |synID()| returns.
5472 The first item in the List is the outer region, following are
5473 items contained in that one. The last one is what |synID()|
5474 returns, unless not the whole item is highlighted or it is a
5475 transparent item.
5476 This function is useful for debugging a syntax file.
5477 Example that shows the syntax stack under the cursor: >
5478 for id in synstack(line("."), col("."))
5479 echo synIDattr(id, "name")
5480 endfor
5482 system({expr} [, {input}]) *system()* *E677*
5483 Get the output of the shell command {expr}.
5484 When {input} is given, this string is written to a file and
5485 passed as stdin to the command. The string is written as-is,
5486 you need to take care of using the correct line separators
5487 yourself. Pipes are not used.
5488 Note: Use |shellescape()| to escape special characters in a
5489 command argument. Newlines in {expr} may cause the command to
5490 fail. The characters in 'shellquote' and 'shellxquote' may
5491 also cause trouble.
5492 This is not to be used for interactive commands.
5494 The result is a String. Example: >
5495 :let files = system("ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h')))
5497 < To make the result more system-independent, the shell output
5498 is filtered to replace <CR> with <NL> for Macintosh, and
5499 <CR><NL> with <NL> for DOS-like systems.
5500 The command executed is constructed using several options:
5501 'shell' 'shellcmdflag' 'shellxquote' {expr} 'shellredir' {tmp} 'shellxquote'
5502 ({tmp} is an automatically generated file name).
5503 For Unix and OS/2 braces are put around {expr} to allow for
5504 concatenated commands.
5506 The command will be executed in "cooked" mode, so that a
5507 CTRL-C will interrupt the command (on Unix at least).
5509 The resulting error code can be found in |v:shell_error|.
5510 This function will fail in |restricted-mode|.
5512 Note that any wrong value in the options mentioned above may
5513 make the function fail. It has also been reported to fail
5514 when using a security agent application.
5515 Unlike ":!cmd" there is no automatic check for changed files.
5516 Use |:checktime| to force a check.
5519 tabpagebuflist([{arg}]) *tabpagebuflist()*
5520 The result is a |List|, where each item is the number of the
5521 buffer associated with each window in the current tab page.
5522 {arg} specifies the number of tab page to be used. When
5523 omitted the current tab page is used.
5524 When {arg} is invalid the number zero is returned.
5525 To get a list of all buffers in all tabs use this: >
5526 tablist = []
5527 for i in range(tabpagenr('$'))
5528 call extend(tablist, tabpagebuflist(i + 1))
5529 endfor
5530 < Note that a buffer may appear in more than one window.
5533 tabpagenr([{arg}]) *tabpagenr()*
5534 The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5535 tab page. The first tab page has number 1.
5536 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the last tab
5537 page is returned (the tab page count).
5538 The number can be used with the |:tab| command.
5541 tabpagewinnr({tabarg}, [{arg}]) *tabpagewinnr()*
5542 Like |winnr()| but for tab page {arg}.
5543 {tabarg} specifies the number of tab page to be used.
5544 {arg} is used like with |winnr()|:
5545 - When omitted the current window number is returned. This is
5546 the window which will be used when going to this tab page.
5547 - When "$" the number of windows is returned.
5548 - When "#" the previous window nr is returned.
5549 Useful examples: >
5550 tabpagewinnr(1) " current window of tab page 1
5551 tabpagewinnr(4, '$') " number of windows in tab page 4
5552 < When {tabarg} is invalid zero is returned.
5554 *tagfiles()*
5555 tagfiles() Returns a |List| with the file names used to search for tags
5556 for the current buffer. This is the 'tags' option expanded.
5559 taglist({expr}) *taglist()*
5560 Returns a list of tags matching the regular expression {expr}.
5561 Each list item is a dictionary with at least the following
5562 entries:
5563 name Name of the tag.
5564 filename Name of the file where the tag is
5565 defined. It is either relative to the
5566 current directory or a full path.
5567 cmd Ex command used to locate the tag in
5568 the file.
5569 kind Type of the tag. The value for this
5570 entry depends on the language specific
5571 kind values. Only available when
5572 using a tags file generated by
5573 Exuberant ctags or hdrtag.
5574 static A file specific tag. Refer to
5575 |static-tag| for more information.
5576 More entries may be present, depending on the content of the
5577 tags file: access, implementation, inherits and signature.
5578 Refer to the ctags documentation for information about these
5579 fields. For C code the fields "struct", "class" and "enum"
5580 may appear, they give the name of the entity the tag is
5581 contained in.
5583 The ex-command 'cmd' can be either an ex search pattern, a
5584 line number or a line number followed by a byte number.
5586 If there are no matching tags, then an empty list is returned.
5588 To get an exact tag match, the anchors '^' and '$' should be
5589 used in {expr}. Refer to |tag-regexp| for more information
5590 about the tag search regular expression pattern.
5592 Refer to |'tags'| for information about how the tags file is
5593 located by Vim. Refer to |tags-file-format| for the format of
5594 the tags file generated by the different ctags tools.
5596 tan({expr}) *tan()*
5597 Return the tangent of {expr}, measured in radians, as a|Float|
5598 in the range [-inf,inf].
5599 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
5600 Examples: >
5601 :echo tan(10)
5602 < 0.648361 >
5603 :echo tan(-4.01)
5604 < -1.181502
5605 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
5608 tanh({expr}) *tanh()*
5609 Return the hyperbolic tangent of {expr} as a|Float|in [-1,1].
5610 {expr} must evaluate to a|Float|or a|Number|.
5611 Examples: >
5612 :echo tanh(0.5)
5613 < 0.462117 >
5614 :echo tanh(-1)
5615 < -0.761594
5616 {only available when compiled with|+float|and extention}
5618 tempname() *tempname()* *temp-file-name*
5619 The result is a String, which is the name of a file that
5620 doesn't exist. It can be used for a temporary file. The name
5621 is different for at least 26 consecutive calls. Example: >
5622 :let tmpfile = tempname()
5623 :exe "redir > " . tmpfile
5624 < For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
5625 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems
5626 (e.g., a symlink attack or other people reading your file).
5627 When Vim exits the directory and all files in it are deleted.
5628 For MS-Windows forward slashes are used when the 'shellslash'
5629 option is set or when 'shellcmdflag' starts with '-'.
5631 tolower({expr}) *tolower()*
5632 The result is a copy of the String given, with all uppercase
5633 characters turned into lowercase (just like applying |gu| to
5634 the string).
5636 toupper({expr}) *toupper()*
5637 The result is a copy of the String given, with all lowercase
5638 characters turned into uppercase (just like applying |gU| to
5639 the string).
5641 tr({src}, {fromstr}, {tostr}) *tr()*
5642 The result is a copy of the {src} string with all characters
5643 which appear in {fromstr} replaced by the character in that
5644 position in the {tostr} string. Thus the first character in
5645 {fromstr} is translated into the first character in {tostr}
5646 and so on. Exactly like the unix "tr" command.
5647 This code also deals with multibyte characters properly.
5649 Examples: >
5650 echo tr("hello there", "ht", "HT")
5651 < returns "Hello THere" >
5652 echo tr("<blob>", "<>", "{}")
5653 < returns "{blob}"
5655 trunc({expr}) *trunc()*
5656 Return the largest integral value with magnitude less than or
5657 equal to {expr} as a |Float| (truncate towards zero).
5658 {expr} must evaluate to a |Float| or a |Number|.
5659 Examples: >
5660 echo trunc(1.456)
5661 < 1.0 >
5662 echo trunc(-5.456)
5663 < -5.0 >
5664 echo trunc(4.0)
5665 < 4.0
5666 {only available when compiled with the |+float| feature}
5668 *type()*
5669 type({expr}) The result is a Number, depending on the type of {expr}:
5670 Number: 0
5671 String: 1
5672 Funcref: 2
5673 List: 3
5674 Dictionary: 4
5675 Float: 5
5676 To avoid the magic numbers it should be used this way: >
5677 :if type(myvar) == type(0)
5678 :if type(myvar) == type("")
5679 :if type(myvar) == type(function("tr"))
5680 :if type(myvar) == type([])
5681 :if type(myvar) == type({})
5682 :if type(myvar) == type(0.0)
5684 values({dict}) *values()*
5685 Return a |List| with all the values of {dict}. The |List| is
5686 in arbitrary order.
5689 virtcol({expr}) *virtcol()*
5690 The result is a Number, which is the screen column of the file
5691 position given with {expr}. That is, the last screen position
5692 occupied by the character at that position, when the screen
5693 would be of unlimited width. When there is a <Tab> at the
5694 position, the returned Number will be the column at the end of
5695 the <Tab>. For example, for a <Tab> in column 1, with 'ts'
5696 set to 8, it returns 8.
5697 For the byte position use |col()|.
5698 For the use of {expr} see |col()|.
5699 When 'virtualedit' is used {expr} can be [lnum, col, off], where
5700 "off" is the offset in screen columns from the start of the
5701 character. E.g., a position within a <Tab> or after the last
5702 character.
5703 When Virtual editing is active in the current mode, a position
5704 beyond the end of the line can be returned. |'virtualedit'|
5705 The accepted positions are:
5706 . the cursor position
5707 $ the end of the cursor line (the result is the
5708 number of displayed characters in the cursor line
5709 plus one)
5710 'x position of mark x (if the mark is not set, 0 is
5711 returned)
5712 Note that only marks in the current file can be used.
5713 Examples: >
5714 virtcol(".") with text "foo^Lbar", with cursor on the "^L", returns 5
5715 virtcol("$") with text "foo^Lbar", returns 9
5716 virtcol("'t") with text " there", with 't at 'h', returns 6
5717 < The first column is 1. 0 is returned for an error.
5718 A more advanced example that echoes the maximum length of
5719 all lines: >
5720 echo max(map(range(1, line('$')), "virtcol([v:val, '$'])"))
5723 visualmode([expr]) *visualmode()*
5724 The result is a String, which describes the last Visual mode
5725 used in the current buffer. Initially it returns an empty
5726 string, but once Visual mode has been used, it returns "v",
5727 "V", or "<CTRL-V>" (a single CTRL-V character) for
5728 character-wise, line-wise, or block-wise Visual mode
5729 respectively.
5730 Example: >
5731 :exe "normal " . visualmode()
5732 < This enters the same Visual mode as before. It is also useful
5733 in scripts if you wish to act differently depending on the
5734 Visual mode that was used.
5735 If Visual mode is active, use |mode()| to get the Visual mode
5736 (e.g., in a |:vmap|).
5737 *non-zero-arg*
5738 If [expr] is supplied and it evaluates to a non-zero Number or
5739 a non-empty String, then the Visual mode will be cleared and
5740 the old value is returned. Note that " " and "0" are also
5741 non-empty strings, thus cause the mode to be cleared. A List,
5742 Dictionary or Float is not a Number or String, thus does not
5743 cause the mode to be cleared.
5745 *winbufnr()*
5746 winbufnr({nr}) The result is a Number, which is the number of the buffer
5747 associated with window {nr}. When {nr} is zero, the number of
5748 the buffer in the current window is returned. When window
5749 {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5750 Example: >
5751 :echo "The file in the current window is " . bufname(winbufnr(0))
5752 <
5753 *wincol()*
5754 wincol() The result is a Number, which is the virtual column of the
5755 cursor in the window. This is counting screen cells from the
5756 left side of the window. The leftmost column is one.
5758 winheight({nr}) *winheight()*
5759 The result is a Number, which is the height of window {nr}.
5760 When {nr} is zero, the height of the current window is
5761 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5762 An existing window always has a height of zero or more.
5763 Examples: >
5764 :echo "The current window has " . winheight(0) . " lines."
5765 <
5766 *winline()*
5767 winline() The result is a Number, which is the screen line of the cursor
5768 in the window. This is counting screen lines from the top of
5769 the window. The first line is one.
5770 If the cursor was moved the view on the file will be updated
5771 first, this may cause a scroll.
5773 *winnr()*
5774 winnr([{arg}]) The result is a Number, which is the number of the current
5775 window. The top window has number 1.
5776 When the optional argument is "$", the number of the
5777 last window is returned (the window count).
5778 When the optional argument is "#", the number of the last
5779 accessed window is returned (where |CTRL-W_p| goes to).
5780 If there is no previous window or it is in another tab page 0
5781 is returned.
5782 The number can be used with |CTRL-W_w| and ":wincmd w"
5783 |:wincmd|.
5784 Also see |tabpagewinnr()|.
5786 *winrestcmd()*
5787 winrestcmd() Returns a sequence of |:resize| commands that should restore
5788 the current window sizes. Only works properly when no windows
5789 are opened or closed and the current window and tab page is
5790 unchanged.
5791 Example: >
5792 :let cmd = winrestcmd()
5793 :call MessWithWindowSizes()
5794 :exe cmd
5795 <
5796 *winrestview()*
5797 winrestview({dict})
5798 Uses the |Dictionary| returned by |winsaveview()| to restore
5799 the view of the current window.
5800 If you have changed the values the result is unpredictable.
5801 If the window size changed the result won't be the same.
5803 *winsaveview()*
5804 winsaveview() Returns a |Dictionary| that contains information to restore
5805 the view of the current window. Use |winrestview()| to
5806 restore the view.
5807 This is useful if you have a mapping that jumps around in the
5808 buffer and you want to go back to the original view.
5809 This does not save fold information. Use the 'foldenable'
5810 option to temporarily switch off folding, so that folds are
5811 not opened when moving around.
5812 The return value includes:
5813 lnum cursor line number
5814 col cursor column
5815 coladd cursor column offset for 'virtualedit'
5816 curswant column for vertical movement
5817 topline first line in the window
5818 topfill filler lines, only in diff mode
5819 leftcol first column displayed
5820 skipcol columns skipped
5821 Note that no option values are saved.
5824 winwidth({nr}) *winwidth()*
5825 The result is a Number, which is the width of window {nr}.
5826 When {nr} is zero, the width of the current window is
5827 returned. When window {nr} doesn't exist, -1 is returned.
5828 An existing window always has a width of zero or more.
5829 Examples: >
5830 :echo "The current window has " . winwidth(0) . " columns."
5831 :if winwidth(0) <= 50
5832 : exe "normal 50\<C-W>|"
5833 :endif
5834 <
5835 *writefile()*
5836 writefile({list}, {fname} [, {binary}])
5837 Write |List| {list} to file {fname}. Each list item is
5838 separated with a NL. Each list item must be a String or
5839 Number.
5840 When {binary} is equal to "b" binary mode is used: There will
5841 not be a NL after the last list item. An empty item at the
5842 end does cause the last line in the file to end in a NL.
5843 All NL characters are replaced with a NUL character.
5844 Inserting CR characters needs to be done before passing {list}
5845 to writefile().
5846 An existing file is overwritten, if possible.
5847 When the write fails -1 is returned, otherwise 0. There is an
5848 error message if the file can't be created or when writing
5849 fails.
5850 Also see |readfile()|.
5851 To copy a file byte for byte: >
5852 :let fl = readfile("foo", "b")
5853 :call writefile(fl, "foocopy", "b")
5854 <
5856 *feature-list*
5857 There are three types of features:
5858 1. Features that are only supported when they have been enabled when Vim
5859 was compiled |+feature-list|. Example: >
5860 :if has("cindent")
5861 2. Features that are only supported when certain conditions have been met.
5862 Example: >
5863 :if has("gui_running")
5864 < *has-patch*
5865 3. Included patches. First check |v:version| for the version of Vim.
5866 Then the "patch123" feature means that patch 123 has been included for
5867 this version. Example (checking version 6.2.148 or later): >
5868 :if v:version > 602 || v:version == 602 && has("patch148")
5869 < Note that it's possible for patch 147 to be omitted even though 148 is
5870 included.
5872 all_builtin_terms Compiled with all builtin terminals enabled.
5873 amiga Amiga version of Vim.
5874 arabic Compiled with Arabic support |Arabic|.
5875 arp Compiled with ARP support (Amiga).
5876 autocmd Compiled with autocommand support. |autocommand|
5877 balloon_eval Compiled with |balloon-eval| support.
5878 balloon_multiline GUI supports multiline balloons.
5879 beos BeOS version of Vim.
5880 browse Compiled with |:browse| support, and browse() will
5881 work.
5882 builtin_terms Compiled with some builtin terminals.
5883 byte_offset Compiled with support for 'o' in 'statusline'
5884 cindent Compiled with 'cindent' support.
5885 clientserver Compiled with remote invocation support |clientserver|.
5886 clipboard Compiled with 'clipboard' support.
5887 cmdline_compl Compiled with |cmdline-completion| support.
5888 cmdline_hist Compiled with |cmdline-history| support.
5889 cmdline_info Compiled with 'showcmd' and 'ruler' support.
5890 comments Compiled with |'comments'| support.
5891 cryptv Compiled with encryption support |encryption|.
5892 cscope Compiled with |cscope| support.
5893 compatible Compiled to be very Vi compatible.
5894 debug Compiled with "DEBUG" defined.
5895 dialog_con Compiled with console dialog support.
5896 dialog_gui Compiled with GUI dialog support.
5897 diff Compiled with |vimdiff| and 'diff' support.
5898 digraphs Compiled with support for digraphs.
5899 dnd Compiled with support for the "~ register |quote_~|.
5900 dos32 32 bits DOS (DJGPP) version of Vim.
5901 dos16 16 bits DOS version of Vim.
5902 ebcdic Compiled on a machine with ebcdic character set.
5903 emacs_tags Compiled with support for Emacs tags.
5904 eval Compiled with expression evaluation support. Always
5905 true, of course!
5906 ex_extra Compiled with extra Ex commands |+ex_extra|.
5907 extra_search Compiled with support for |'incsearch'| and
5908 |'hlsearch'|
5909 farsi Compiled with Farsi support |farsi|.
5910 file_in_path Compiled with support for |gf| and |<cfile>|
5911 filterpipe When 'shelltemp' is off pipes are used for shell
5912 read/write/filter commands
5913 find_in_path Compiled with support for include file searches
5914 |+find_in_path|.
5915 float Compiled with support for |Float|.
5916 fname_case Case in file names matters (for Amiga, MS-DOS, and
5917 Windows this is not present).
5918 folding Compiled with |folding| support.
5919 footer Compiled with GUI footer support. |gui-footer|
5920 fork Compiled to use fork()/exec() instead of system().
5921 gettext Compiled with message translation |multi-lang|
5922 gui Compiled with GUI enabled.
5923 gui_athena Compiled with Athena GUI.
5924 gui_gtk Compiled with GTK+ GUI (any version).
5925 gui_gtk2 Compiled with GTK+ 2 GUI (gui_gtk is also defined).
5926 gui_gnome Compiled with Gnome support (gui_gtk is also defined).
5927 gui_mac Compiled with Macintosh GUI.
5928 gui_motif Compiled with Motif GUI.
5929 gui_photon Compiled with Photon GUI.
5930 gui_win32 Compiled with MS Windows Win32 GUI.
5931 gui_win32s idem, and Win32s system being used (Windows 3.1)
5932 gui_running Vim is running in the GUI, or it will start soon.
5933 hangul_input Compiled with Hangul input support. |hangul|
5934 iconv Can use iconv() for conversion.
5935 insert_expand Compiled with support for CTRL-X expansion commands in
5936 Insert mode.
5937 jumplist Compiled with |jumplist| support.
5938 keymap Compiled with 'keymap' support.
5939 langmap Compiled with 'langmap' support.
5940 libcall Compiled with |libcall()| support.
5941 linebreak Compiled with 'linebreak', 'breakat' and 'showbreak'
5942 support.
5943 lispindent Compiled with support for lisp indenting.
5944 listcmds Compiled with commands for the buffer list |:files|
5945 and the argument list |arglist|.
5946 localmap Compiled with local mappings and abbr. |:map-local|
5947 mac Macintosh version of Vim.
5948 macunix Macintosh version of Vim, using Unix files (OS-X).
5949 menu Compiled with support for |:menu|.
5950 mksession Compiled with support for |:mksession|.
5951 modify_fname Compiled with file name modifiers. |filename-modifiers|
5952 mouse Compiled with support mouse.
5953 mouseshape Compiled with support for 'mouseshape'.
5954 mouse_dec Compiled with support for Dec terminal mouse.
5955 mouse_gpm Compiled with support for gpm (Linux console mouse)
5956 mouse_netterm Compiled with support for netterm mouse.
5957 mouse_pterm Compiled with support for qnx pterm mouse.
5958 mouse_sysmouse Compiled with support for sysmouse (*BSD console mouse)
5959 mouse_xterm Compiled with support for xterm mouse.
5960 multi_byte Compiled with support for 'encoding'
5961 multi_byte_encoding 'encoding' is set to a multi-byte encoding.
5962 multi_byte_ime Compiled with support for IME input method.
5963 multi_lang Compiled with support for multiple languages.
5964 mzscheme Compiled with MzScheme interface |mzscheme|.
5965 netbeans_intg Compiled with support for |netbeans|.
5966 netbeans_enabled Compiled with support for |netbeans| and it's used.
5967 ole Compiled with OLE automation support for Win32.
5968 os2 OS/2 version of Vim.
5969 osfiletype Compiled with support for osfiletypes |+osfiletype|
5970 path_extra Compiled with up/downwards search in 'path' and 'tags'
5971 perl Compiled with Perl interface.
5972 postscript Compiled with PostScript file printing.
5973 printer Compiled with |:hardcopy| support.
5974 profile Compiled with |:profile| support.
5975 python Compiled with Python interface.
5976 qnx QNX version of Vim.
5977 quickfix Compiled with |quickfix| support.
5978 reltime Compiled with |reltime()| support.
5979 rightleft Compiled with 'rightleft' support.
5980 ruby Compiled with Ruby interface |ruby|.
5981 scrollbind Compiled with 'scrollbind' support.
5982 showcmd Compiled with 'showcmd' support.
5983 signs Compiled with |:sign| support.
5984 smartindent Compiled with 'smartindent' support.
5985 sniff Compiled with SNiFF interface support.
5986 startuptime Compiled with |--startuptime| support.
5987 statusline Compiled with support for 'statusline', 'rulerformat'
5988 and special formats of 'titlestring' and 'iconstring'.
5989 sun_workshop Compiled with support for Sun |workshop|.
5990 spell Compiled with spell checking support |spell|.
5991 syntax Compiled with syntax highlighting support |syntax|.
5992 syntax_items There are active syntax highlighting items for the
5993 current buffer.
5994 system Compiled to use system() instead of fork()/exec().
5995 tag_binary Compiled with binary searching in tags files
5996 |tag-binary-search|.
5997 tag_old_static Compiled with support for old static tags
5998 |tag-old-static|.
5999 tag_any_white Compiled with support for any white characters in tags
6000 files |tag-any-white|.
6001 tcl Compiled with Tcl interface.
6002 terminfo Compiled with terminfo instead of termcap.
6003 termresponse Compiled with support for |t_RV| and |v:termresponse|.
6004 textobjects Compiled with support for |text-objects|.
6005 tgetent Compiled with tgetent support, able to use a termcap
6006 or terminfo file.
6007 title Compiled with window title support |'title'|.
6008 toolbar Compiled with support for |gui-toolbar|.
6009 unix Unix version of Vim.
6010 user_commands User-defined commands.
6011 viminfo Compiled with viminfo support.
6012 vim_starting True while initial source'ing takes place.
6013 vertsplit Compiled with vertically split windows |:vsplit|.
6014 virtualedit Compiled with 'virtualedit' option.
6015 visual Compiled with Visual mode.
6016 visualextra Compiled with extra Visual mode commands.
6017 |blockwise-operators|.
6018 vms VMS version of Vim.
6019 vreplace Compiled with |gR| and |gr| commands.
6020 wildignore Compiled with 'wildignore' option.
6021 wildmenu Compiled with 'wildmenu' option.
6022 windows Compiled with support for more than one window.
6023 winaltkeys Compiled with 'winaltkeys' option.
6024 win16 Win16 version of Vim (MS-Windows 3.1).
6025 win32 Win32 version of Vim (MS-Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP).
6026 win64 Win64 version of Vim (MS-Windows 64 bit).
6027 win32unix Win32 version of Vim, using Unix files (Cygwin)
6028 win95 Win32 version for MS-Windows 95/98/ME.
6029 writebackup Compiled with 'writebackup' default on.
6030 xfontset Compiled with X fontset support |xfontset|.
6031 xim Compiled with X input method support |xim|.
6032 xsmp Compiled with X session management support.
6033 xsmp_interact Compiled with interactive X session management support.
6034 xterm_clipboard Compiled with support for xterm clipboard.
6035 xterm_save Compiled with support for saving and restoring the
6036 xterm screen.
6037 x11 Compiled with X11 support.
6039 *string-match*
6040 Matching a pattern in a String
6042 A regexp pattern as explained at |pattern| is normally used to find a match in
6043 the buffer lines. When a pattern is used to find a match in a String, almost
6044 everything works in the same way. The difference is that a String is handled
6045 like it is one line. When it contains a "\n" character, this is not seen as a
6046 line break for the pattern. It can be matched with a "\n" in the pattern, or
6047 with ".". Example: >
6048 :let a = "aaaa\nxxxx"
6049 :echo matchstr(a, "..\n..")
6050 aa
6051 xx
6052 :echo matchstr(a, "a.x")
6053 a
6054 x
6056 Don't forget that "^" will only match at the first character of the String and
6057 "$" at the last character of the string. They don't match after or before a
6058 "\n".
6060 ==============================================================================
6061 5. Defining functions *user-functions*
6063 New functions can be defined. These can be called just like builtin
6064 functions. The function executes a sequence of Ex commands. Normal mode
6065 commands can be executed with the |:normal| command.
6067 The function name must start with an uppercase letter, to avoid confusion with
6068 builtin functions. To prevent from using the same name in different scripts
6069 avoid obvious, short names. A good habit is to start the function name with
6070 the name of the script, e.g., "HTMLcolor()".
6072 It's also possible to use curly braces, see |curly-braces-names|. And the
6073 |autoload| facility is useful to define a function only when it's called.
6075 *local-function*
6076 A function local to a script must start with "s:". A local script function
6077 can only be called from within the script and from functions, user commands
6078 and autocommands defined in the script. It is also possible to call the
6079 function from a mapping defined in the script, but then |<SID>| must be used
6080 instead of "s:" when the mapping is expanded outside of the script.
6082 *:fu* *:function* *E128* *E129* *E123*
6083 :fu[nction] List all functions and their arguments.
6085 :fu[nction] {name} List function {name}.
6086 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6087 |Funcref|: >
6088 :function dict.init
6090 :fu[nction] /{pattern} List functions with a name matching {pattern}.
6091 Example that lists all functions ending with "File": >
6092 :function /File$
6093 <
6094 *:function-verbose*
6095 When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing a function will also display where it was
6096 last defined. Example: >
6098 :verbose function SetFileTypeSH
6099 function SetFileTypeSH(name)
6100 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/filetype.vim
6101 <
6102 See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
6104 *E124* *E125*
6105 :fu[nction][!] {name}([arguments]) [range] [abort] [dict]
6106 Define a new function by the name {name}. The name
6107 must be made of alphanumeric characters and '_', and
6108 must start with a capital or "s:" (see above).
6110 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6111 |Funcref|: >
6112 :function dict.init(arg)
6113 < "dict" must be an existing dictionary. The entry
6114 "init" is added if it didn't exist yet. Otherwise [!]
6115 is required to overwrite an existing function. The
6116 result is a |Funcref| to a numbered function. The
6117 function can only be used with a |Funcref| and will be
6118 deleted if there are no more references to it.
6119 *E127* *E122*
6120 When a function by this name already exists and [!] is
6121 not used an error message is given. When [!] is used,
6122 an existing function is silently replaced. Unless it
6123 is currently being executed, that is an error.
6125 For the {arguments} see |function-argument|.
6127 *a:firstline* *a:lastline*
6128 When the [range] argument is added, the function is
6129 expected to take care of a range itself. The range is
6130 passed as "a:firstline" and "a:lastline". If [range]
6131 is excluded, ":{range}call" will call the function for
6132 each line in the range, with the cursor on the start
6133 of each line. See |function-range-example|.
6135 When the [abort] argument is added, the function will
6136 abort as soon as an error is detected.
6138 When the [dict] argument is added, the function must
6139 be invoked through an entry in a |Dictionary|. The
6140 local variable "self" will then be set to the
6141 dictionary. See |Dictionary-function|.
6143 *function-search-undo*
6144 The last used search pattern and the redo command "."
6145 will not be changed by the function. This also
6146 implies that the effect of |:nohlsearch| is undone
6147 when the function returns.
6149 *:endf* *:endfunction* *E126* *E193*
6150 :endf[unction] The end of a function definition. Must be on a line
6151 by its own, without other commands.
6153 *:delf* *:delfunction* *E130* *E131*
6154 :delf[unction] {name} Delete function {name}.
6155 {name} can also be a |Dictionary| entry that is a
6156 |Funcref|: >
6157 :delfunc dict.init
6158 < This will remove the "init" entry from "dict". The
6159 function is deleted if there are no more references to
6160 it.
6161 *:retu* *:return* *E133*
6162 :retu[rn] [expr] Return from a function. When "[expr]" is given, it is
6163 evaluated and returned as the result of the function.
6164 If "[expr]" is not given, the number 0 is returned.
6165 When a function ends without an explicit ":return",
6166 the number 0 is returned.
6167 Note that there is no check for unreachable lines,
6168 thus there is no warning if commands follow ":return".
6170 If the ":return" is used after a |:try| but before the
6171 matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
6172 following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
6173 are executed first. This process applies to all
6174 nested ":try"s inside the function. The function
6175 returns at the outermost ":endtry".
6177 *function-argument* *a:var*
6178 An argument can be defined by giving its name. In the function this can then
6179 be used as "a:name" ("a:" for argument).
6180 *a:0* *a:1* *a:000* *E740* *...*
6181 Up to 20 arguments can be given, separated by commas. After the named
6182 arguments an argument "..." can be specified, which means that more arguments
6183 may optionally be following. In the function the extra arguments can be used
6184 as "a:1", "a:2", etc. "a:0" is set to the number of extra arguments (which
6185 can be 0). "a:000" is set to a |List| that contains these arguments. Note
6186 that "a:1" is the same as "a:000[0]".
6187 *E742*
6188 The a: scope and the variables in it cannot be changed, they are fixed.
6189 However, if a |List| or |Dictionary| is used, you can change their contents.
6190 Thus you can pass a |List| to a function and have the function add an item to
6191 it. If you want to make sure the function cannot change a |List| or
6192 |Dictionary| use |:lockvar|.
6194 When not using "...", the number of arguments in a function call must be equal
6195 to the number of named arguments. When using "...", the number of arguments
6196 may be larger.
6198 It is also possible to define a function without any arguments. You must
6199 still supply the () then. The body of the function follows in the next lines,
6200 until the matching |:endfunction|. It is allowed to define another function
6201 inside a function body.
6203 *local-variables*
6204 Inside a function variables can be used. These are local variables, which
6205 will disappear when the function returns. Global variables need to be
6206 accessed with "g:".
6208 Example: >
6209 :function Table(title, ...)
6210 : echohl Title
6211 : echo a:title
6212 : echohl None
6213 : echo a:0 . " items:"
6214 : for s in a:000
6215 : echon ' ' . s
6216 : endfor
6217 :endfunction
6219 This function can then be called with: >
6220 call Table("Table", "line1", "line2")
6221 call Table("Empty Table")
6223 To return more than one value, return a |List|: >
6224 :function Compute(n1, n2)
6225 : if a:n2 == 0
6226 : return ["fail", 0]
6227 : endif
6228 : return ["ok", a:n1 / a:n2]
6229 :endfunction
6231 This function can then be called with: >
6232 :let [success, div] = Compute(102, 6)
6233 :if success == "ok"
6234 : echo div
6235 :endif
6236 <
6237 *:cal* *:call* *E107* *E117*
6238 :[range]cal[l] {name}([arguments])
6239 Call a function. The name of the function and its arguments
6240 are as specified with |:function|. Up to 20 arguments can be
6241 used. The returned value is discarded.
6242 Without a range and for functions that accept a range, the
6243 function is called once. When a range is given the cursor is
6244 positioned at the start of the first line before executing the
6245 function.
6246 When a range is given and the function doesn't handle it
6247 itself, the function is executed for each line in the range,
6248 with the cursor in the first column of that line. The cursor
6249 is left at the last line (possibly moved by the last function
6250 call). The arguments are re-evaluated for each line. Thus
6251 this works:
6252 *function-range-example* >
6253 :function Mynumber(arg)
6254 : echo line(".") . " " . a:arg
6255 :endfunction
6256 :1,5call Mynumber(getline("."))
6257 <
6258 The "a:firstline" and "a:lastline" are defined anyway, they
6259 can be used to do something different at the start or end of
6260 the range.
6262 Example of a function that handles the range itself: >
6264 :function Cont() range
6265 : execute (a:firstline + 1) . "," . a:lastline . 's/^/\t\\ '
6266 :endfunction
6267 :4,8call Cont()
6268 <
6269 This function inserts the continuation character "\" in front
6270 of all the lines in the range, except the first one.
6272 When the function returns a composite value it can be further
6273 dereferenced, but the range will not be used then. Example: >
6274 :4,8call GetDict().method()
6275 < Here GetDict() gets the range but method() does not.
6277 *E132*
6278 The recursiveness of user functions is restricted with the |'maxfuncdepth'|
6279 option.
6282 AUTOMATICALLY LOADING FUNCTIONS ~
6283 *autoload-functions*
6284 When using many or large functions, it's possible to automatically define them
6285 only when they are used. There are two methods: with an autocommand and with
6286 the "autoload" directory in 'runtimepath'.
6289 Using an autocommand ~
6291 This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.14|.
6293 The autocommand is useful if you have a plugin that is a long Vim script file.
6294 You can define the autocommand and quickly quit the script with |:finish|.
6295 That makes Vim startup faster. The autocommand should then load the same file
6296 again, setting a variable to skip the |:finish| command.
6298 Use the FuncUndefined autocommand event with a pattern that matches the
6299 function(s) to be defined. Example: >
6301 :au FuncUndefined BufNet* source ~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim
6303 The file "~/vim/bufnetfuncs.vim" should then define functions that start with
6304 "BufNet". Also see |FuncUndefined|.
6307 Using an autoload script ~
6308 *autoload* *E746*
6309 This is introduced in the user manual, section |41.15|.
6311 Using a script in the "autoload" directory is simpler, but requires using
6312 exactly the right file name. A function that can be autoloaded has a name
6313 like this: >
6315 :call filename#funcname()
6317 When such a function is called, and it is not defined yet, Vim will search the
6318 "autoload" directories in 'runtimepath' for a script file called
6319 "filename.vim". For example "~/.vim/autoload/filename.vim". That file should
6320 then define the function like this: >
6322 function filename#funcname()
6323 echo "Done!"
6324 endfunction
6326 The file name and the name used before the # in the function must match
6327 exactly, and the defined function must have the name exactly as it will be
6328 called.
6330 It is possible to use subdirectories. Every # in the function name works like
6331 a path separator. Thus when calling a function: >
6333 :call foo#bar#func()
6335 Vim will look for the file "autoload/foo/bar.vim" in 'runtimepath'.
6337 This also works when reading a variable that has not been set yet: >
6339 :let l = foo#bar#lvar
6341 However, when the autoload script was already loaded it won't be loaded again
6342 for an unknown variable.
6344 When assigning a value to such a variable nothing special happens. This can
6345 be used to pass settings to the autoload script before it's loaded: >
6347 :let foo#bar#toggle = 1
6348 :call foo#bar#func()
6350 Note that when you make a mistake and call a function that is supposed to be
6351 defined in an autoload script, but the script doesn't actually define the
6352 function, the script will be sourced every time you try to call the function.
6353 And you will get an error message every time.
6355 Also note that if you have two script files, and one calls a function in the
6356 other and vice versa, before the used function is defined, it won't work.
6357 Avoid using the autoload functionality at the toplevel.
6359 Hint: If you distribute a bunch of scripts you can pack them together with the
6360 |vimball| utility. Also read the user manual |distribute-script|.
6362 ==============================================================================
6363 6. Curly braces names *curly-braces-names*
6365 Wherever you can use a variable, you can use a "curly braces name" variable.
6366 This is a regular variable name with one or more expressions wrapped in braces
6367 {} like this: >
6368 my_{adjective}_variable
6370 When Vim encounters this, it evaluates the expression inside the braces, puts
6371 that in place of the expression, and re-interprets the whole as a variable
6372 name. So in the above example, if the variable "adjective" was set to
6373 "noisy", then the reference would be to "my_noisy_variable", whereas if
6374 "adjective" was set to "quiet", then it would be to "my_quiet_variable".
6376 One application for this is to create a set of variables governed by an option
6377 value. For example, the statement >
6378 echo my_{&background}_message
6380 would output the contents of "my_dark_message" or "my_light_message" depending
6381 on the current value of 'background'.
6383 You can use multiple brace pairs: >
6384 echo my_{adverb}_{adjective}_message
6385 ..or even nest them: >
6386 echo my_{ad{end_of_word}}_message
6387 where "end_of_word" is either "verb" or "jective".
6389 However, the expression inside the braces must evaluate to a valid single
6390 variable name, e.g. this is invalid: >
6391 :let foo='a + b'
6392 :echo c{foo}d
6393 .. since the result of expansion is "ca + bd", which is not a variable name.
6395 *curly-braces-function-names*
6396 You can call and define functions by an evaluated name in a similar way.
6397 Example: >
6398 :let func_end='whizz'
6399 :call my_func_{func_end}(parameter)
6401 This would call the function "my_func_whizz(parameter)".
6403 ==============================================================================
6404 7. Commands *expression-commands*
6406 :let {var-name} = {expr1} *:let* *E18*
6407 Set internal variable {var-name} to the result of the
6408 expression {expr1}. The variable will get the type
6409 from the {expr}. If {var-name} didn't exist yet, it
6410 is created.
6412 :let {var-name}[{idx}] = {expr1} *E689*
6413 Set a list item to the result of the expression
6414 {expr1}. {var-name} must refer to a list and {idx}
6415 must be a valid index in that list. For nested list
6416 the index can be repeated.
6417 This cannot be used to add an item to a |List|.
6418 This cannot be used to set a byte in a String. You
6419 can do that like this: >
6420 :let var = var[0:2] . 'X' . var[4:]
6421 <
6422 *E711* *E719*
6423 :let {var-name}[{idx1}:{idx2}] = {expr1} *E708* *E709* *E710*
6424 Set a sequence of items in a |List| to the result of
6425 the expression {expr1}, which must be a list with the
6426 correct number of items.
6427 {idx1} can be omitted, zero is used instead.
6428 {idx2} can be omitted, meaning the end of the list.
6429 When the selected range of items is partly past the
6430 end of the list, items will be added.
6432 *:let+=* *:let-=* *:let.=* *E734*
6433 :let {var} += {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} + {expr1}".
6434 :let {var} -= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} - {expr1}".
6435 :let {var} .= {expr1} Like ":let {var} = {var} . {expr1}".
6436 These fail if {var} was not set yet and when the type
6437 of {var} and {expr1} don't fit the operator.
6440 :let ${env-name} = {expr1} *:let-environment* *:let-$*
6441 Set environment variable {env-name} to the result of
6442 the expression {expr1}. The type is always String.
6443 :let ${env-name} .= {expr1}
6444 Append {expr1} to the environment variable {env-name}.
6445 If the environment variable didn't exist yet this
6446 works like "=".
6448 :let @{reg-name} = {expr1} *:let-register* *:let-@*
6449 Write the result of the expression {expr1} in register
6450 {reg-name}. {reg-name} must be a single letter, and
6451 must be the name of a writable register (see
6452 |registers|). "@@" can be used for the unnamed
6453 register, "@/" for the search pattern.
6454 If the result of {expr1} ends in a <CR> or <NL>, the
6455 register will be linewise, otherwise it will be set to
6456 characterwise.
6457 This can be used to clear the last search pattern: >
6458 :let @/ = ""
6459 < This is different from searching for an empty string,
6460 that would match everywhere.
6462 :let @{reg-name} .= {expr1}
6463 Append {expr1} to register {reg-name}. If the
6464 register was empty it's like setting it to {expr1}.
6466 :let &{option-name} = {expr1} *:let-option* *:let-&*
6467 Set option {option-name} to the result of the
6468 expression {expr1}. A String or Number value is
6469 always converted to the type of the option.
6470 For an option local to a window or buffer the effect
6471 is just like using the |:set| command: both the local
6472 value and the global value are changed.
6473 Example: >
6474 :let &path = &path . ',/usr/local/include'
6476 :let &{option-name} .= {expr1}
6477 For a string option: Append {expr1} to the value.
6478 Does not insert a comma like |:set+=|.
6480 :let &{option-name} += {expr1}
6481 :let &{option-name} -= {expr1}
6482 For a number or boolean option: Add or subtract
6483 {expr1}.
6485 :let &l:{option-name} = {expr1}
6486 :let &l:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6487 :let &l:{option-name} += {expr1}
6488 :let &l:{option-name} -= {expr1}
6489 Like above, but only set the local value of an option
6490 (if there is one). Works like |:setlocal|.
6492 :let &g:{option-name} = {expr1}
6493 :let &g:{option-name} .= {expr1}
6494 :let &g:{option-name} += {expr1}
6495 :let &g:{option-name} -= {expr1}
6496 Like above, but only set the global value of an option
6497 (if there is one). Works like |:setglobal|.
6499 :let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] = {expr1} *:let-unpack* *E687* *E688*
6500 {expr1} must evaluate to a |List|. The first item in
6501 the list is assigned to {name1}, the second item to
6502 {name2}, etc.
6503 The number of names must match the number of items in
6504 the |List|.
6505 Each name can be one of the items of the ":let"
6506 command as mentioned above.
6507 Example: >
6508 :let [s, item] = GetItem(s)
6509 < Detail: {expr1} is evaluated first, then the
6510 assignments are done in sequence. This matters if
6511 {name2} depends on {name1}. Example: >
6512 :let x = [0, 1]
6513 :let i = 0
6514 :let [i, x[i]] = [1, 2]
6515 :echo x
6516 < The result is [0, 2].
6518 :let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] .= {expr1}
6519 :let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] += {expr1}
6520 :let [{name1}, {name2}, ...] -= {expr1}
6521 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
6522 |List| item.
6524 :let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] = {expr1}
6525 Like |:let-unpack| above, but the |List| may have more
6526 items than there are names. A list of the remaining
6527 items is assigned to {lastname}. If there are no
6528 remaining items {lastname} is set to an empty list.
6529 Example: >
6530 :let [a, b; rest] = ["aval", "bval", 3, 4]
6531 <
6532 :let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] .= {expr1}
6533 :let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] += {expr1}
6534 :let [{name}, ..., ; {lastname}] -= {expr1}
6535 Like above, but append/add/subtract the value for each
6536 |List| item.
6537 *E106*
6538 :let {var-name} .. List the value of variable {var-name}. Multiple
6539 variable names may be given. Special names recognized
6540 here: *E738*
6541 g: global variables
6542 b: local buffer variables
6543 w: local window variables
6544 t: local tab page variables
6545 s: script-local variables
6546 l: local function variables
6547 v: Vim variables.
6549 :let List the values of all variables. The type of the
6550 variable is indicated before the value:
6551 <nothing> String
6552 # Number
6553 * Funcref
6556 :unl[et][!] {name} ... *:unlet* *:unl* *E108* *E795*
6557 Remove the internal variable {name}. Several variable
6558 names can be given, they are all removed. The name
6559 may also be a |List| or |Dictionary| item.
6560 With [!] no error message is given for non-existing
6561 variables.
6562 One or more items from a |List| can be removed: >
6563 :unlet list[3] " remove fourth item
6564 :unlet list[3:] " remove fourth item to last
6565 < One item from a |Dictionary| can be removed at a time: >
6566 :unlet dict['two']
6567 :unlet dict.two
6568 < This is especially useful to clean up used global
6569 variables and script-local variables (these are not
6570 deleted when the script ends). Function-local
6571 variables are automatically deleted when the function
6572 ends.
6574 :lockv[ar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:lockvar* *:lockv*
6575 Lock the internal variable {name}. Locking means that
6576 it can no longer be changed (until it is unlocked).
6577 A locked variable can be deleted: >
6578 :lockvar v
6579 :let v = 'asdf' " fails!
6580 :unlet v
6581 < *E741*
6582 If you try to change a locked variable you get an
6583 error message: "E741: Value of {name} is locked"
6585 [depth] is relevant when locking a |List| or
6586 |Dictionary|. It specifies how deep the locking goes:
6587 1 Lock the |List| or |Dictionary| itself,
6588 cannot add or remove items, but can
6589 still change their values.
6590 2 Also lock the values, cannot change
6591 the items. If an item is a |List| or
6592 |Dictionary|, cannot add or remove
6593 items, but can still change the
6594 values.
6595 3 Like 2 but for the |List| /
6596 |Dictionary| in the |List| /
6597 |Dictionary|, one level deeper.
6598 The default [depth] is 2, thus when {name} is a |List|
6599 or |Dictionary| the values cannot be changed.
6600 *E743*
6601 For unlimited depth use [!] and omit [depth].
6602 However, there is a maximum depth of 100 to catch
6603 loops.
6605 Note that when two variables refer to the same |List|
6606 and you lock one of them, the |List| will also be
6607 locked when used through the other variable.
6608 Example: >
6609 :let l = [0, 1, 2, 3]
6610 :let cl = l
6611 :lockvar l
6612 :let cl[1] = 99 " won't work!
6613 < You may want to make a copy of a list to avoid this.
6614 See |deepcopy()|.
6617 :unlo[ckvar][!] [depth] {name} ... *:unlockvar* *:unlo*
6618 Unlock the internal variable {name}. Does the
6619 opposite of |:lockvar|.
6622 :if {expr1} *:if* *:endif* *:en* *E171* *E579* *E580*
6623 :en[dif] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6624 or ":endif" if {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6626 From Vim version 4.5 until 5.0, every Ex command in
6627 between the ":if" and ":endif" is ignored. These two
6628 commands were just to allow for future expansions in a
6629 backwards compatible way. Nesting was allowed. Note
6630 that any ":else" or ":elseif" was ignored, the "else"
6631 part was not executed either.
6633 You can use this to remain compatible with older
6634 versions: >
6635 :if version >= 500
6636 : version-5-specific-commands
6637 :endif
6638 < The commands still need to be parsed to find the
6639 "endif". Sometimes an older Vim has a problem with a
6640 new command. For example, ":silent" is recognized as
6641 a ":substitute" command. In that case ":execute" can
6642 avoid problems: >
6643 :if version >= 600
6644 : execute "silent 1,$delete"
6645 :endif
6646 <
6647 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6648 properly in between ":if" and ":endif".
6650 *:else* *:el* *E581* *E583*
6651 :el[se] Execute the commands until the next matching ":else"
6652 or ":endif" if they previously were not being
6653 executed.
6655 *:elseif* *:elsei* *E582* *E584*
6656 :elsei[f] {expr1} Short for ":else" ":if", with the addition that there
6657 is no extra ":endif".
6659 :wh[ile] {expr1} *:while* *:endwhile* *:wh* *:endw*
6660 *E170* *E585* *E588* *E733*
6661 :endw[hile] Repeat the commands between ":while" and ":endwhile",
6662 as long as {expr1} evaluates to non-zero.
6663 When an error is detected from a command inside the
6664 loop, execution continues after the "endwhile".
6665 Example: >
6666 :let lnum = 1
6667 :while lnum <= line("$")
6668 :call FixLine(lnum)
6669 :let lnum = lnum + 1
6670 :endwhile
6671 <
6672 NOTE: The ":append" and ":insert" commands don't work
6673 properly inside a ":while" and ":for" loop.
6675 :for {var} in {list} *:for* *E690* *E732*
6676 :endfo[r] *:endfo* *:endfor*
6677 Repeat the commands between ":for" and ":endfor" for
6678 each item in {list}. Variable {var} is set to the
6679 value of each item.
6680 When an error is detected for a command inside the
6681 loop, execution continues after the "endfor".
6682 Changing {list} inside the loop affects what items are
6683 used. Make a copy if this is unwanted: >
6684 :for item in copy(mylist)
6685 < When not making a copy, Vim stores a reference to the
6686 next item in the list, before executing the commands
6687 with the current item. Thus the current item can be
6688 removed without effect. Removing any later item means
6689 it will not be found. Thus the following example
6690 works (an inefficient way to make a list empty): >
6691 :for item in mylist
6692 :call remove(mylist, 0)
6693 :endfor
6694 < Note that reordering the list (e.g., with sort() or
6695 reverse()) may have unexpected effects.
6696 Note that the type of each list item should be
6697 identical to avoid errors for the type of {var}
6698 changing. Unlet the variable at the end of the loop
6699 to allow multiple item types.
6701 :for [{var1}, {var2}, ...] in {listlist}
6702 :endfo[r]
6703 Like ":for" above, but each item in {listlist} must be
6704 a list, of which each item is assigned to {var1},
6705 {var2}, etc. Example: >
6706 :for [lnum, col] in [[1, 3], [2, 5], [3, 8]]
6707 :echo getline(lnum)[col]
6708 :endfor
6709 <
6710 *:continue* *:con* *E586*
6711 :con[tinue] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, jumps back
6712 to the start of the loop.
6713 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6714 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6715 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6716 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6717 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6718 ":endtry" then jumps back to the start of the loop.
6720 *:break* *:brea* *E587*
6721 :brea[k] When used inside a ":while" or ":for" loop, skips to
6722 the command after the matching ":endwhile" or
6723 ":endfor".
6724 If it is used after a |:try| inside the loop but
6725 before the matching |:finally| (if present), the
6726 commands following the ":finally" up to the matching
6727 |:endtry| are executed first. This process applies to
6728 all nested ":try"s inside the loop. The outermost
6729 ":endtry" then jumps to the command after the loop.
6731 :try *:try* *:endt* *:endtry* *E600* *E601* *E602*
6732 :endt[ry] Change the error handling for the commands between
6733 ":try" and ":endtry" including everything being
6734 executed across ":source" commands, function calls,
6735 or autocommand invocations.
6737 When an error or interrupt is detected and there is
6738 a |:finally| command following, execution continues
6739 after the ":finally". Otherwise, or when the
6740 ":endtry" is reached thereafter, the next
6741 (dynamically) surrounding ":try" is checked for
6742 a corresponding ":finally" etc. Then the script
6743 processing is terminated. (Whether a function
6744 definition has an "abort" argument does not matter.)
6745 Example: >
6746 :try | edit too much | finally | echo "cleanup" | endtry
6747 :echo "impossible" " not reached, script terminated above
6748 <
6749 Moreover, an error or interrupt (dynamically) inside
6750 ":try" and ":endtry" is converted to an exception. It
6751 can be caught as if it were thrown by a |:throw|
6752 command (see |:catch|). In this case, the script
6753 processing is not terminated.
6755 The value "Vim:Interrupt" is used for an interrupt
6756 exception. An error in a Vim command is converted
6757 to a value of the form "Vim({command}):{errmsg}",
6758 other errors are converted to a value of the form
6759 "Vim:{errmsg}". {command} is the full command name,
6760 and {errmsg} is the message that is displayed if the
6761 error exception is not caught, always beginning with
6762 the error number.
6763 Examples: >
6764 :try | sleep 100 | catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ | endtry
6765 :try | edit | catch /^Vim(edit):E\d\+/ | echo "error" | endtry
6766 <
6767 *:cat* *:catch* *E603* *E604* *E605*
6768 :cat[ch] /{pattern}/ The following commands until the next ":catch",
6769 |:finally|, or |:endtry| that belongs to the same
6770 |:try| as the ":catch" are executed when an exception
6771 matching {pattern} is being thrown and has not yet
6772 been caught by a previous ":catch". Otherwise, these
6773 commands are skipped.
6774 When {pattern} is omitted all errors are caught.
6775 Examples: >
6776 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/ " catch interrupts (CTRL-C)
6777 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E/ " catch all Vim errors
6778 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:/ " catch errors and interrupts
6779 :catch /^Vim(write):/ " catch all errors in :write
6780 :catch /^Vim\%((\a\+)\)\=:E123/ " catch error E123
6781 :catch /my-exception/ " catch user exception
6782 :catch /.*/ " catch everything
6783 :catch " same as /.*/
6784 <
6785 Another character can be used instead of / around the
6786 {pattern}, so long as it does not have a special
6787 meaning (e.g., '|' or '"') and doesn't occur inside
6788 {pattern}.
6789 NOTE: It is not reliable to ":catch" the TEXT of
6790 an error message because it may vary in different
6791 locales.
6793 *:fina* *:finally* *E606* *E607*
6794 :fina[lly] The following commands until the matching |:endtry|
6795 are executed whenever the part between the matching
6796 |:try| and the ":finally" is left: either by falling
6797 through to the ":finally" or by a |:continue|,
6798 |:break|, |:finish|, or |:return|, or by an error or
6799 interrupt or exception (see |:throw|).
6801 *:th* *:throw* *E608*
6802 :th[row] {expr1} The {expr1} is evaluated and thrown as an exception.
6803 If the ":throw" is used after a |:try| but before the
6804 first corresponding |:catch|, commands are skipped
6805 until the first ":catch" matching {expr1} is reached.
6806 If there is no such ":catch" or if the ":throw" is
6807 used after a ":catch" but before the |:finally|, the
6808 commands following the ":finally" (if present) up to
6809 the matching |:endtry| are executed. If the ":throw"
6810 is after the ":finally", commands up to the ":endtry"
6811 are skipped. At the ":endtry", this process applies
6812 again for the next dynamically surrounding ":try"
6813 (which may be found in a calling function or sourcing
6814 script), until a matching ":catch" has been found.
6815 If the exception is not caught, the command processing
6816 is terminated.
6817 Example: >
6818 :try | throw "oops" | catch /^oo/ | echo "caught" | endtry
6819 <
6821 *:ec* *:echo*
6822 :ec[ho] {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, with a space in between. The
6823 first {expr1} starts on a new line.
6824 Also see |:comment|.
6825 Use "\n" to start a new line. Use "\r" to move the
6826 cursor to the first column.
6827 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6828 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6829 Example: >
6830 :echo "the value of 'shell' is" &shell
6831 < *:echo-redraw*
6832 A later redraw may make the message disappear again.
6833 And since Vim mostly postpones redrawing until it's
6834 finished with a sequence of commands this happens
6835 quite often. To avoid that a command from before the
6836 ":echo" causes a redraw afterwards (redraws are often
6837 postponed until you type something), force a redraw
6838 with the |:redraw| command. Example: >
6839 :new | redraw | echo "there is a new window"
6840 <
6841 *:echon*
6842 :echon {expr1} .. Echoes each {expr1}, without anything added. Also see
6843 |:comment|.
6844 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6845 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6846 Example: >
6847 :echon "the value of 'shell' is " &shell
6848 <
6849 Note the difference between using ":echo", which is a
6850 Vim command, and ":!echo", which is an external shell
6851 command: >
6852 :!echo % --> filename
6853 < The arguments of ":!" are expanded, see |:_%|. >
6854 :!echo "%" --> filename or "filename"
6855 < Like the previous example. Whether you see the double
6856 quotes or not depends on your 'shell'. >
6857 :echo % --> nothing
6858 < The '%' is an illegal character in an expression. >
6859 :echo "%" --> %
6860 < This just echoes the '%' character. >
6861 :echo expand("%") --> filename
6862 < This calls the expand() function to expand the '%'.
6864 *:echoh* *:echohl*
6865 :echoh[l] {name} Use the highlight group {name} for the following
6866 |:echo|, |:echon| and |:echomsg| commands. Also used
6867 for the |input()| prompt. Example: >
6868 :echohl WarningMsg | echo "Don't panic!" | echohl None
6869 < Don't forget to set the group back to "None",
6870 otherwise all following echo's will be highlighted.
6872 *:echom* *:echomsg*
6873 :echom[sg] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as a true message, saving the
6874 message in the |message-history|.
6875 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6876 |:echo| command. But unprintable characters are
6877 displayed, not interpreted.
6878 The parsing works slightly different from |:echo|,
6879 more like |:execute|. All the expressions are first
6880 evaluated and concatenated before echoing anything.
6881 The expressions must evaluate to a Number or String, a
6882 Dictionary or List causes an error.
6883 Uses the highlighting set by the |:echohl| command.
6884 Example: >
6885 :echomsg "It's a Zizzer Zazzer Zuzz, as you can plainly see."
6886 < See |:echo-redraw| to avoid the message disappearing
6887 when the screen is redrawn.
6888 *:echoe* *:echoerr*
6889 :echoe[rr] {expr1} .. Echo the expression(s) as an error message, saving the
6890 message in the |message-history|. When used in a
6891 script or function the line number will be added.
6892 Spaces are placed between the arguments as with the
6893 :echo command. When used inside a try conditional,
6894 the message is raised as an error exception instead
6895 (see |try-echoerr|).
6896 Example: >
6897 :echoerr "This script just failed!"
6898 < If you just want a highlighted message use |:echohl|.
6899 And to get a beep: >
6900 :exe "normal \<Esc>"
6901 <
6902 *:exe* *:execute*
6903 :exe[cute] {expr1} .. Executes the string that results from the evaluation
6904 of {expr1} as an Ex command. Multiple arguments are
6905 concatenated, with a space in between. {expr1} is
6906 used as the processed command, command line editing
6907 keys are not recognized.
6908 Cannot be followed by a comment.
6909 Examples: >
6910 :execute "buffer " nextbuf
6911 :execute "normal " count . "w"
6912 <
6913 ":execute" can be used to append a command to commands
6914 that don't accept a '|'. Example: >
6915 :execute '!ls' | echo "theend"
6917 < ":execute" is also a nice way to avoid having to type
6918 control characters in a Vim script for a ":normal"
6919 command: >
6920 :execute "normal ixxx\<Esc>"
6921 < This has an <Esc> character, see |expr-string|.
6923 Be careful to correctly escape special characters in
6924 file names. The |fnameescape()| function can be used
6925 for Vim commands, |shellescape()| for |:!| commands.
6926 Examples: >
6927 :execute "e " . fnameescape(filename)
6928 :execute "!ls " . shellescape(expand('%:h'), 1)
6929 <
6930 Note: The executed string may be any command-line, but
6931 you cannot start or end a "while", "for" or "if"
6932 command. Thus this is illegal: >
6933 :execute 'while i > 5'
6934 :execute 'echo "test" | break'
6935 <
6936 It is allowed to have a "while" or "if" command
6937 completely in the executed string: >
6938 :execute 'while i < 5 | echo i | let i = i + 1 | endwhile'
6939 <
6941 *:comment*
6942 ":execute", ":echo" and ":echon" cannot be followed by
6943 a comment directly, because they see the '"' as the
6944 start of a string. But, you can use '|' followed by a
6945 comment. Example: >
6946 :echo "foo" | "this is a comment
6948 ==============================================================================
6949 8. Exception handling *exception-handling*
6951 The Vim script language comprises an exception handling feature. This section
6952 explains how it can be used in a Vim script.
6954 Exceptions may be raised by Vim on an error or on interrupt, see
6955 |catch-errors| and |catch-interrupt|. You can also explicitly throw an
6956 exception by using the ":throw" command, see |throw-catch|.
6959 TRY CONDITIONALS *try-conditionals*
6961 Exceptions can be caught or can cause cleanup code to be executed. You can
6962 use a try conditional to specify catch clauses (that catch exceptions) and/or
6963 a finally clause (to be executed for cleanup).
6964 A try conditional begins with a |:try| command and ends at the matching
6965 |:endtry| command. In between, you can use a |:catch| command to start
6966 a catch clause, or a |:finally| command to start a finally clause. There may
6967 be none or multiple catch clauses, but there is at most one finally clause,
6968 which must not be followed by any catch clauses. The lines before the catch
6969 clauses and the finally clause is called a try block. >
6971 :try
6972 : ...
6973 : ... TRY BLOCK
6974 : ...
6975 :catch /{pattern}/
6976 : ...
6977 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6978 : ...
6979 :catch /{pattern}/
6980 : ...
6981 : ... CATCH CLAUSE
6982 : ...
6983 :finally
6984 : ...
6985 : ... FINALLY CLAUSE
6986 : ...
6987 :endtry
6989 The try conditional allows to watch code for exceptions and to take the
6990 appropriate actions. Exceptions from the try block may be caught. Exceptions
6991 from the try block and also the catch clauses may cause cleanup actions.
6992 When no exception is thrown during execution of the try block, the control
6993 is transferred to the finally clause, if present. After its execution, the
6994 script continues with the line following the ":endtry".
6995 When an exception occurs during execution of the try block, the remaining
6996 lines in the try block are skipped. The exception is matched against the
6997 patterns specified as arguments to the ":catch" commands. The catch clause
6998 after the first matching ":catch" is taken, other catch clauses are not
6999 executed. The catch clause ends when the next ":catch", ":finally", or
7000 ":endtry" command is reached - whatever is first. Then, the finally clause
7001 (if present) is executed. When the ":endtry" is reached, the script execution
7002 continues in the following line as usual.
7003 When an exception that does not match any of the patterns specified by the
7004 ":catch" commands is thrown in the try block, the exception is not caught by
7005 that try conditional and none of the catch clauses is executed. Only the
7006 finally clause, if present, is taken. The exception pends during execution of
7007 the finally clause. It is resumed at the ":endtry", so that commands after
7008 the ":endtry" are not executed and the exception might be caught elsewhere,
7009 see |try-nesting|.
7010 When during execution of a catch clause another exception is thrown, the
7011 remaining lines in that catch clause are not executed. The new exception is
7012 not matched against the patterns in any of the ":catch" commands of the same
7013 try conditional and none of its catch clauses is taken. If there is, however,
7014 a finally clause, it is executed, and the exception pends during its
7015 execution. The commands following the ":endtry" are not executed. The new
7016 exception might, however, be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7017 When during execution of the finally clause (if present) an exception is
7018 thrown, the remaining lines in the finally clause are skipped. If the finally
7019 clause has been taken because of an exception from the try block or one of the
7020 catch clauses, the original (pending) exception is discarded. The commands
7021 following the ":endtry" are not executed, and the exception from the finally
7022 clause is propagated and can be caught elsewhere, see |try-nesting|.
7024 The finally clause is also executed, when a ":break" or ":continue" for
7025 a ":while" loop enclosing the complete try conditional is executed from the
7026 try block or a catch clause. Or when a ":return" or ":finish" is executed
7027 from the try block or a catch clause of a try conditional in a function or
7028 sourced script, respectively. The ":break", ":continue", ":return", or
7029 ":finish" pends during execution of the finally clause and is resumed when the
7030 ":endtry" is reached. It is, however, discarded when an exception is thrown
7031 from the finally clause.
7032 When a ":break" or ":continue" for a ":while" loop enclosing the complete
7033 try conditional or when a ":return" or ":finish" is encountered in the finally
7034 clause, the rest of the finally clause is skipped, and the ":break",
7035 ":continue", ":return" or ":finish" is executed as usual. If the finally
7036 clause has been taken because of an exception or an earlier ":break",
7037 ":continue", ":return", or ":finish" from the try block or a catch clause,
7038 this pending exception or command is discarded.
7040 For examples see |throw-catch| and |try-finally|.
7043 NESTING OF TRY CONDITIONALS *try-nesting*
7045 Try conditionals can be nested arbitrarily. That is, a complete try
7046 conditional can be put into the try block, a catch clause, or the finally
7047 clause of another try conditional. If the inner try conditional does not
7048 catch an exception thrown in its try block or throws a new exception from one
7049 of its catch clauses or its finally clause, the outer try conditional is
7050 checked according to the rules above. If the inner try conditional is in the
7051 try block of the outer try conditional, its catch clauses are checked, but
7052 otherwise only the finally clause is executed. It does not matter for
7053 nesting, whether the inner try conditional is directly contained in the outer
7054 one, or whether the outer one sources a script or calls a function containing
7055 the inner try conditional.
7057 When none of the active try conditionals catches an exception, just their
7058 finally clauses are executed. Thereafter, the script processing terminates.
7059 An error message is displayed in case of an uncaught exception explicitly
7060 thrown by a ":throw" command. For uncaught error and interrupt exceptions
7061 implicitly raised by Vim, the error message(s) or interrupt message are shown
7062 as usual.
7064 For examples see |throw-catch|.
7067 EXAMINING EXCEPTION HANDLING CODE *except-examine*
7069 Exception handling code can get tricky. If you are in doubt what happens, set
7070 'verbose' to 13 or use the ":13verbose" command modifier when sourcing your
7071 script file. Then you see when an exception is thrown, discarded, caught, or
7072 finished. When using a verbosity level of at least 14, things pending in
7073 a finally clause are also shown. This information is also given in debug mode
7074 (see |debug-scripts|).
7077 THROWING AND CATCHING EXCEPTIONS *throw-catch*
7079 You can throw any number or string as an exception. Use the |:throw| command
7080 and pass the value to be thrown as argument: >
7081 :throw 4711
7082 :throw "string"
7083 < *throw-expression*
7084 You can also specify an expression argument. The expression is then evaluated
7085 first, and the result is thrown: >
7086 :throw 4705 + strlen("string")
7087 :throw strpart("strings", 0, 6)
7089 An exception might be thrown during evaluation of the argument of the ":throw"
7090 command. Unless it is caught there, the expression evaluation is abandoned.
7091 The ":throw" command then does not throw a new exception.
7092 Example: >
7094 :function! Foo(arg)
7095 : try
7096 : throw a:arg
7097 : catch /foo/
7098 : endtry
7099 : return 1
7100 :endfunction
7101 :
7102 :function! Bar()
7103 : echo "in Bar"
7104 : return 4710
7105 :endfunction
7106 :
7107 :throw Foo("arrgh") + Bar()
7109 This throws "arrgh", and "in Bar" is not displayed since Bar() is not
7110 executed. >
7111 :throw Foo("foo") + Bar()
7112 however displays "in Bar" and throws 4711.
7114 Any other command that takes an expression as argument might also be
7115 abandoned by an (uncaught) exception during the expression evaluation. The
7116 exception is then propagated to the caller of the command.
7117 Example: >
7119 :if Foo("arrgh")
7120 : echo "then"
7121 :else
7122 : echo "else"
7123 :endif
7125 Here neither of "then" or "else" is displayed.
7127 *catch-order*
7128 Exceptions can be caught by a try conditional with one or more |:catch|
7129 commands, see |try-conditionals|. The values to be caught by each ":catch"
7130 command can be specified as a pattern argument. The subsequent catch clause
7131 gets executed when a matching exception is caught.
7132 Example: >
7134 :function! Foo(value)
7135 : try
7136 : throw a:value
7137 : catch /^\d\+$/
7138 : echo "Number thrown"
7139 : catch /.*/
7140 : echo "String thrown"
7141 : endtry
7142 :endfunction
7143 :
7144 :call Foo(0x1267)
7145 :call Foo('string')
7147 The first call to Foo() displays "Number thrown", the second "String thrown".
7148 An exception is matched against the ":catch" commands in the order they are
7149 specified. Only the first match counts. So you should place the more
7150 specific ":catch" first. The following order does not make sense: >
7152 : catch /.*/
7153 : echo "String thrown"
7154 : catch /^\d\+$/
7155 : echo "Number thrown"
7157 The first ":catch" here matches always, so that the second catch clause is
7158 never taken.
7160 *throw-variables*
7161 If you catch an exception by a general pattern, you may access the exact value
7162 in the variable |v:exception|: >
7164 : catch /^\d\+$/
7165 : echo "Number thrown. Value is" v:exception
7167 You may also be interested where an exception was thrown. This is stored in
7168 |v:throwpoint|. Note that "v:exception" and "v:throwpoint" are valid for the
7169 exception most recently caught as long it is not finished.
7170 Example: >
7172 :function! Caught()
7173 : if v:exception != ""
7174 : echo 'Caught "' . v:exception . '" in ' . v:throwpoint
7175 : else
7176 : echo 'Nothing caught'
7177 : endif
7178 :endfunction
7179 :
7180 :function! Foo()
7181 : try
7182 : try
7183 : try
7184 : throw 4711
7185 : finally
7186 : call Caught()
7187 : endtry
7188 : catch /.*/
7189 : call Caught()
7190 : throw "oops"
7191 : endtry
7192 : catch /.*/
7193 : call Caught()
7194 : finally
7195 : call Caught()
7196 : endtry
7197 :endfunction
7198 :
7199 :call Foo()
7201 This displays >
7203 Nothing caught
7204 Caught "4711" in function Foo, line 4
7205 Caught "oops" in function Foo, line 10
7206 Nothing caught
7208 A practical example: The following command ":LineNumber" displays the line
7209 number in the script or function where it has been used: >
7211 :function! LineNumber()
7212 : return substitute(v:throwpoint, '.*\D\(\d\+\).*', '\1', "")
7213 :endfunction
7214 :command! LineNumber try | throw "" | catch | echo LineNumber() | endtry
7215 <
7216 *try-nested*
7217 An exception that is not caught by a try conditional can be caught by
7218 a surrounding try conditional: >
7220 :try
7221 : try
7222 : throw "foo"
7223 : catch /foobar/
7224 : echo "foobar"
7225 : finally
7226 : echo "inner finally"
7227 : endtry
7228 :catch /foo/
7229 : echo "foo"
7230 :endtry
7232 The inner try conditional does not catch the exception, just its finally
7233 clause is executed. The exception is then caught by the outer try
7234 conditional. The example displays "inner finally" and then "foo".
7236 *throw-from-catch*
7237 You can catch an exception and throw a new one to be caught elsewhere from the
7238 catch clause: >
7240 :function! Foo()
7241 : throw "foo"
7242 :endfunction
7243 :
7244 :function! Bar()
7245 : try
7246 : call Foo()
7247 : catch /foo/
7248 : echo "Caught foo, throw bar"
7249 : throw "bar"
7250 : endtry
7251 :endfunction
7252 :
7253 :try
7254 : call Bar()
7255 :catch /.*/
7256 : echo "Caught" v:exception
7257 :endtry
7259 This displays "Caught foo, throw bar" and then "Caught bar".
7261 *rethrow*
7262 There is no real rethrow in the Vim script language, but you may throw
7263 "v:exception" instead: >
7265 :function! Bar()
7266 : try
7267 : call Foo()
7268 : catch /.*/
7269 : echo "Rethrow" v:exception
7270 : throw v:exception
7271 : endtry
7272 :endfunction
7273 < *try-echoerr*
7274 Note that this method cannot be used to "rethrow" Vim error or interrupt
7275 exceptions, because it is not possible to fake Vim internal exceptions.
7276 Trying so causes an error exception. You should throw your own exception
7277 denoting the situation. If you want to cause a Vim error exception containing
7278 the original error exception value, you can use the |:echoerr| command: >
7280 :try
7281 : try
7282 : asdf
7283 : catch /.*/
7284 : echoerr v:exception
7285 : endtry
7286 :catch /.*/
7287 : echo v:exception
7288 :endtry
7290 This code displays
7292 Vim(echoerr):Vim:E492: Not an editor command: asdf ~
7295 CLEANUP CODE *try-finally*
7297 Scripts often change global settings and restore them at their end. If the
7298 user however interrupts the script by pressing CTRL-C, the settings remain in
7299 an inconsistent state. The same may happen to you in the development phase of
7300 a script when an error occurs or you explicitly throw an exception without
7301 catching it. You can solve these problems by using a try conditional with
7302 a finally clause for restoring the settings. Its execution is guaranteed on
7303 normal control flow, on error, on an explicit ":throw", and on interrupt.
7304 (Note that errors and interrupts from inside the try conditional are converted
7305 to exceptions. When not caught, they terminate the script after the finally
7306 clause has been executed.)
7307 Example: >
7309 :try
7310 : let s:saved_ts = &ts
7311 : set ts=17
7312 :
7313 : " Do the hard work here.
7314 :
7315 :finally
7316 : let &ts = s:saved_ts
7317 : unlet s:saved_ts
7318 :endtry
7320 This method should be used locally whenever a function or part of a script
7321 changes global settings which need to be restored on failure or normal exit of
7322 that function or script part.
7324 *break-finally*
7325 Cleanup code works also when the try block or a catch clause is left by
7326 a ":continue", ":break", ":return", or ":finish".
7327 Example: >
7329 :let first = 1
7330 :while 1
7331 : try
7332 : if first
7333 : echo "first"
7334 : let first = 0
7335 : continue
7336 : else
7337 : throw "second"
7338 : endif
7339 : catch /.*/
7340 : echo v:exception
7341 : break
7342 : finally
7343 : echo "cleanup"
7344 : endtry
7345 : echo "still in while"
7346 :endwhile
7347 :echo "end"
7349 This displays "first", "cleanup", "second", "cleanup", and "end". >
7351 :function! Foo()
7352 : try
7353 : return 4711
7354 : finally
7355 : echo "cleanup\n"
7356 : endtry
7357 : echo "Foo still active"
7358 :endfunction
7359 :
7360 :echo Foo() "returned by Foo"
7362 This displays "cleanup" and "4711 returned by Foo". You don't need to add an
7363 extra ":return" in the finally clause. (Above all, this would override the
7364 return value.)
7366 *except-from-finally*
7367 Using either of ":continue", ":break", ":return", ":finish", or ":throw" in
7368 a finally clause is possible, but not recommended since it abandons the
7369 cleanup actions for the try conditional. But, of course, interrupt and error
7370 exceptions might get raised from a finally clause.
7371 Example where an error in the finally clause stops an interrupt from
7372 working correctly: >
7374 :try
7375 : try
7376 : echo "Press CTRL-C for interrupt"
7377 : while 1
7378 : endwhile
7379 : finally
7380 : unlet novar
7381 : endtry
7382 :catch /novar/
7383 :endtry
7384 :echo "Script still running"
7385 :sleep 1
7387 If you need to put commands that could fail into a finally clause, you should
7388 think about catching or ignoring the errors in these commands, see
7389 |catch-errors| and |ignore-errors|.
7392 CATCHING ERRORS *catch-errors*
7394 If you want to catch specific errors, you just have to put the code to be
7395 watched in a try block and add a catch clause for the error message. The
7396 presence of the try conditional causes all errors to be converted to an
7397 exception. No message is displayed and |v:errmsg| is not set then. To find
7398 the right pattern for the ":catch" command, you have to know how the format of
7399 the error exception is.
7400 Error exceptions have the following format: >
7402 Vim({cmdname}):{errmsg}
7403 or >
7404 Vim:{errmsg}
7406 {cmdname} is the name of the command that failed; the second form is used when
7407 the command name is not known. {errmsg} is the error message usually produced
7408 when the error occurs outside try conditionals. It always begins with
7409 a capital "E", followed by a two or three-digit error number, a colon, and
7410 a space.
7412 Examples:
7414 The command >
7415 :unlet novar
7416 normally produces the error message >
7417 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7418 which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7419 Vim(unlet):E108: No such variable: "novar"
7421 The command >
7422 :dwim
7423 normally produces the error message >
7424 E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7425 which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7426 Vim:E492: Not an editor command: dwim
7428 You can catch all ":unlet" errors by a >
7429 :catch /^Vim(unlet):/
7430 or all errors for misspelled command names by a >
7431 :catch /^Vim:E492:/
7433 Some error messages may be produced by different commands: >
7434 :function nofunc
7435 and >
7436 :delfunction nofunc
7437 both produce the error message >
7438 E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7439 which is converted inside try conditionals to an exception >
7440 Vim(function):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7441 or >
7442 Vim(delfunction):E128: Function name must start with a capital: nofunc
7443 respectively. You can catch the error by its number independently on the
7444 command that caused it if you use the following pattern: >
7445 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E128:/
7447 Some commands like >
7448 :let x = novar
7449 produce multiple error messages, here: >
7450 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7451 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7452 Only the first is used for the exception value, since it is the most specific
7453 one (see |except-several-errors|). So you can catch it by >
7454 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E121:/
7456 You can catch all errors related to the name "nofunc" by >
7457 :catch /\<nofunc\>/
7459 You can catch all Vim errors in the ":write" and ":read" commands by >
7460 :catch /^Vim(\(write\|read\)):E\d\+:/
7462 You can catch all Vim errors by the pattern >
7463 :catch /^Vim\((\a\+)\)\=:E\d\+:/
7464 <
7465 *catch-text*
7466 NOTE: You should never catch the error message text itself: >
7467 :catch /No such variable/
7468 only works in the english locale, but not when the user has selected
7469 a different language by the |:language| command. It is however helpful to
7470 cite the message text in a comment: >
7471 :catch /^Vim(\a\+):E108:/ " No such variable
7474 IGNORING ERRORS *ignore-errors*
7476 You can ignore errors in a specific Vim command by catching them locally: >
7478 :try
7479 : write
7480 :catch
7481 :endtry
7483 But you are strongly recommended NOT to use this simple form, since it could
7484 catch more than you want. With the ":write" command, some autocommands could
7485 be executed and cause errors not related to writing, for instance: >
7487 :au BufWritePre * unlet novar
7489 There could even be such errors you are not responsible for as a script
7490 writer: a user of your script might have defined such autocommands. You would
7491 then hide the error from the user.
7492 It is much better to use >
7494 :try
7495 : write
7496 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7497 :endtry
7499 which only catches real write errors. So catch only what you'd like to ignore
7500 intentionally.
7502 For a single command that does not cause execution of autocommands, you could
7503 even suppress the conversion of errors to exceptions by the ":silent!"
7504 command: >
7505 :silent! nunmap k
7506 This works also when a try conditional is active.
7509 CATCHING INTERRUPTS *catch-interrupt*
7511 When there are active try conditionals, an interrupt (CTRL-C) is converted to
7512 the exception "Vim:Interrupt". You can catch it like every exception. The
7513 script is not terminated, then.
7514 Example: >
7516 :function! TASK1()
7517 : sleep 10
7518 :endfunction
7520 :function! TASK2()
7521 : sleep 20
7522 :endfunction
7524 :while 1
7525 : let command = input("Type a command: ")
7526 : try
7527 : if command == ""
7528 : continue
7529 : elseif command == "END"
7530 : break
7531 : elseif command == "TASK1"
7532 : call TASK1()
7533 : elseif command == "TASK2"
7534 : call TASK2()
7535 : else
7536 : echo "\nIllegal command:" command
7537 : continue
7538 : endif
7539 : catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7540 : echo "\nCommand interrupted"
7541 : " Caught the interrupt. Continue with next prompt.
7542 : endtry
7543 :endwhile
7545 You can interrupt a task here by pressing CTRL-C; the script then asks for
7546 a new command. If you press CTRL-C at the prompt, the script is terminated.
7548 For testing what happens when CTRL-C would be pressed on a specific line in
7549 your script, use the debug mode and execute the |>quit| or |>interrupt|
7550 command on that line. See |debug-scripts|.
7553 CATCHING ALL *catch-all*
7555 The commands >
7557 :catch /.*/
7558 :catch //
7559 :catch
7561 catch everything, error exceptions, interrupt exceptions and exceptions
7562 explicitly thrown by the |:throw| command. This is useful at the top level of
7563 a script in order to catch unexpected things.
7564 Example: >
7566 :try
7567 :
7568 : " do the hard work here
7569 :
7570 :catch /MyException/
7571 :
7572 : " handle known problem
7573 :
7574 :catch /^Vim:Interrupt$/
7575 : echo "Script interrupted"
7576 :catch /.*/
7577 : echo "Internal error (" . v:exception . ")"
7578 : echo " - occurred at " . v:throwpoint
7579 :endtry
7580 :" end of script
7582 Note: Catching all might catch more things than you want. Thus, you are
7583 strongly encouraged to catch only for problems that you can really handle by
7584 specifying a pattern argument to the ":catch".
7585 Example: Catching all could make it nearly impossible to interrupt a script
7586 by pressing CTRL-C: >
7588 :while 1
7589 : try
7590 : sleep 1
7591 : catch
7592 : endtry
7593 :endwhile
7596 EXCEPTIONS AND AUTOCOMMANDS *except-autocmd*
7598 Exceptions may be used during execution of autocommands. Example: >
7600 :autocmd User x try
7601 :autocmd User x throw "Oops!"
7602 :autocmd User x catch
7603 :autocmd User x echo v:exception
7604 :autocmd User x endtry
7605 :autocmd User x throw "Arrgh!"
7606 :autocmd User x echo "Should not be displayed"
7607 :
7608 :try
7609 : doautocmd User x
7610 :catch
7611 : echo v:exception
7612 :endtry
7614 This displays "Oops!" and "Arrgh!".
7616 *except-autocmd-Pre*
7617 For some commands, autocommands get executed before the main action of the
7618 command takes place. If an exception is thrown and not caught in the sequence
7619 of autocommands, the sequence and the command that caused its execution are
7620 abandoned and the exception is propagated to the caller of the command.
7621 Example: >
7623 :autocmd BufWritePre * throw "FAIL"
7624 :autocmd BufWritePre * echo "Should not be displayed"
7625 :
7626 :try
7627 : write
7628 :catch
7629 : echo "Caught:" v:exception "from" v:throwpoint
7630 :endtry
7632 Here, the ":write" command does not write the file currently being edited (as
7633 you can see by checking 'modified'), since the exception from the BufWritePre
7634 autocommand abandons the ":write". The exception is then caught and the
7635 script displays: >
7637 Caught: FAIL from BufWrite Auto commands for "*"
7638 <
7639 *except-autocmd-Post*
7640 For some commands, autocommands get executed after the main action of the
7641 command has taken place. If this main action fails and the command is inside
7642 an active try conditional, the autocommands are skipped and an error exception
7643 is thrown that can be caught by the caller of the command.
7644 Example: >
7646 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "File successfully written!"
7647 :
7648 :try
7649 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7650 :catch
7651 : echo v:exception
7652 :endtry
7654 This just displays: >
7656 Vim(write):E212: Can't open file for writing (/i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e)
7658 If you really need to execute the autocommands even when the main action
7659 fails, trigger the event from the catch clause.
7660 Example: >
7662 :autocmd BufWritePre * set noreadonly
7663 :autocmd BufWritePost * set readonly
7664 :
7665 :try
7666 : write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7667 :catch
7668 : doautocmd BufWritePost /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7669 :endtry
7670 <
7671 You can also use ":silent!": >
7673 :let x = "ok"
7674 :let v:errmsg = ""
7675 :autocmd BufWritePost * if v:errmsg != ""
7676 :autocmd BufWritePost * let x = "after fail"
7677 :autocmd BufWritePost * endif
7678 :try
7679 : silent! write /i/m/p/o/s/s/i/b/l/e
7680 :catch
7681 :endtry
7682 :echo x
7684 This displays "after fail".
7686 If the main action of the command does not fail, exceptions from the
7687 autocommands will be catchable by the caller of the command: >
7689 :autocmd BufWritePost * throw ":-("
7690 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo "Should not be displayed"
7691 :
7692 :try
7693 : write
7694 :catch
7695 : echo v:exception
7696 :endtry
7697 <
7698 *except-autocmd-Cmd*
7699 For some commands, the normal action can be replaced by a sequence of
7700 autocommands. Exceptions from that sequence will be catchable by the caller
7701 of the command.
7702 Example: For the ":write" command, the caller cannot know whether the file
7703 had actually been written when the exception occurred. You need to tell it in
7704 some way. >
7706 :if !exists("cnt")
7707 : let cnt = 0
7708 :
7709 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if &modified
7710 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * let cnt = cnt + 1
7711 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 2
7712 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7713 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7714 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * write | set nomodified
7715 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * if cnt % 3 == 0
7716 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * throw "BufWriteCmdError"
7717 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7718 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * echo "File successfully written!"
7719 : autocmd BufWriteCmd * endif
7720 :endif
7721 :
7722 :try
7723 : write
7724 :catch /^BufWriteCmdError$/
7725 : if &modified
7726 : echo "Error on writing (file contents not changed)"
7727 : else
7728 : echo "Error after writing"
7729 : endif
7730 :catch /^Vim(write):/
7731 : echo "Error on writing"
7732 :endtry
7734 When this script is sourced several times after making changes, it displays
7735 first >
7736 File successfully written!
7737 then >
7738 Error on writing (file contents not changed)
7739 then >
7740 Error after writing
7741 etc.
7743 *except-autocmd-ill*
7744 You cannot spread a try conditional over autocommands for different events.
7745 The following code is ill-formed: >
7747 :autocmd BufWritePre * try
7748 :
7749 :autocmd BufWritePost * catch
7750 :autocmd BufWritePost * echo v:exception
7751 :autocmd BufWritePost * endtry
7752 :
7753 :write
7756 EXCEPTION HIERARCHIES AND PARAMETERIZED EXCEPTIONS *except-hier-param*
7758 Some programming languages allow to use hierarchies of exception classes or to
7759 pass additional information with the object of an exception class. You can do
7760 similar things in Vim.
7761 In order to throw an exception from a hierarchy, just throw the complete
7762 class name with the components separated by a colon, for instance throw the
7763 string "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW" for an overflow in a mathematical library.
7764 When you want to pass additional information with your exception class, add
7765 it in parentheses, for instance throw the string "EXCEPT:IO:WRITEERR(myfile)"
7766 for an error when writing "myfile".
7767 With the appropriate patterns in the ":catch" command, you can catch for
7768 base classes or derived classes of your hierarchy. Additional information in
7769 parentheses can be cut out from |v:exception| with the ":substitute" command.
7770 Example: >
7772 :function! CheckRange(a, func)
7773 : if a:a < 0
7774 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE(" . a:func . ")"
7775 : endif
7776 :endfunction
7777 :
7778 :function! Add(a, b)
7779 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Add")
7780 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Add")
7781 : let c = a:a + a:b
7782 : if c < 0
7783 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:OVERFLOW"
7784 : endif
7785 : return c
7786 :endfunction
7787 :
7788 :function! Div(a, b)
7789 : call CheckRange(a:a, "Div")
7790 : call CheckRange(a:b, "Div")
7791 : if (a:b == 0)
7792 : throw "EXCEPT:MATHERR:ZERODIV"
7793 : endif
7794 : return a:a / a:b
7795 :endfunction
7796 :
7797 :function! Write(file)
7798 : try
7799 : execute "write" fnameescape(a:file)
7800 : catch /^Vim(write):/
7801 : throw "EXCEPT:IO(" . getcwd() . ", " . a:file . "):WRITEERR"
7802 : endtry
7803 :endfunction
7804 :
7805 :try
7806 :
7807 : " something with arithmetics and I/O
7808 :
7809 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR:RANGE/
7810 : let function = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(\a\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7811 : echo "Range error in" function
7812 :
7813 :catch /^EXCEPT:MATHERR/ " catches OVERFLOW and ZERODIV
7814 : echo "Math error"
7815 :
7816 :catch /^EXCEPT:IO/
7817 : let dir = substitute(v:exception, '.*(\(.\+\),\s*.\+).*', '\1', "")
7818 : let file = substitute(v:exception, '.*(.\+,\s*\(.\+\)).*', '\1', "")
7819 : if file !~ '^/'
7820 : let file = dir . "/" . file
7821 : endif
7822 : echo 'I/O error for "' . file . '"'
7823 :
7824 :catch /^EXCEPT/
7825 : echo "Unspecified error"
7826 :
7827 :endtry
7829 The exceptions raised by Vim itself (on error or when pressing CTRL-C) use
7830 a flat hierarchy: they are all in the "Vim" class. You cannot throw yourself
7831 exceptions with the "Vim" prefix; they are reserved for Vim.
7832 Vim error exceptions are parameterized with the name of the command that
7833 failed, if known. See |catch-errors|.
7836 PECULIARITIES
7837 *except-compat*
7838 The exception handling concept requires that the command sequence causing the
7839 exception is aborted immediately and control is transferred to finally clauses
7840 and/or a catch clause.
7842 In the Vim script language there are cases where scripts and functions
7843 continue after an error: in functions without the "abort" flag or in a command
7844 after ":silent!", control flow goes to the following line, and outside
7845 functions, control flow goes to the line following the outermost ":endwhile"
7846 or ":endif". On the other hand, errors should be catchable as exceptions
7847 (thus, requiring the immediate abortion).
7849 This problem has been solved by converting errors to exceptions and using
7850 immediate abortion (if not suppressed by ":silent!") only when a try
7851 conditional is active. This is no restriction since an (error) exception can
7852 be caught only from an active try conditional. If you want an immediate
7853 termination without catching the error, just use a try conditional without
7854 catch clause. (You can cause cleanup code being executed before termination
7855 by specifying a finally clause.)
7857 When no try conditional is active, the usual abortion and continuation
7858 behavior is used instead of immediate abortion. This ensures compatibility of
7859 scripts written for Vim 6.1 and earlier.
7861 However, when sourcing an existing script that does not use exception handling
7862 commands (or when calling one of its functions) from inside an active try
7863 conditional of a new script, you might change the control flow of the existing
7864 script on error. You get the immediate abortion on error and can catch the
7865 error in the new script. If however the sourced script suppresses error
7866 messages by using the ":silent!" command (checking for errors by testing
7867 |v:errmsg| if appropriate), its execution path is not changed. The error is
7868 not converted to an exception. (See |:silent|.) So the only remaining cause
7869 where this happens is for scripts that don't care about errors and produce
7870 error messages. You probably won't want to use such code from your new
7871 scripts.
7873 *except-syntax-err*
7874 Syntax errors in the exception handling commands are never caught by any of
7875 the ":catch" commands of the try conditional they belong to. Its finally
7876 clauses, however, is executed.
7877 Example: >
7879 :try
7880 : try
7881 : throw 4711
7882 : catch /\(/
7883 : echo "in catch with syntax error"
7884 : catch
7885 : echo "inner catch-all"
7886 : finally
7887 : echo "inner finally"
7888 : endtry
7889 :catch
7890 : echo 'outer catch-all caught "' . v:exception . '"'
7891 : finally
7892 : echo "outer finally"
7893 :endtry
7895 This displays: >
7896 inner finally
7897 outer catch-all caught "Vim(catch):E54: Unmatched \("
7898 outer finally
7899 The original exception is discarded and an error exception is raised, instead.
7901 *except-single-line*
7902 The ":try", ":catch", ":finally", and ":endtry" commands can be put on
7903 a single line, but then syntax errors may make it difficult to recognize the
7904 "catch" line, thus you better avoid this.
7905 Example: >
7906 :try | unlet! foo # | catch | endtry
7907 raises an error exception for the trailing characters after the ":unlet!"
7908 argument, but does not see the ":catch" and ":endtry" commands, so that the
7909 error exception is discarded and the "E488: Trailing characters" message gets
7910 displayed.
7912 *except-several-errors*
7913 When several errors appear in a single command, the first error message is
7914 usually the most specific one and therefor converted to the error exception.
7915 Example: >
7916 echo novar
7917 causes >
7918 E121: Undefined variable: novar
7919 E15: Invalid expression: novar
7920 The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7921 Vim(echo):E121: Undefined variable: novar
7922 < *except-syntax-error*
7923 But when a syntax error is detected after a normal error in the same command,
7924 the syntax error is used for the exception being thrown.
7925 Example: >
7926 unlet novar #
7927 causes >
7928 E108: No such variable: "novar"
7929 E488: Trailing characters
7930 The value of the error exception inside try conditionals is: >
7931 Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters
7932 This is done because the syntax error might change the execution path in a way
7933 not intended by the user. Example: >
7934 try
7935 try | unlet novar # | catch | echo v:exception | endtry
7936 catch /.*/
7937 echo "outer catch:" v:exception
7938 endtry
7939 This displays "outer catch: Vim(unlet):E488: Trailing characters", and then
7940 a "E600: Missing :endtry" error message is given, see |except-single-line|.
7942 ==============================================================================
7943 9. Examples *eval-examples*
7945 Printing in Binary ~
7946 >
7947 :" The function Nr2Bin() returns the Hex string of a number.
7948 :func Nr2Bin(nr)
7949 : let n = a:nr
7950 : let r = ""
7951 : while n
7952 : let r = '01'[n % 2] . r
7953 : let n = n / 2
7954 : endwhile
7955 : return r
7956 :endfunc
7958 :" The function String2Bin() converts each character in a string to a
7959 :" binary string, separated with dashes.
7960 :func String2Bin(str)
7961 : let out = ''
7962 : for ix in range(strlen(a:str))
7963 : let out = out . '-' . Nr2Bin(char2nr(a:str[ix]))
7964 : endfor
7965 : return out[1:]
7966 :endfunc
7968 Example of its use: >
7969 :echo Nr2Bin(32)
7970 result: "100000" >
7971 :echo String2Bin("32")
7972 result: "110011-110010"
7975 Sorting lines ~
7977 This example sorts lines with a specific compare function. >
7979 :func SortBuffer()
7980 : let lines = getline(1, '$')
7981 : call sort(lines, function("Strcmp"))
7982 : call setline(1, lines)
7983 :endfunction
7985 As a one-liner: >
7986 :call setline(1, sort(getline(1, '$'), function("Strcmp")))
7989 scanf() replacement ~
7990 *sscanf*
7991 There is no sscanf() function in Vim. If you need to extract parts from a
7992 line, you can use matchstr() and substitute() to do it. This example shows
7993 how to get the file name, line number and column number out of a line like
7994 "foobar.txt, 123, 45". >
7995 :" Set up the match bit
7996 :let mx='\(\f\+\),\s*\(\d\+\),\s*\(\d\+\)'
7997 :"get the part matching the whole expression
7998 :let l = matchstr(line, mx)
7999 :"get each item out of the match
8000 :let file = substitute(l, mx, '\1', '')
8001 :let lnum = substitute(l, mx, '\2', '')
8002 :let col = substitute(l, mx, '\3', '')
8004 The input is in the variable "line", the results in the variables "file",
8005 "lnum" and "col". (idea from Michael Geddes)
8008 getting the scriptnames in a Dictionary ~
8009 *scriptnames-dictionary*
8010 The |:scriptnames| command can be used to get a list of all script files that
8011 have been sourced. There is no equivalent function or variable for this
8012 (because it's rarely needed). In case you need to manipulate the list this
8013 code can be used: >
8014 " Get the output of ":scriptnames" in the scriptnames_output variable.
8015 let scriptnames_output = ''
8016 redir => scriptnames_output
8017 silent scriptnames
8018 redir END
8020 " Split the output into lines and parse each line. Add an entry to the
8021 " "scripts" dictionary.
8022 let scripts = {}
8023 for line in split(scriptnames_output, "\n")
8024 " Only do non-blank lines.
8025 if line =~ '\S'
8026 " Get the first number in the line.
8027 let nr = matchstr(line, '\d\+')
8028 " Get the file name, remove the script number " 123: ".
8029 let name = substitute(line, '.\+:\s*', '', '')
8030 " Add an item to the Dictionary
8031 let scripts[nr] = name
8032 endif
8033 endfor
8034 unlet scriptnames_output
8036 ==============================================================================
8037 10. No +eval feature *no-eval-feature*
8039 When the |+eval| feature was disabled at compile time, none of the expression
8040 evaluation commands are available. To prevent this from causing Vim scripts
8041 to generate all kinds of errors, the ":if" and ":endif" commands are still
8042 recognized, though the argument of the ":if" and everything between the ":if"
8043 and the matching ":endif" is ignored. Nesting of ":if" blocks is allowed, but
8044 only if the commands are at the start of the line. The ":else" command is not
8045 recognized.
8047 Example of how to avoid executing commands when the |+eval| feature is
8048 missing: >
8050 :if 1
8051 : echo "Expression evaluation is compiled in"
8052 :else
8053 : echo "You will _never_ see this message"
8054 :endif
8056 ==============================================================================
8057 11. The sandbox *eval-sandbox* *sandbox* *E48*
8059 The 'foldexpr', 'includeexpr', 'indentexpr', 'statusline' and 'foldtext'
8060 options are evaluated in a sandbox. This means that you are protected from
8061 these expressions having nasty side effects. This gives some safety for when
8062 these options are set from a modeline. It is also used when the command from
8063 a tags file is executed and for CTRL-R = in the command line.
8064 The sandbox is also used for the |:sandbox| command.
8066 These items are not allowed in the sandbox:
8067 - changing the buffer text
8068 - defining or changing mapping, autocommands, functions, user commands
8069 - setting certain options (see |option-summary|)
8070 - setting certain v: variables (see |v:var|) *E794*
8071 - executing a shell command
8072 - reading or writing a file
8073 - jumping to another buffer or editing a file
8074 - executing Python, Perl, etc. commands
8075 This is not guaranteed 100% secure, but it should block most attacks.
8077 *:san* *:sandbox*
8078 :san[dbox] {cmd} Execute {cmd} in the sandbox. Useful to evaluate an
8079 option that may have been set from a modeline, e.g.
8080 'foldexpr'.
8082 *sandbox-option*
8083 A few options contain an expression. When this expression is evaluated it may
8084 have to be done in the sandbox to avoid a security risk. But the sandbox is
8085 restrictive, thus this only happens when the option was set from an insecure
8086 location. Insecure in this context are:
8087 - sourcing a .vimrc or .exrc in the current directory
8088 - while executing in the sandbox
8089 - value coming from a modeline
8091 Note that when in the sandbox and saving an option value and restoring it, the
8092 option will still be marked as it was set in the sandbox.
8094 ==============================================================================
8095 12. Textlock *textlock*
8097 In a few situations it is not allowed to change the text in the buffer, jump
8098 to another window and some other things that might confuse or break what Vim
8099 is currently doing. This mostly applies to things that happen when Vim is
8100 actually doing something else. For example, evaluating the 'balloonexpr' may
8101 happen any moment the mouse cursor is resting at some position.
8103 This is not allowed when the textlock is active:
8104 - changing the buffer text
8105 - jumping to another buffer or window
8106 - editing another file
8107 - closing a window or quitting Vim
8108 - etc.
8111 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: