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1 *change.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2009 Nov 11
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 This file describes commands that delete or change text. In this context,
8 changing text means deleting the text and replacing it with other text using
9 one command. You can undo all of these commands. You can repeat the non-Ex
10 commands with the "." command.
12 1. Deleting text |deleting|
13 2. Delete and insert |delete-insert|
14 3. Simple changes |simple-change| *changing*
15 4. Complex changes |complex-change|
16 4.1 Filter commands |filter|
17 4.2 Substitute |:substitute|
18 4.3 Search and replace |search-replace|
19 4.4 Changing tabs |change-tabs|
20 5. Copying and moving text |copy-move|
21 6. Formatting text |formatting|
22 7. Sorting text |sorting|
24 For inserting text see |insert.txt|.
26 ==============================================================================
27 1. Deleting text *deleting* *E470*
29 ["x]<Del> or *<Del>* *x* *dl*
30 ["x]x Delete [count] characters under and after the cursor
31 [into register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as
32 "dl".
33 The <Del> key does not take a [count]. Instead, it
34 deletes the last character of the count.
35 See |:fixdel| if the <Del> key does not do what you
36 want. See |'whichwrap'| for deleting a line break
37 (join lines). {Vi does not support <Del>}
39 *X* *dh*
40 ["x]X Delete [count] characters before the cursor [into
41 register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as "dh".
42 Also see |'whichwrap'|.
44 *d*
45 ["x]d{motion} Delete text that {motion} moves over [into register
46 x]. See below for exceptions.
48 *dd*
49 ["x]dd Delete [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|.
51 *D*
52 ["x]D Delete the characters under the cursor until the end
53 of the line and [count]-1 more lines [into register
54 x]; synonym for "d$".
55 (not |linewise|)
56 When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
57 ignored.
59 {Visual}["x]x or *v_x* *v_d* *v_<Del>*
60 {Visual}["x]d or
61 {Visual}["x]<Del> Delete the highlighted text [into register x] (for
62 {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
64 {Visual}["x]CTRL-H or *v_CTRL-H* *v_<BS>*
65 {Visual}["x]<BS> When in Select mode: Delete the highlighted text [into
66 register x].
68 {Visual}["x]X or *v_X* *v_D* *v_b_D*
69 {Visual}["x]D Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] (for
70 {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). In Visual block mode,
71 "D" deletes the highlighted text plus all text until
72 the end of the line. {not in Vi}
74 *:d* *:de* *:del* *:delete*
75 :[range]d[elete] [x] Delete [range] lines (default: current line) [into
76 register x].
78 :[range]d[elete] [x] {count}
79 Delete {count} lines, starting with [range]
80 (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|) [into
81 register x].
83 These commands delete text. You can repeat them with the "." command
84 (except ":d") and undo them. Use Visual mode to delete blocks of text. See
85 |registers| for an explanation of registers.
87 An exception for the d{motion} command: If the motion is not linewise, the
88 start and end of the motion are not in the same line, and there are only
89 blanks before the start and after the end of the motion, the delete becomes
90 linewise. This means that the delete also removes the line of blanks that you
91 might expect to remain.
93 Trying to delete an empty region of text (e.g., "d0" in the first column)
94 is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag.
96 *J*
97 J Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines.
98 Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces (see
99 below).
101 *v_J*
102 {Visual}J Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two
103 lines. Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces
104 (see below). {not in Vi}
106 *gJ*
107 gJ Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines.
108 Don't insert or remove any spaces. {not in Vi}
110 *v_gJ*
111 {Visual}gJ Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two
112 lines. Don't insert or remove any spaces. {not in
113 Vi}
115 *:j* *:join*
116 :[range]j[oin][!] [flags]
117 Join [range] lines. Same as "J", except with [!]
118 the join does not insert or delete any spaces.
119 If a [range] has equal start and end values, this
120 command does nothing. The default behavior is to
121 join the current line with the line below it.
122 {not in Vi: !}
123 See |ex-flags| for [flags].
125 :[range]j[oin][!] {count} [flags]
126 Join {count} lines, starting with [range] (default:
127 current line |cmdline-ranges|). Same as "J", except
128 with [!] the join does not insert or delete any
129 spaces.
130 {not in Vi: !}
131 See |ex-flags| for [flags].
133 These commands delete the <EOL> between lines. This has the effect of joining
134 multiple lines into one line. You can repeat these commands (except ":j") and
135 undo them.
137 These commands, except "gJ", insert one space in place of the <EOL> unless
138 there is trailing white space or the next line starts with a ')'. These
139 commands, except "gJ", delete any leading white space on the next line. If
140 the 'joinspaces' option is on, these commands insert two spaces after a '.',
141 '!' or '?' (but if 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, they insert two spaces
142 only after a '.').
143 The 'B' and 'M' flags in 'formatoptions' change the behavior for inserting
144 spaces before and after a multi-byte character |fo-table|.
147 ==============================================================================
148 2. Delete and insert *delete-insert* *replacing*
150 *R*
151 R Enter Replace mode: Each character you type replaces
152 an existing character, starting with the character
153 under the cursor. Repeat the entered text [count]-1
154 times. See |Replace-mode| for more details.
156 *gR*
157 gR Enter Virtual Replace mode: Each character you type
158 replaces existing characters in screen space. So a
159 <Tab> may replace several characters at once.
160 Repeat the entered text [count]-1 times. See
161 |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more details.
162 {not available when compiled without the +vreplace
163 feature}
165 *c*
166 ["x]c{motion} Delete {motion} text [into register x] and start
167 insert. When 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag and
168 there is no text to delete (e.g., with "cTx" when the
169 cursor is just after an 'x'), an error occurs and
170 insert mode does not start (this is Vi compatible).
171 When 'cpoptions' does not include the 'E' flag, the
172 "c" command always starts insert mode, even if there
173 is no text to delete.
175 *cc*
176 ["x]cc Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start
177 insert |linewise|. If 'autoindent' is on, preserve
178 the indent of the first line.
180 *C*
181 ["x]C Delete from the cursor position to the end of the
182 line and [count]-1 more lines [into register x], and
183 start insert. Synonym for c$ (not |linewise|).
185 *s*
186 ["x]s Delete [count] characters [into register x] and start
187 insert (s stands for Substitute). Synonym for "cl"
188 (not |linewise|).
190 *S*
191 ["x]S Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start
192 insert. Synonym for "cc" |linewise|.
194 {Visual}["x]c or *v_c* *v_s*
195 {Visual}["x]s Delete the highlighted text [into register x] and
196 start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not
197 in Vi}
199 *v_r*
200 {Visual}["x]r{char} Replace all selected characters by {char}.
202 *v_C*
203 {Visual}["x]C Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and
204 start insert. In Visual block mode it works
205 differently |v_b_C|. {not in Vi}
206 *v_S*
207 {Visual}["x]S Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and
208 start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not
209 in Vi}
210 *v_R*
211 {Visual}["x]R Currently just like {Visual}["x]S. In a next version
212 it might work differently. {not in Vi}
214 Notes:
215 - You can end Insert and Replace mode with <Esc>.
216 - See the section "Insert and Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl| for the other
217 special characters in these modes.
218 - The effect of [count] takes place after Vim exits Insert or Replace mode.
219 - When the 'cpoptions' option contains '$' and the change is within one line,
220 Vim continues to show the text to be deleted and puts a '$' at the last
221 deleted character.
223 See |registers| for an explanation of registers.
225 Replace mode is just like Insert mode, except that every character you enter
226 deletes one character. If you reach the end of a line, Vim appends any
227 further characters (just like Insert mode). In Replace mode, the backspace
228 key restores the original text (if there was any). (See section "Insert and
229 Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl|).
231 *cw* *cW*
232 Special case: When the cursor is in a word, "cw" and "cW" do not include the
233 white space after a word, they only change up to the end of the word. This is
234 because Vim interprets "cw" as change-word, and a word does not include the
235 following white space.
236 {Vi: "cw" when on a blank followed by other blanks changes only the first
237 blank; this is probably a bug, because "dw" deletes all the blanks; use the
238 'w' flag in 'cpoptions' to make it work like Vi anyway}
240 If you prefer "cw" to include the space after a word, use this mapping: >
241 :map cw dwi
242 Or use "caw" (see |aw|).
244 *:c* *:ch* *:change*
245 :{range}c[hange][!] Replace lines of text with some different text.
246 Type a line containing only "." to stop replacing.
247 Without {range}, this command changes only the current
248 line.
249 Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
250 command is executed.
252 ==============================================================================
253 3. Simple changes *simple-change*
255 *r*
256 r{char} Replace the character under the cursor with {char}.
257 If {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, a line break replaces the
258 character. To replace with a real <CR>, use CTRL-V
259 <CR>. CTRL-V <NL> replaces with a <Nul>.
260 {Vi: CTRL-V <CR> still replaces with a line break,
261 cannot replace something with a <CR>}
262 If you give a [count], Vim replaces [count] characters
263 with [count] {char}s. When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>,
264 however, Vim inserts only one <CR>: "5r<CR>" replaces
265 five characters with a single line break.
266 When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, Vim performs
267 autoindenting. This works just like deleting the
268 characters that are replaced and then doing
269 "i<CR><Esc>".
270 {char} can be entered as a digraph |digraph-arg|.
271 |:lmap| mappings apply to {char}. The CTRL-^ command
272 in Insert mode can be used to switch this on/off
273 |i_CTRL-^|. See |utf-8-char-arg| about using
274 composing characters when 'encoding' is Unicode.
276 *gr*
277 gr{char} Replace the virtual characters under the cursor with
278 {char}. This replaces in screen space, not file
279 space. See |gR| and |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more
280 details. As with |r| a count may be given.
281 {char} can be entered like with |r|.
282 {not available when compiled without the +vreplace
283 feature}
285 *digraph-arg*
286 The argument for Normal mode commands like |r| and |t| is a single character.
287 When 'cpo' doesn't contain the 'D' flag, this character can also be entered
288 like |digraphs|. First type CTRL-K and then the two digraph characters.
289 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs| feature}
291 *case*
292 The following commands change the case of letters. The currently active
293 |locale| is used. See |:language|. The LC_CTYPE value matters here.
295 *~*
296 ~ 'notildeop' option: Switch case of the character
297 under the cursor and move the cursor to the right.
298 If a [count] is given, do that many characters. {Vi:
299 no count}
301 ~{motion} 'tildeop' option: switch case of {motion} text. {Vi:
302 tilde cannot be used as an operator}
304 *g~*
305 g~{motion} Switch case of {motion} text. {not in Vi}
307 g~g~ *g~g~* *g~~*
308 g~~ Switch case of current line. {not in Vi}.
310 *v_~*
311 {Visual}~ Switch case of highlighted text (for {Visual} see
312 |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
314 *v_U*
315 {Visual}U Make highlighted text uppercase (for {Visual} see
316 |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
318 *gU* *uppercase*
319 gU{motion} Make {motion} text uppercase. {not in Vi}
320 Example: >
321 :map! <C-F> <Esc>gUiw`]a
322 < This works in Insert mode: press CTRL-F to make the
323 word before the cursor uppercase. Handy to type
324 words in lowercase and then make them uppercase.
327 gUgU *gUgU* *gUU*
328 gUU Make current line uppercase. {not in Vi}.
330 *v_u*
331 {Visual}u Make highlighted text lowercase (for {Visual} see
332 |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
334 *gu* *lowercase*
335 gu{motion} Make {motion} text lowercase. {not in Vi}
337 gugu *gugu* *guu*
338 guu Make current line lowercase. {not in Vi}.
340 *g?* *rot13*
341 g?{motion} Rot13 encode {motion} text. {not in Vi}
343 *v_g?*
344 {Visual}g? Rot13 encode the highlighted text (for {Visual} see
345 |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
347 g?g? *g?g?* *g??*
348 g?? Rot13 encode current line. {not in Vi}.
350 To turn one line into title caps, make every first letter of a word
351 uppercase: >
352 :s/\v<(.)(\w*)/\u\1\L\2/g
355 Adding and subtracting ~
356 *CTRL-A*
357 CTRL-A Add [count] to the number or alphabetic character at
358 or after the cursor. {not in Vi}
360 *CTRL-X*
361 CTRL-X Subtract [count] from the number or alphabetic
362 character at or after the cursor. {not in Vi}
364 The CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands work for (signed) decimal numbers, unsigned
365 octal and hexadecimal numbers and alphabetic characters. This depends on the
366 'nrformats' option.
367 - When 'nrformats' includes "octal", Vim considers numbers starting with a '0'
368 to be octal, unless the number includes a '8' or '9'. Other numbers are
369 decimal and may have a preceding minus sign.
370 If the cursor is on a number, the commands apply to that number; otherwise
371 Vim uses the number to the right of the cursor.
372 - When 'nrformats' includes "hex", Vim assumes numbers starting with '0x' or
373 '0X' are hexadecimal. The case of the rightmost letter in the number
374 determines the case of the resulting hexadecimal number. If there is no
375 letter in the current number, Vim uses the previously detected case.
376 - When 'nrformats' includes "alpha", Vim will change the alphabetic character
377 under or after the cursor. This is useful to make lists with an alphabetic
378 index.
380 For numbers with leading zeros (including all octal and hexadecimal numbers),
381 Vim preserves the number of characters in the number when possible. CTRL-A on
382 "0077" results in "0100", CTRL-X on "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
383 There is one exception: When a number that starts with a zero is found not to
384 be octal (it contains a '8' or '9'), but 'nrformats' does include "octal",
385 leading zeros are removed to avoid that the result may be recognized as an
386 octal number.
388 Note that when 'nrformats' includes "octal", decimal numbers with leading
389 zeros cause mistakes, because they can be confused with octal numbers.
391 The CTRL-A command is very useful in a macro. Example: Use the following
392 steps to make a numbered list.
394 1. Create the first list entry, make sure it starts with a number.
395 2. qa - start recording into register 'a'
396 3. Y - yank the entry
397 4. p - put a copy of the entry below the first one
398 5. CTRL-A - increment the number
399 6. q - stop recording
400 7. <count>@a - repeat the yank, put and increment <count> times
403 SHIFTING LINES LEFT OR RIGHT *shift-left-right*
405 *<*
406 <{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards.
408 *<<*
409 << Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards.
411 *v_<*
412 {Visual}[count]< Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth'
413 leftwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in
414 Vi}
416 *>*
417 >{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards.
419 *>>*
420 >> Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards.
422 *v_>*
423 {Visual}[count]> Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth'
424 rightwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in
425 Vi}
427 *:<*
428 :[range]< Shift [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' left. Repeat '<'
429 for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
431 :[range]< {count} Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' left, starting
432 with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|).
433 Repeat '<' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
435 :[range]le[ft] [indent] left align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the
436 lines to [indent] (default 0). {not in Vi}
438 *:>*
439 :[range]> [flags] Shift {count} [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' right.
440 Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
441 See |ex-flags| for [flags].
443 :[range]> {count} [flags]
444 Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' right, starting
445 with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|).
446 Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
447 See |ex-flags| for [flags].
449 The ">" and "<" commands are handy for changing the indentation within
450 programs. Use the 'shiftwidth' option to set the size of the white space
451 which these commands insert or delete. Normally the 'shiftwidth' option is 8,
452 but you can set it to, say, 3 to make smaller indents. The shift leftwards
453 stops when there is no indent. The shift right does not affect empty lines.
455 If the 'shiftround' option is on, the indent is rounded to a multiple of
456 'shiftwidth'.
458 If the 'smartindent' option is on, or 'cindent' is on and 'cinkeys' contains
459 '#', shift right does not affect lines starting with '#' (these are supposed
460 to be C preprocessor lines that must stay in column 1).
462 When the 'expandtab' option is off (this is the default) Vim uses <Tab>s as
463 much as possible to make the indent. You can use ">><<" to replace an indent
464 made out of spaces with the same indent made out of <Tab>s (and a few spaces
465 if necessary). If the 'expandtab' option is on, Vim uses only spaces. Then
466 you can use ">><<" to replace <Tab>s in the indent by spaces (or use
467 ":retab!").
469 To move a line several 'shiftwidth's, use Visual mode or the ":" commands.
470 For example: >
471 Vjj4> move three lines 4 indents to the right
472 :<<< move current line 3 indents to the left
473 :>> 5 move 5 lines 2 indents to the right
474 :5>> move line 5 2 indents to the right
476 ==============================================================================
477 4. Complex changes *complex-change*
479 4.1 Filter commands *filter*
481 A filter is a program that accepts text at standard input, changes it in some
482 way, and sends it to standard output. You can use the commands below to send
483 some text through a filter, so that it is replaced by the filter output.
484 Examples of filters are "sort", which sorts lines alphabetically, and
485 "indent", which formats C program files (you need a version of indent that
486 works like a filter; not all versions do). The 'shell' option specifies the
487 shell Vim uses to execute the filter command (See also the 'shelltype'
488 option). You can repeat filter commands with ".". Vim does not recognize a
489 comment (starting with '"') after the ":!" command.
491 *!*
492 !{motion}{filter} Filter {motion} text lines through the external
493 program {filter}.
495 *!!*
496 !!{filter} Filter [count] lines through the external program
497 {filter}.
499 *v_!*
500 {Visual}!{filter} Filter the highlighted lines through the external
501 program {filter} (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
502 {not in Vi}
504 :{range}![!]{filter} [!][arg] *:range!*
505 Filter {range} lines through the external program
506 {filter}. Vim replaces the optional bangs with the
507 latest given command and appends the optional [arg].
508 Vim saves the output of the filter command in a
509 temporary file and then reads the file into the buffer
510 |tempfile|. Vim uses the 'shellredir' option to
511 redirect the filter output to the temporary file.
512 However, if the 'shelltemp' option is off then pipes
513 are used when possible (on Unix).
514 When the 'R' flag is included in 'cpoptions' marks in
515 the filtered lines are deleted, unless the
516 |:keepmarks| command is used. Example: >
517 :keepmarks '<,'>!sort
518 < When the number of lines after filtering is less than
519 before, marks in the missing lines are deleted anyway.
521 *=*
522 ={motion} Filter {motion} lines through the external program
523 given with the 'equalprg' option. When the 'equalprg'
524 option is empty (this is the default), use the
525 internal formatting function |C-indenting|. But when
526 'indentexpr' is not empty, it will be used instead
527 |indent-expression|. When Vim was compiled without
528 internal formatting then the "indent" program is used
529 as a last resort.
531 *==*
532 == Filter [count] lines like with ={motion}.
534 *v_=*
535 {Visual}= Filter the highlighted lines like with ={motion}.
536 {not in Vi}
539 *tempfile* *setuid*
540 Vim uses temporary files for filtering, generating diffs and also for
541 tempname(). For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
542 accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems (e.g., a symlink
543 attack or other people reading your file). When Vim exits the directory and
544 all files in it are deleted. When Vim has the setuid bit set this may cause
545 problems, the temp file is owned by the setuid user but the filter command
546 probably runs as the original user.
547 On MS-DOS and OS/2 the first of these directories that works is used: $TMP,
548 $TEMP, c:\TMP, c:\TEMP.
549 For Unix the list of directories is: $TMPDIR, /tmp, current-dir, $HOME.
550 For MS-Windows the GetTempFileName() system function is used.
551 For other systems the tmpnam() library function is used.
555 4.2 Substitute *:substitute*
556 *:s* *:su*
557 :[range]s[ubstitute]/{pattern}/{string}/[flags] [count]
558 For each line in [range] replace a match of {pattern}
559 with {string}.
560 For the {pattern} see |pattern|.
561 {string} can be a literal string, or something
562 special; see |sub-replace-special|.
563 When [range] and [count] are omitted, replace in the
564 current line only.
565 When [count] is given, replace in [count] lines,
566 starting with the last line in [range]. When [range]
567 is omitted start in the current line.
568 Also see |cmdline-ranges|.
569 See |:s_flags| for [flags].
571 :[range]s[ubstitute] [flags] [count]
572 :[range]&[&][flags] [count] *:&*
573 Repeat last :substitute with same search pattern and
574 substitute string, but without the same flags. You
575 may add [flags], see |:s_flags|.
576 Note that after ":substitute" the '&' flag can't be
577 used, it's recognized as a pattern separator.
578 The space between ":substitute" and the 'c', 'g' and
579 'r' flags isn't required, but in scripts it's a good
580 idea to keep it to avoid confusion.
582 :[range]~[&][flags] [count] *:~*
583 Repeat last substitute with same substitute string
584 but with last used search pattern. This is like
585 ":&r". See |:s_flags| for [flags].
587 *&*
588 & Synonym for ":s//~/" (repeat last substitute). Note
589 that the flags are not remembered, thus it might
590 actually work differently. You can use ":&&" to keep
591 the flags.
593 *g&*
594 g& Synonym for ":%s//~/&" (repeat last substitute on all
595 lines with the same flags).
596 Mnemonic: global substitute. {not in Vi}
598 *:snomagic* *:sno*
599 :[range]sno[magic] ... Same as ":substitute", but always use 'nomagic'.
600 {not in Vi}
602 *:smagic* *:sm*
603 :[range]sm[agic] ... Same as ":substitute", but always use 'magic'.
604 {not in Vi}
606 *:s_flags*
607 The flags that you can use for the substitute commands:
609 [&] Must be the first one: Keep the flags from the previous substitute
610 command. Examples: >
611 :&&
612 :s/this/that/&
613 < Note that ":s" and ":&" don't keep the flags.
614 {not in Vi}
616 [c] Confirm each substitution. Vim highlights the matching string (with
617 |hl-IncSearch|). You can type: *:s_c*
618 'y' to substitute this match
619 'l' to substitute this match and then quit ("last")
620 'n' to skip this match
621 <Esc> to quit substituting
622 'a' to substitute this and all remaining matches {not in Vi}
623 'q' to quit substituting {not in Vi}
624 CTRL-E to scroll the screen up {not in Vi, not available when
625 compiled without the +insert_expand feature}
626 CTRL-Y to scroll the screen down {not in Vi, not available when
627 compiled without the +insert_expand feature}
628 If the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers the [c] flag and
629 toggles it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new
630 search pattern.
631 {not in Vi: highlighting of the match, other responses than 'y' or 'n'}
633 [e] When the search pattern fails, do not issue an error message and, in
634 particular, continue in maps as if no error occurred. This is most
635 useful to prevent the "No match" error from breaking a mapping. Vim
636 does not suppress the following error messages, however:
637 Regular expressions can't be delimited by letters
638 \ should be followed by /, ? or &
639 No previous substitute regular expression
640 Trailing characters
641 Interrupted
642 {not in Vi}
644 [g] Replace all occurrences in the line. Without this argument,
645 replacement occurs only for the first occurrence in each line. If
646 the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers this flag and toggles
647 it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new search
648 pattern. If the 'gdefault' option is on, this flag is on by default
649 and the [g] argument switches it off.
651 [i] Ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase' options
652 are not used.
653 {not in Vi}
655 [I] Don't ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase'
656 options are not used.
657 {not in Vi}
659 [n] Report the number of matches, do not actually substitute. The [c]
660 flag is ignored. The matches are reported as if 'report' is zero.
661 Useful to |count-items|.
663 [p] Print the line containing the last substitute.
665 [#] Like [p] and prepend the line number.
667 [l] Like [p] but print the text like |:list|.
669 [r] Only useful in combination with ":&" or ":s" without arguments. ":&r"
670 works the same way as ":~": When the search pattern is empty, use the
671 previously used search pattern instead of the search pattern from the
672 last substitute or ":global". If the last command that did a search
673 was a substitute or ":global", there is no effect. If the last
674 command was a search command such as "/", use the pattern from that
675 command.
676 For ":s" with an argument this already happens: >
677 :s/blue/red/
678 /green
679 :s//red/ or :~ or :&r
680 < The last commands will replace "green" with "red". >
681 :s/blue/red/
682 /green
683 :&
684 < The last command will replace "blue" with "red".
685 {not in Vi}
687 Note that there is no flag to change the "magicness" of the pattern. A
688 different command is used instead, or you can use |/\v| and friends. The
689 reason is that the flags can only be found by skipping the pattern, and in
690 order to skip the pattern the "magicness" must be known. Catch 22!
692 If the {pattern} for the substitute command is empty, the command uses the
693 pattern from the last substitute or ":global" command. With the [r] flag, the
694 command uses the pattern from the last substitute, ":global", or search
695 command.
697 If the {string} is omitted the substitute is done as if it's empty. Thus the
698 matched pattern is deleted. The separator after {pattern} can also be left
699 out then. Example: >
700 :%s/TESTING
701 This deletes "TESTING" from all lines, but only one per line.
703 For compatibility with Vi these two exceptions are allowed:
704 "\/{string}/" and "\?{string}?" do the same as "//{string}/r".
705 "\&{string}&" does the same as "//{string}/".
706 *E146*
707 Instead of the '/' which surrounds the pattern and replacement string, you
708 can use any other single-byte character, but not an alphanumeric character,
709 '\', '"' or '|'. This is useful if you want to include a '/' in the search
710 pattern or replacement string. Example: >
711 :s+/+//+
713 For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|. In Visual block mode, use
714 |/\%V| in the pattern to have the substitute work in the block only.
715 Otherwise it works on whole lines anyway.
717 *sub-replace-special* *:s\=*
718 When the {string} starts with "\=" it is evaluated as an expression, see
719 |sub-replace-expression|. You can use that for any special characters.
720 Otherwise these characters in {string} have a special meaning:
721 *:s%*
722 When {string} is equal to "%" and '/' is included with the 'cpoptions' option,
723 then the {string} of the previous substitute command is used. |cpo-/|
725 magic nomagic action ~
726 & \& replaced with the whole matched pattern *s/\&*
727 \& & replaced with &
728 \0 replaced with the whole matched pattern *\0* *s/\0*
729 \1 replaced with the matched pattern in the first
730 pair of () *s/\1*
731 \2 replaced with the matched pattern in the second
732 pair of () *s/\2*
733 .. .. *s/\3*
734 \9 replaced with the matched pattern in the ninth
735 pair of () *s/\9*
736 ~ \~ replaced with the {string} of the previous
737 substitute *s~*
738 \~ ~ replaced with ~ *s/\~*
739 \u next character made uppercase *s/\u*
740 \U following characters made uppercase, until \E *s/\U*
741 \l next character made lowercase *s/\l*
742 \L following characters made lowercase, until \E *s/\L*
743 \e end of \u, \U, \l and \L (NOTE: not <Esc>!) *s/\e*
744 \E end of \u, \U, \l and \L *s/\E*
745 <CR> split line in two at this point
746 (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s<CR>*
747 \r idem *s/\r*
748 \<CR> insert a carriage-return (CTRL-M)
749 (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s/\<CR>*
750 \n insert a <NL> (<NUL> in the file)
751 (does NOT break the line) *s/\n*
752 \b insert a <BS> *s/\b*
753 \t insert a <Tab> *s/\t*
754 \\ insert a single backslash *s/\\*
755 \x where x is any character not mentioned above:
756 Reserved for future expansion
758 Examples: >
759 :s/a\|b/xxx\0xxx/g modifies "a b" to "xxxaxxx xxxbxxx"
760 :s/\([abc]\)\([efg]\)/\2\1/g modifies "af fa bg" to "fa fa gb"
761 :s/abcde/abc^Mde/ modifies "abcde" to "abc", "de" (two lines)
762 :s/$/\^M/ modifies "abcde" to "abcde^M"
763 :s/\w\+/\u\0/g modifies "bla bla" to "Bla Bla"
765 Note: In previous versions CTRL-V was handled in a special way. Since this is
766 not Vi compatible, this was removed. Use a backslash instead.
768 command text result ~
769 :s/aa/a^Ma/ aa a<line-break>a
770 :s/aa/a\^Ma/ aa a^Ma
771 :s/aa/a\\^Ma/ aa a\<line-break>a
773 (you need to type CTRL-V <CR> to get a ^M here)
775 The numbering of "\1", "\2" etc. is done based on which "\(" comes first in
776 the pattern (going left to right). When a parentheses group matches several
777 times, the last one will be used for "\1", "\2", etc. Example: >
778 :s/\(\(a[a-d] \)*\)/\2/ modifies "aa ab x" to "ab x"
780 When using parentheses in combination with '|', like in \([ab]\)\|\([cd]\),
781 either the first or second pattern in parentheses did not match, so either
782 \1 or \2 is empty. Example: >
783 :s/\([ab]\)\|\([cd]\)/\1x/g modifies "a b c d" to "ax bx x x"
784 <
786 Substitute with an expression *sub-replace-expression*
787 *sub-replace-\=*
788 When the substitute string starts with "\=" the remainder is interpreted as an
789 expression. This does not work recursively: a substitute() function inside
790 the expression cannot use "\=" for the substitute string.
792 The special meaning for characters as mentioned at |sub-replace-special| does
793 not apply except for "<CR>", "\<CR>" and "\\". Thus in the result of the
794 expression you need to use two backslashes to get one, put a backslash before a
795 <CR> you want to insert, and use a <CR> without a backslash where you want to
796 break the line.
798 For convenience a <NL> character is also used as a line break. Prepend a
799 backslash to get a real <NL> character (which will be a NUL in the file).
801 When the result is a |List| then the items are joined with separating line
802 breaks. Thus each item becomes a line, except that they can contain line
803 breaks themselves.
805 The whole matched text can be accessed with "submatch(0)". The text matched
806 with the first pair of () with "submatch(1)". Likewise for further
807 sub-matches in ().
809 Be careful: The separation character must not appear in the expression!
810 Consider using a character like "@" or ":". There is no problem if the result
811 of the expression contains the separation character.
813 Examples: >
814 :s@\n@\="\r" . expand("$HOME") . "\r"@
815 This replaces an end-of-line with a new line containing the value of $HOME. >
817 s/E/\="\<Char-0x20ac>"/g
818 This replaces each 'E' character with a euro sign. Read more in |<Char->|.
821 4.3 Search and replace *search-replace*
823 *:pro* *:promptfind*
824 :promptf[ind] [string]
825 Put up a Search dialog. When [string] is given, it is
826 used as the initial search string.
827 {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI}
829 *:promptr* *:promptrepl*
830 :promptr[epl] [string]
831 Put up a Search/Replace dialog. When [string] is
832 given, it is used as the initial search string.
833 {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI}
836 4.4 Changing tabs *change-tabs*
837 *:ret* *:retab*
838 :[range]ret[ab][!] [new_tabstop]
839 Replace all sequences of white-space containing a
840 <Tab> with new strings of white-space using the new
841 tabstop value given. If you do not specify a new
842 tabstop size or it is zero, Vim uses the current value
843 of 'tabstop'.
844 The current value of 'tabstop' is always used to
845 compute the width of existing tabs.
846 With !, Vim also replaces strings of only normal
847 spaces with tabs where appropriate.
848 With 'expandtab' on, Vim replaces all tabs with the
849 appropriate number of spaces.
850 This command sets 'tabstop' to the new value given,
851 and if performed on the whole file, which is default,
852 should not make any visible change.
853 Careful: This command modifies any <Tab> characters
854 inside of strings in a C program. Use "\t" to avoid
855 this (that's a good habit anyway).
856 ":retab!" may also change a sequence of spaces by
857 <Tab> characters, which can mess up a printf().
858 {not in Vi}
859 Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at
860 compile time.
861 If the |+vartabs| feature is enabled then a list of
862 tab widths separated by commas may be used in place of
863 a single tabstop. Each value in the list represents
864 the width of one tabstop, except the final value which
865 applies to all following tabstops.
867 *retab-example*
868 Example for using autocommands and ":retab" to edit a file which is stored
869 with tabstops at 8 but edited with tabstops set at 4. Warning: white space
870 inside of strings can change! Also see 'softtabstop' option. >
872 :auto BufReadPost *.xx retab! 4
873 :auto BufWritePre *.xx retab! 8
874 :auto BufWritePost *.xx retab! 4
875 :auto BufNewFile *.xx set ts=4
877 ==============================================================================
878 5. Copying and moving text *copy-move*
880 *quote*
881 "{a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"} Use register {a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"} for next delete, yank
882 or put (use uppercase character to append with
883 delete and yank) ({.%#:} only work with put).
885 *:reg* *:registers*
886 :reg[isters] Display the contents of all numbered and named
887 registers. If a register is written to for |:redir|
888 it will not be listed.
889 {not in Vi}
892 :reg[isters] {arg} Display the contents of the numbered and named
893 registers that are mentioned in {arg}. For example: >
894 :dis 1a
895 < to display registers '1' and 'a'. Spaces are allowed
896 in {arg}. {not in Vi}
898 *:di* *:display*
899 :di[splay] [arg] Same as :registers. {not in Vi}
901 *y* *yank*
902 ["x]y{motion} Yank {motion} text [into register x]. When no
903 characters are to be yanked (e.g., "y0" in column 1),
904 this is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E'
905 flag.
907 *yy*
908 ["x]yy Yank [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|.
910 *Y*
911 ["x]Y yank [count] lines [into register x] (synonym for
912 yy, |linewise|). If you like "Y" to work from the
913 cursor to the end of line (which is more logical,
914 but not Vi-compatible) use ":map Y y$".
916 *v_y*
917 {Visual}["x]y Yank the highlighted text [into register x] (for
918 {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
920 *v_Y*
921 {Visual}["x]Y Yank the highlighted lines [into register x] (for
922 {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
924 *:y* *:yank*
925 :[range]y[ank] [x] Yank [range] lines [into register x].
927 :[range]y[ank] [x] {count}
928 Yank {count} lines, starting with last line number
929 in [range] (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|),
930 [into register x].
932 *p* *put* *E353*
933 ["x]p Put the text [from register x] after the cursor
934 [count] times. {Vi: no count}
936 *P*
937 ["x]P Put the text [from register x] before the cursor
938 [count] times. {Vi: no count}
940 *<MiddleMouse>*
941 ["x]<MiddleMouse> Put the text from a register before the cursor [count]
942 times. Uses the "* register, unless another is
943 specified.
944 Leaves the cursor at the end of the new text.
945 Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
946 or 'a'.
947 {not in Vi}
948 If you have a scrollwheel and often accidentally paste
949 text, you can use these mappings to disable the
950 pasting with the middle mouse button: >
951 :map <MiddleMouse> <Nop>
952 :imap <MiddleMouse> <Nop>
953 < You might want to disable the multi-click versions
954 too, see |double-click|.
956 *gp*
957 ["x]gp Just like "p", but leave the cursor just after the new
958 text. {not in Vi}
960 *gP*
961 ["x]gP Just like "P", but leave the cursor just after the new
962 text. {not in Vi}
964 *:pu* *:put*
965 :[line]pu[t] [x] Put the text [from register x] after [line] (default
966 current line). This always works |linewise|, thus
967 this command can be used to put a yanked block as new
968 lines.
969 The cursor is left on the first non-blank in the last
970 new line.
971 The register can also be '=' followed by an optional
972 expression. The expression continues until the end of
973 the command. You need to escape the '|' and '"'
974 characters to prevent them from terminating the
975 command. Example: >
976 :put ='path' . \",/test\"
977 < If there is no expression after '=', Vim uses the
978 previous expression. You can see it with ":dis =".
980 :[line]pu[t]! [x] Put the text [from register x] before [line] (default
981 current line).
983 ["x]]p or *]p* *]<MiddleMouse>*
984 ["x]]<MiddleMouse> Like "p", but adjust the indent to the current line.
985 Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
986 or 'a'. {not in Vi}
988 ["x][P or *[P*
989 ["x]]P or *]P*
990 ["x][p or *[p* *[<MiddleMouse>*
991 ["x][<MiddleMouse> Like "P", but adjust the indent to the current line.
992 Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
993 or 'a'. {not in Vi}
995 You can use these commands to copy text from one place to another. Do this
996 by first getting the text into a register with a yank, delete or change
997 command, then inserting the register contents with a put command. You can
998 also use these commands to move text from one file to another, because Vim
999 preserves all registers when changing buffers (the CTRL-^ command is a quick
1000 way to toggle between two files).
1002 *linewise-register* *characterwise-register*
1003 You can repeat the put commands with "." (except for :put) and undo them. If
1004 the command that was used to get the text into the register was |linewise|,
1005 Vim inserts the text below ("p") or above ("P") the line where the cursor is.
1006 Otherwise Vim inserts the text after ("p") or before ("P") the cursor. With
1007 the ":put" command, Vim always inserts the text in the next line. You can
1008 exchange two characters with the command sequence "xp". You can exchange two
1009 lines with the command sequence "ddp". You can exchange two words with the
1010 command sequence "deep" (start with the cursor in the blank space before the
1011 first word). You can use the "']" or "`]" command after the put command to
1012 move the cursor to the end of the inserted text, or use "'[" or "`[" to move
1013 the cursor to the start.
1015 *put-Visual-mode* *v_p* *v_P*
1016 When using a put command like |p| or |P| in Visual mode, Vim will try to
1017 replace the selected text with the contents of the register. Whether this
1018 works well depends on the type of selection and the type of the text in the
1019 register. With blockwise selection it also depends on the size of the block
1020 and whether the corners are on an existing character. (Implementation detail:
1021 it actually works by first putting the register after the selection and then
1022 deleting the selection.)
1023 The previously selected text is put in the unnamed register. If you want to
1024 put the same text into a Visual selection several times you need to use
1025 another register. E.g., yank the text to copy, Visually select the text to
1026 replace and use "0p . You can repeat this as many times as you like, the
1027 unnamed register will be changed each time.
1029 *blockwise-register*
1030 If you use a blockwise Visual mode command to get the text into the register,
1031 the block of text will be inserted before ("P") or after ("p") the cursor
1032 column in the current and next lines. Vim makes the whole block of text start
1033 in the same column. Thus the inserted text looks the same as when it was
1034 yanked or deleted. Vim may replace some <Tab> characters with spaces to make
1035 this happen. However, if the width of the block is not a multiple of a <Tab>
1036 width and the text after the inserted block contains <Tab>s, that text may be
1037 misaligned.
1039 Note that after a characterwise yank command, Vim leaves the cursor on the
1040 first yanked character that is closest to the start of the buffer. This means
1041 that "yl" doesn't move the cursor, but "yh" moves the cursor one character
1042 left.
1043 Rationale: In Vi the "y" command followed by a backwards motion would
1044 sometimes not move the cursor to the first yanked character,
1045 because redisplaying was skipped. In Vim it always moves to
1046 the first character, as specified by Posix.
1047 With a linewise yank command the cursor is put in the first line, but the
1048 column is unmodified, thus it may not be on the first yanked character.
1050 There are nine types of registers: *registers* *E354*
1051 1. The unnamed register ""
1052 2. 10 numbered registers "0 to "9
1053 3. The small delete register "-
1054 4. 26 named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z
1055 5. four read-only registers ":, "., "% and "#
1056 6. the expression register "=
1057 7. The selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~
1058 8. The black hole register "_
1059 9. Last search pattern register "/
1061 1. Unnamed register "" *quote_quote* *quotequote*
1062 Vim fills this register with text deleted with the "d", "c", "s", "x" commands
1063 or copied with the yank "y" command, regardless of whether or not a specific
1064 register was used (e.g. "xdd). This is like the unnamed register is pointing
1065 to the last used register. Thus when appending using an uppercase register
1066 name, the unnamed register contains the same text as the named register.
1067 An exception is the '_' register: "_dd does not store the deleted text in any
1068 register.
1069 Vim uses the contents of the unnamed register for any put command (p or P)
1070 which does not specify a register. Additionally you can access it with the
1071 name '"'. This means you have to type two double quotes. Writing to the ""
1072 register writes to register "0.
1073 {Vi: register contents are lost when changing files, no '"'}
1075 2. Numbered registers "0 to "9 *quote_number* *quote0* *quote1*
1076 *quote2* *quote3* *quote4* *quote9*
1077 Vim fills these registers with text from yank and delete commands.
1078 Numbered register 0 contains the text from the most recent yank command,
1079 unless the command specified another register with ["x].
1080 Numbered register 1 contains the text deleted by the most recent delete or
1081 change command, unless the command specified another register or the text is
1082 less than one line (the small delete register is used then). An exception is
1083 made for the delete operator with these movement commands: |%|, |(|, |)|, |`|,
1084 |/|, |?|, |n|, |N|, |{| and |}|. Register "1 is always used then (this is Vi
1085 compatible). The "- register is used as well if the delete is within a line.
1086 With each successive deletion or change, Vim shifts the previous contents
1087 of register 1 into register 2, 2 into 3, and so forth, losing the previous
1088 contents of register 9.
1089 {Vi: numbered register contents are lost when changing files; register 0 does
1090 not exist}
1092 3. Small delete register "- *quote_-* *quote-*
1093 This register contains text from commands that delete less than one line,
1094 except when the command specifies a register with ["x].
1095 {not in Vi}
1097 4. Named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z *quote_alpha* *quotea*
1098 Vim fills these registers only when you say so. Specify them as lowercase
1099 letters to replace their previous contents or as uppercase letters to append
1100 to their previous contents. When the '>' flag is present in 'cpoptions' then
1101 a line break is inserted before the appended text.
1103 5. Read-only registers ":, "., "% and "#
1104 These are '%', '#', ':' and '.'. You can use them only with the "p", "P",
1105 and ":put" commands and with CTRL-R. {not in Vi}
1106 *quote_.* *quote.* *E29*
1107 ". Contains the last inserted text (the same as what is inserted
1108 with the insert mode commands CTRL-A and CTRL-@). Note: this
1109 doesn't work with CTRL-R on the command-line. It works a bit
1110 differently, like inserting the text instead of putting it
1111 ('textwidth' and other options affect what is inserted).
1112 *quote_%* *quote%*
1113 "% Contains the name of the current file.
1114 *quote_#* *quote#*
1115 "# Contains the name of the alternate file.
1116 *quote_:* *quote:* *E30*
1117 ": Contains the most recent executed command-line. Example: Use
1118 "@:" to repeat the previous command-line command.
1119 The command-line is only stored in this register when at least
1120 one character of it was typed. Thus it remains unchanged if
1121 the command was completely from a mapping.
1122 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
1123 feature}
1125 6. Expression register "= *quote_=* *quote=* *@=*
1126 This is not really a register that stores text, but is a way to use an
1127 expression in commands which use a register. The expression register is
1128 read-only; you cannot put text into it. After the '=', the cursor moves to
1129 the command-line, where you can enter any expression (see |expression|). All
1130 normal command-line editing commands are available, including a special
1131 history for expressions. When you end the command-line by typing <CR>, Vim
1132 computes the result of the expression. If you end it with <Esc>, Vim abandons
1133 the expression. If you do not enter an expression, Vim uses the previous
1134 expression (like with the "/" command).
1136 The expression must evaluate to a String. A Number is always automatically
1137 converted to a String. For the "p" and ":put" command, if the result is a
1138 Float it's converted into a String. If the result is a List each element is
1139 turned into a String and used as a line. A Dictionary or FuncRef results in
1140 an error message (use string() to convert).
1142 If the "= register is used for the "p" command, the String is split up at <NL>
1143 characters. If the String ends in a <NL>, it is regarded as a linewise
1144 register. {not in Vi}
1146 7. Selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~
1147 Use these register for storing and retrieving the selected text for the GUI.
1148 See |quotestar| and |quoteplus|. When the clipboard is not available or not
1149 working, the unnamed register is used instead. For Unix systems the clipboard
1150 is only available when the |+xterm_clipboard| feature is present. {not in Vi}
1152 Note that there is only a distinction between "* and "+ for X11 systems. For
1153 an explanation of the difference, see |x11-selection|. Under MS-Windows, use
1154 of "* and "+ is actually synonymous and refers to the |gui-clipboard|.
1156 *quote_~* *quote~* *<Drop>*
1157 The read-only "~ register stores the dropped text from the last drag'n'drop
1158 operation. When something has been dropped onto Vim, the "~ register is
1159 filled in and the <Drop> pseudo key is sent for notification. You can remap
1160 this key if you want; the default action (for all modes) is to insert the
1161 contents of the "~ register at the cursor position. {not in Vi}
1162 {only available when compiled with the |+dnd| feature, currently only with the
1163 GTK GUI}
1165 Note: The "~ register is only used when dropping plain text onto Vim.
1166 Drag'n'drop of URI lists is handled internally.
1168 8. Black hole register "_ *quote_*
1169 When writing to this register, nothing happens. This can be used to delete
1170 text without affecting the normal registers. When reading from this register,
1171 nothing is returned. {not in Vi}
1173 9. Last search pattern register "/ *quote_/* *quote/*
1174 Contains the most recent search-pattern. This is used for "n" and 'hlsearch'.
1175 It is writable with ":let", you can change it to have 'hlsearch' highlight
1176 other matches without actually searching. You can't yank or delete into this
1177 register. The search direction is available in |v:searchforward|.
1178 Note that the valued is restored when returning from a function
1179 |function-search-undo|.
1180 {not in Vi}
1182 *@/*
1183 You can write to a register with a ":let" command |:let-@|. Example: >
1184 :let @/ = "the"
1186 If you use a put command without specifying a register, Vim uses the register
1187 that was last filled (this is also the contents of the unnamed register). If
1188 you are confused, use the ":dis" command to find out what Vim will put (this
1189 command displays all named and numbered registers; the unnamed register is
1190 labelled '"').
1192 The next three commands always work on whole lines.
1194 :[range]co[py] {address} *:co* *:copy*
1195 Copy the lines given by [range] to below the line
1196 given by {address}.
1198 *:t*
1199 :t Synonym for copy.
1201 :[range]m[ove] {address} *:m* *:mo* *:move* *E134*
1202 Move the lines given by [range] to below the line
1203 given by {address}.
1205 ==============================================================================
1206 6. Formatting text *formatting*
1208 :[range]ce[nter] [width] *:ce* *:center*
1209 Center lines in [range] between [width] columns
1210 (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0).
1211 {not in Vi}
1212 Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at
1213 compile time.
1215 :[range]ri[ght] [width] *:ri* *:right*
1216 Right-align lines in [range] at [width] columns
1217 (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0).
1218 {not in Vi}
1219 Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at
1220 compile time.
1222 *:le* *:left*
1223 :[range]le[ft] [indent]
1224 Left-align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the
1225 lines to [indent] (default 0). {not in Vi}
1226 Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at
1227 compile time.
1229 *gq*
1230 gq{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over.
1231 Formatting is done with one of three methods:
1232 1. If 'formatexpr' is not empty the expression is
1233 evaluated. This can differ for each buffer.
1234 2. If 'formatprg' is not empty an external program
1235 is used.
1236 3. Otherwise formatting is done internally.
1238 In the third case the 'textwidth' option controls the
1239 length of each formatted line (see below).
1240 If the 'textwidth' option is 0, the formatted line
1241 length is the screen width (with a maximum width of
1242 79).
1243 The 'formatoptions' option controls the type of
1244 formatting |fo-table|.
1245 The cursor is left on the first non-blank of the last
1246 formatted line.
1247 NOTE: The "Q" command formerly performed this
1248 function. If you still want to use "Q" for
1249 formatting, use this mapping: >
1250 :nnoremap Q gq
1252 gqgq *gqgq* *gqq*
1253 gqq Format the current line. {not in Vi}
1255 *v_gq*
1256 {Visual}gq Format the highlighted text. (for {Visual} see
1257 |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
1259 *gw*
1260 gw{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over. Similar to
1261 |gq| but puts the cursor back at the same position in
1262 the text. However, 'formatprg' and 'formatexpr' are
1263 not used. {not in Vi}
1265 gwgw *gwgw* *gww*
1266 gww Format the current line as with "gw". {not in Vi}
1268 *v_gw*
1269 {Visual}gw Format the highlighted text as with "gw". (for
1270 {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi}
1272 Example: To format the current paragraph use: *gqap* >
1273 gqap
1275 The "gq" command leaves the cursor in the line where the motion command takes
1276 the cursor. This allows you to repeat formatting repeated with ".". This
1277 works well with "gqj" (format current and next line) and "gq}" (format until
1278 end of paragraph). Note: When 'formatprg' is set, "gq" leaves the cursor on
1279 the first formatted line (as with using a filter command).
1281 If you want to format the current paragraph and continue where you were, use: >
1282 gwap
1283 If you always want to keep paragraphs formatted you may want to add the 'a'
1284 flag to 'formatoptions'. See |auto-format|.
1286 If the 'autoindent' option is on, Vim uses the indent of the first line for
1287 the following lines.
1289 Formatting does not change empty lines (but it does change lines with only
1290 white space!).
1292 The 'joinspaces' option is used when lines are joined together.
1294 You can set the 'formatexpr' option to an expression or the 'formatprg' option
1295 to the name of an external program for Vim to use for text formatting. The
1296 'textwidth' and other options have no effect on formatting by an external
1297 program.
1299 *right-justify*
1300 There is no command in Vim to right justify text. You can do it with
1301 an external command, like "par" (e.g.: "!}par" to format until the end of the
1302 paragraph) or set 'formatprg' to "par".
1304 *format-comments*
1305 An overview of comment formatting is in section |30.6| of the user manual.
1307 Vim can automatically insert and format comments in a special way. Vim
1308 recognizes a comment by a specific string at the start of the line (ignoring
1309 white space). Three types of comments can be used:
1311 - A comment string that repeats at the start of each line. An example is the
1312 type of comment used in shell scripts, starting with "#".
1313 - A comment string that occurs only in the first line, not in the following
1314 lines. An example is this list with dashes.
1315 - Three-piece comments that have a start string, an end string, and optional
1316 lines in between. The strings for the start, middle and end are different.
1317 An example is the C style comment:
1318 /*
1319 * this is a C comment
1320 */
1322 The 'comments' option is a comma-separated list of parts. Each part defines a
1323 type of comment string. A part consists of:
1324 {flags}:{string}
1326 {string} is the literal text that must appear.
1328 {flags}:
1329 n Nested comment. Nesting with mixed parts is allowed. If 'comments'
1330 is "n:),n:>" a line starting with "> ) >" is a comment.
1332 b Blank (<Space>, <Tab> or <EOL>) required after {string}.
1334 f Only the first line has the comment string. Do not repeat comment on
1335 the next line, but preserve indentation (e.g., a bullet-list).
1337 s Start of three-piece comment
1339 m Middle of a three-piece comment
1341 e End of a three-piece comment
1343 l Left align. Used together with 's' or 'e', the leftmost character of
1344 start or end will line up with the leftmost character from the middle.
1345 This is the default and can be omitted. See below for more details.
1347 r Right align. Same as above but rightmost instead of leftmost. See
1348 below for more details.
1350 O Don't consider this comment for the "O" command.
1352 x Allows three-piece comments to be ended by just typing the last
1353 character of the end-comment string as the first action on a new
1354 line when the middle-comment string has been inserted automatically.
1355 See below for more details.
1357 {digits}
1358 When together with 's' or 'e': add {digit} amount of offset to an
1359 automatically inserted middle or end comment leader. The offset begins
1360 from a left alignment. See below for more details.
1362 -{digits}
1363 Like {digits} but reduce the indent. This only works when there is
1364 some indent for the start or end part that can be removed.
1366 When a string has none of the 'f', 's', 'm' or 'e' flags, Vim assumes the
1367 comment string repeats at the start of each line. The flags field may be
1368 empty.
1370 Any blank space in the text before and after the {string} is part of the
1371 {string}, so do not include leading or trailing blanks unless the blanks are a
1372 required part of the comment string.
1374 When one comment leader is part of another, specify the part after the whole.
1375 For example, to include both "-" and "->", use >
1376 :set comments=f:->,f:-
1378 A three-piece comment must always be given as start,middle,end, with no other
1379 parts in between. An example of a three-piece comment is >
1380 sr:/*,mb:*,ex:*/
1381 for C-comments. To avoid recognizing "*ptr" as a comment, the middle string
1382 includes the 'b' flag. For three-piece comments, Vim checks the text after
1383 the start and middle strings for the end string. If Vim finds the end string,
1384 the comment does not continue on the next line. Three-piece comments must
1385 have a middle string because otherwise Vim can't recognize the middle lines.
1387 Notice the use of the "x" flag in the above three-piece comment definition.
1388 When you hit Return in a C-comment, Vim will insert the middle comment leader
1389 for the new line: " * ". To close this comment you just have to type "/"
1390 before typing anything else on the new line. This will replace the
1391 middle-comment leader with the end-comment leader and apply any specified
1392 alignment, leaving just " */". There is no need to hit BackSpace first.
1395 Here is an example of alignment flags at work to make a comment stand out
1396 (kind of looks like a 1 too). Consider comment string >
1397 sr:/***,m:**,ex2:******/
1399 /***
1400 **<--right aligned from "r" flag
1401 **
1402 offset 2 spaces from the "2" flag--->**
1403 ******/
1404 In this case, the first comment was typed, then return was pressed 4 times,
1405 then "/" was pressed to end the comment.
1407 Here are some finer points of three part comments. There are three times when
1408 alignment and offset flags are taken into consideration: opening a new line
1409 after a start-comment, opening a new line before an end-comment, and
1410 automatically ending a three-piece comment. The end alignment flag has a
1411 backwards perspective; the result is that the same alignment flag used with
1412 "s" and "e" will result in the same indent for the starting and ending pieces.
1413 Only one alignment per comment part is meant to be used, but an offset number
1414 will override the "r" and "l" flag.
1416 Enabling 'cindent' will override the alignment flags in many cases.
1417 Reindenting using a different method like |gq| or |=| will not consult
1418 alignment flags either. The same behaviour can be defined in those other
1419 formatting options. One consideration is that 'cindent' has additional options
1420 for context based indenting of comments but cannot replicate many three piece
1421 indent alignments. However, 'indentexpr' is has the ability to work better
1422 with three piece comments.
1424 Other examples: >
1425 "b:*" Includes lines starting with "*", but not if the "*" is
1426 followed by a non-blank. This avoids a pointer dereference
1427 like "*str" to be recognized as a comment.
1428 "n:>" Includes a line starting with ">", ">>", ">>>", etc.
1429 "fb:-" Format a list that starts with "- ".
1431 By default, "b:#" is included. This means that a line that starts with
1432 "#include" is not recognized as a comment line. But a line that starts with
1433 "# define" is recognized. This is a compromise.
1435 {not available when compiled without the |+comments| feature}
1437 *fo-table*
1438 You can use the 'formatoptions' option to influence how Vim formats text.
1439 'formatoptions' is a string that can contain any of the letters below. The
1440 default setting is "tcq". You can separate the option letters with commas for
1441 readability.
1443 letter meaning when present in 'formatoptions' ~
1445 t Auto-wrap text using textwidth
1446 c Auto-wrap comments using textwidth, inserting the current comment
1447 leader automatically.
1448 r Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting
1449 <Enter> in Insert mode.
1450 o Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting 'o' or
1451 'O' in Normal mode.
1452 q Allow formatting of comments with "gq".
1453 Note that formatting will not change blank lines or lines containing
1454 only the comment leader. A new paragraph starts after such a line,
1455 or when the comment leader changes.
1456 w Trailing white space indicates a paragraph continues in the next line.
1457 A line that ends in a non-white character ends a paragraph.
1458 a Automatic formatting of paragraphs. Every time text is inserted or
1459 deleted the paragraph will be reformatted. See |auto-format|.
1460 When the 'c' flag is present this only happens for recognized
1461 comments.
1462 n When formatting text, recognize numbered lists. This actually uses
1463 the 'formatlistpat' option, thus any kind of list can be used. The
1464 indent of the text after the number is used for the next line. The
1465 default is to find a number, optionally followed by '.', ':', ')',
1466 ']' or '}'. Note that 'autoindent' must be set too. Doesn't work
1467 well together with "2".
1468 Example: >
1469 1. the first item
1470 wraps
1471 2. the second item
1472 2 When formatting text, use the indent of the second line of a paragraph
1473 for the rest of the paragraph, instead of the indent of the first
1474 line. This supports paragraphs in which the first line has a
1475 different indent than the rest. Note that 'autoindent' must be set
1476 too. Example: >
1477 first line of a paragraph
1478 second line of the same paragraph
1479 third line.
1480 v Vi-compatible auto-wrapping in insert mode: Only break a line at a
1481 blank that you have entered during the current insert command. (Note:
1482 this is not 100% Vi compatible. Vi has some "unexpected features" or
1483 bugs in this area. It uses the screen column instead of the line
1484 column.)
1485 b Like 'v', but only auto-wrap if you enter a blank at or before
1486 the wrap margin. If the line was longer than 'textwidth' when you
1487 started the insert, or you do not enter a blank in the insert before
1488 reaching 'textwidth', Vim does not perform auto-wrapping.
1489 l Long lines are not broken in insert mode: When a line was longer than
1490 'textwidth' when the insert command started, Vim does not
1491 automatically format it.
1492 m Also break at a multi-byte character above 255. This is useful for
1493 Asian text where every character is a word on its own.
1494 M When joining lines, don't insert a space before or after a multi-byte
1495 character. Overrules the 'B' flag.
1496 B When joining lines, don't insert a space between two multi-byte
1497 characters. Overruled by the 'M' flag.
1498 1 Don't break a line after a one-letter word. It's broken before it
1499 instead (if possible).
1502 With 't' and 'c' you can specify when Vim performs auto-wrapping:
1503 value action ~
1504 "" no automatic formatting (you can use "gq" for manual formatting)
1505 "t" automatic formatting of text, but not comments
1506 "c" automatic formatting for comments, but not text (good for C code)
1507 "tc" automatic formatting for text and comments
1509 Note that when 'textwidth' is 0, Vim does no automatic formatting anyway (but
1510 does insert comment leaders according to the 'comments' option). An exception
1511 is when the 'a' flag is present. |auto-format|
1513 Note that when 'paste' is on, Vim does no formatting at all.
1515 Note that 'textwidth' can be non-zero even if Vim never performs auto-wrapping;
1516 'textwidth' is still useful for formatting with "gq".
1518 If the 'comments' option includes "/*", "*" and/or "*/", then Vim has some
1519 built in stuff to treat these types of comments a bit more cleverly.
1520 Opening a new line before or after "/*" or "*/" (with 'r' or 'o' present in
1521 'formatoptions') gives the correct start of the line automatically. The same
1522 happens with formatting and auto-wrapping. Opening a line after a line
1523 starting with "/*" or "*" and containing "*/", will cause no comment leader to
1524 be inserted, and the indent of the new line is taken from the line containing
1525 the start of the comment.
1526 E.g.:
1527 /* ~
1528 * Your typical comment. ~
1529 */ ~
1530 The indent on this line is the same as the start of the above
1531 comment.
1533 All of this should be really cool, especially in conjunction with the new
1534 :autocmd command to prepare different settings for different types of file.
1536 Some examples:
1537 for C code (only format comments): >
1538 :set fo=croq
1539 < for Mail/news (format all, don't start comment with "o" command): >
1540 :set fo=tcrq
1541 <
1543 Automatic formatting *auto-format*
1545 When the 'a' flag is present in 'formatoptions' text is formatted
1546 automatically when inserting text or deleting text. This works nice for
1547 editing text paragraphs. A few hints on how to use this:
1549 - You need to properly define paragraphs. The simplest is paragraphs that are
1550 separated by a blank line. When there is no separating blank line, consider
1551 using the 'w' flag and adding a space at the end of each line in the
1552 paragraphs except the last one.
1554 - You can set the 'formatoptions' based on the type of file |filetype| or
1555 specifically for one file with a |modeline|.
1557 - Set 'formatoptions' to "aw2tq" to make text with indents like this:
1559 bla bla foobar bla
1560 bla foobar bla foobar bla
1561 bla bla foobar bla
1562 bla foobar bla bla foobar
1564 - Add the 'c' flag to only auto-format comments. Useful in source code.
1566 - Set 'textwidth' to the desired width. If it is zero then 79 is used, or the
1567 width of the screen if this is smaller.
1569 And a few warnings:
1571 - When part of the text is not properly separated in paragraphs, making
1572 changes in this text will cause it to be formatted anyway. Consider doing >
1574 :set fo-=a
1576 - When using the 'w' flag (trailing space means paragraph continues) and
1577 deleting the last line of a paragraph with |dd|, the paragraph will be
1578 joined with the next one.
1580 - Changed text is saved for undo. Formatting is also a change. Thus each
1581 format action saves text for undo. This may consume quite a lot of memory.
1583 - Formatting a long paragraph and/or with complicated indenting may be slow.
1585 ==============================================================================
1586 7. Sorting text *sorting*
1588 Vim has a sorting function and a sorting command. The sorting function can be
1589 found here: |sort()|.
1591 *:sor* *:sort*
1592 :[range]sor[t][!] [i][u][r][n][x][o] [/{pattern}/]
1593 Sort lines in [range]. When no range is given all
1594 lines are sorted.
1596 With [!] the order is reversed.
1598 With [i] case is ignored.
1600 With [n] sorting is done on the first decimal number
1601 in the line (after or inside a {pattern} match).
1602 One leading '-' is included in the number.
1604 With [x] sorting is done on the first hexadecimal
1605 number in the line (after or inside a {pattern}
1606 match). A leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored.
1607 One leading '-' is included in the number.
1609 With [o] sorting is done on the first octal number in
1610 the line (after or inside a {pattern} match).
1612 With [u] only keep the first of a sequence of
1613 identical lines (ignoring case when [i] is used).
1614 Without this flag, a sequence of identical lines
1615 will be kept in their original order.
1616 Note that leading and trailing white space may cause
1617 lines to be different.
1619 When /{pattern}/ is specified and there is no [r] flag
1620 the text matched with {pattern} is skipped, so that
1621 you sort on what comes after the match.
1622 Instead of the slash any non-letter can be used.
1623 For example, to sort on the second comma-separated
1624 field: >
1625 :sort /[^,]*,/
1626 < To sort on the text at virtual column 10 (thus
1627 ignoring the difference between tabs and spaces): >
1628 :sort /.*\%10v/
1629 < To sort on the first number in the line, no matter
1630 what is in front of it: >
1631 :sort /.\{-}\ze\d/
1632 < (Explanation: ".\{-}" matches any text, "\ze" sets the
1633 end of the match and \d matches a digit.)
1634 With [r] sorting is done on the matching {pattern}
1635 instead of skipping past it as described above.
1636 For example, to sort on only the first three letters
1637 of each line: >
1638 :sort /\a\a\a/ r
1640 < If a {pattern} is used, any lines which don't have a
1641 match for {pattern} are kept in their current order,
1642 but separate from the lines which do match {pattern}.
1643 If you sorted in reverse, they will be in reverse
1644 order after the sorted lines, otherwise they will be
1645 in their original order, right before the sorted
1646 lines.
1648 If {pattern} is empty (e.g. // is specified), the
1649 last search pattern is used. This allows trying out
1650 a pattern first.
1652 Note that using ":sort" with ":global" doesn't sort the matching lines, it's
1653 quite useless.
1655 The details about sorting depend on the library function used. There is no
1656 guarantee that sorting is "stable" or obeys the current locale. You will have
1657 to try it out.
1659 The sorting can be interrupted, but if you interrupt it too late in the
1660 process you may end up with duplicated lines. This also depends on the system
1661 library function used.
1663 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: