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1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2010 Jan 06
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Options *options*
9 1. Setting options |set-option|
10 2. Automatically setting options |auto-setting|
11 3. Options summary |option-summary|
13 For an overview of options see help.txt |option-list|.
15 Vim has a number of internal variables and switches which can be set to
16 achieve special effects. These options come in three forms:
17 boolean can only be on or off *boolean* *toggle*
18 number has a numeric value
19 string has a string value
21 ==============================================================================
22 1. Setting options *set-option* *E764*
24 *:se* *:set*
25 :se[t] Show all options that differ from their default value.
27 :se[t] all Show all but terminal options.
29 :se[t] termcap Show all terminal options. Note that in the GUI the
30 key codes are not shown, because they are generated
31 internally and can't be changed. Changing the terminal
32 codes in the GUI is not useful either...
34 *E518* *E519*
35 :se[t] {option}? Show value of {option}.
37 :se[t] {option} Toggle option: set, switch it on.
38 Number option: show value.
39 String option: show value.
41 :se[t] no{option} Toggle option: Reset, switch it off.
43 :se[t] {option}! or
44 :se[t] inv{option} Toggle option: Invert value. {not in Vi}
46 *:set-default* *:set-&* *:set-&vi* *:set-&vim*
47 :se[t] {option}& Reset option to its default value. May depend on the
48 current value of 'compatible'. {not in Vi}
49 :se[t] {option}&vi Reset option to its Vi default value. {not in Vi}
50 :se[t] {option}&vim Reset option to its Vim default value. {not in Vi}
52 :se[t] all& Set all options, except terminal options, to their
53 default value. The values of 'term', 'lines' and
54 'columns' are not changed. {not in Vi}
56 *:set-args* *E487* *E521*
57 :se[t] {option}={value} or
58 :se[t] {option}:{value}
59 Set string or number option to {value}.
60 For numeric options the value can be given in decimal,
61 hex (preceded with 0x) or octal (preceded with '0')
62 (hex and octal are only available for machines which
63 have the strtol() function).
64 The old value can be inserted by typing 'wildchar' (by
65 default this is a <Tab> or CTRL-E if 'compatible' is
66 set). See |cmdline-completion|.
67 White space between {option} and '=' is allowed and
68 will be ignored. White space between '=' and {value}
69 is not allowed.
70 See |option-backslash| for using white space and
71 backslashes in {value}.
73 :se[t] {option}+={value} *:set+=*
74 Add the {value} to a number option, or append the
75 {value} to a string option. When the option is a
76 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
77 value was empty.
78 If the option is a list of flags, superfluous flags
79 are removed. When adding a flag that was already
80 present the option value doesn't change.
81 Also see |:set-args| above.
82 {not in Vi}
84 :se[t] {option}^={value} *:set^=*
85 Multiply the {value} to a number option, or prepend
86 the {value} to a string option. When the option is a
87 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
88 value was empty.
89 Also see |:set-args| above.
90 {not in Vi}
92 :se[t] {option}-={value} *:set-=*
93 Subtract the {value} from a number option, or remove
94 the {value} from a string option, if it is there.
95 If the {value} is not found in a string option, there
96 is no error or warning. When the option is a comma
97 separated list, a comma is deleted, unless the option
98 becomes empty.
99 When the option is a list of flags, {value} must be
100 exactly as they appear in the option. Remove flags
101 one by one to avoid problems.
102 Also see |:set-args| above.
103 {not in Vi}
105 The {option} arguments to ":set" may be repeated. For example: >
106 :set ai nosi sw=3 ts=3
107 If you make an error in one of the arguments, an error message will be given
108 and the following arguments will be ignored.
110 *:set-verbose*
111 When 'verbose' is non-zero, displaying an option value will also tell where it
112 was last set. Example: >
113 :verbose set shiftwidth cindent?
114 < shiftwidth=4 ~
115 Last set from modeline ~
116 cindent ~
117 Last set from /usr/local/share/vim/vim60/ftplugin/c.vim ~
118 This is only done when specific option values are requested, not for ":verbose
119 set all" or ":verbose set" without an argument.
120 When the option was set by hand there is no "Last set" message.
121 When the option was set while executing a function, user command or
122 autocommand, the script in which it was defined is reported.
123 Note that an option may also have been set as a side effect of setting
124 'compatible'.
125 A few special texts:
126 Last set from modeline ~
127 Option was set in a |modeline|.
128 Last set from --cmd argument ~
129 Option was set with command line argument |--cmd| or +.
130 Last set from -c argument ~
131 Option was set with command line argument |-c|, +, |-S| or
132 |-q|.
133 Last set from environment variable ~
134 Option was set from an environment variable, $VIMINIT,
135 $GVIMINIT or $EXINIT.
136 Last set from error handler ~
137 Option was cleared when evaluating it resulted in an error.
139 {not available when compiled without the +eval feature}
141 *:set-termcap* *E522*
142 For {option} the form "t_xx" may be used to set a terminal option. This will
143 override the value from the termcap. You can then use it in a mapping. If
144 the "xx" part contains special characters, use the <t_xx> form: >
145 :set <t_#4>=^[Ot
146 This can also be used to translate a special code for a normal key. For
147 example, if Alt-b produces <Esc>b, use this: >
148 :set <M-b>=^[b
149 (the ^[ is a real <Esc> here, use CTRL-V <Esc> to enter it)
150 The advantage over a mapping is that it works in all situations.
152 The t_xx options cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
153 security reasons.
155 The listing from ":set" looks different from Vi. Long string options are put
156 at the end of the list. The number of options is quite large. The output of
157 "set all" probably does not fit on the screen, causing Vim to give the
158 |more-prompt|.
160 *option-backslash*
161 To include white space in a string option value it has to be preceded with a
162 backslash. To include a backslash you have to use two. Effectively this
163 means that the number of backslashes in an option value is halved (rounded
164 down).
165 A few examples: >
166 :set tags=tags\ /usr/tags results in "tags /usr/tags"
167 :set tags=tags\\,file results in "tags\,file"
168 :set tags=tags\\\ file results in "tags\ file"
170 The "|" character separates a ":set" command from a following command. To
171 include the "|" in the option value, use "\|" instead. This example sets the
172 'titlestring' option to "hi|there": >
173 :set titlestring=hi\|there
174 This sets the 'titlestring' option to "hi" and 'iconstring' to "there": >
175 :set titlestring=hi|set iconstring=there
177 Similarly, the double quote character starts a comment. To include the '"' in
178 the option value, use '\"' instead. This example sets the 'titlestring'
179 option to 'hi "there"': >
180 :set titlestring=hi\ \"there\"
182 For MS-DOS and WIN32 backslashes in file names are mostly not removed. More
183 precise: For options that expect a file name (those where environment
184 variables are expanded) a backslash before a normal file name character is not
185 removed. But a backslash before a special character (space, backslash, comma,
186 etc.) is used like explained above.
187 There is one special situation, when the value starts with "\\": >
188 :set dir=\\machine\path results in "\\machine\path"
189 :set dir=\\\\machine\\path results in "\\machine\path"
190 :set dir=\\path\\file results in "\\path\file" (wrong!)
191 For the first one the start is kept, but for the second one the backslashes
192 are halved. This makes sure it works both when you expect backslashes to be
193 halved and when you expect the backslashes to be kept. The third gives a
194 result which is probably not what you want. Avoid it.
196 *add-option-flags* *remove-option-flags*
197 *E539* *E550* *E551* *E552*
198 Some options are a list of flags. When you want to add a flag to such an
199 option, without changing the existing ones, you can do it like this: >
200 :set guioptions+=a
201 Remove a flag from an option like this: >
202 :set guioptions-=a
203 This removes the 'a' flag from 'guioptions'.
204 Note that you should add or remove one flag at a time. If 'guioptions' has
205 the value "ab", using "set guioptions-=ba" won't work, because the string "ba"
206 doesn't appear.
208 *:set_env* *expand-env* *expand-environment-var*
209 Environment variables in specific string options will be expanded. If the
210 environment variable exists the '$' and the following environment variable
211 name is replaced with its value. If it does not exist the '$' and the name
212 are not modified. Any non-id character (not a letter, digit or '_') may
213 follow the environment variable name. That character and what follows is
214 appended to the value of the environment variable. Examples: >
215 :set term=$TERM.new
216 :set path=/usr/$INCLUDE,$HOME/include,.
217 When adding or removing a string from an option with ":set opt-=val" or ":set
218 opt+=val" the expansion is done before the adding or removing.
221 Handling of local options *local-options*
223 Some of the options only apply to a window or buffer. Each window or buffer
224 has its own copy of this option, thus can each have their own value. This
225 allows you to set 'list' in one window but not in another. And set
226 'shiftwidth' to 3 in one buffer and 4 in another.
228 The following explains what happens to these local options in specific
229 situations. You don't really need to know all of this, since Vim mostly uses
230 the option values you would expect. Unfortunately, doing what the user
231 expects is a bit complicated...
233 When splitting a window, the local options are copied to the new window. Thus
234 right after the split the contents of the two windows look the same.
236 When editing a new buffer, its local option values must be initialized. Since
237 the local options of the current buffer might be specifically for that buffer,
238 these are not used. Instead, for each buffer-local option there also is a
239 global value, which is used for new buffers. With ":set" both the local and
240 global value is changed. With "setlocal" only the local value is changed,
241 thus this value is not used when editing a new buffer.
243 When editing a buffer that has been edited before, the last used window
244 options are used again. If this buffer has been edited in this window, the
245 values from back then are used. Otherwise the values from the window where
246 the buffer was edited last are used.
248 It's possible to set a local window option specifically for a type of buffer.
249 When you edit another buffer in the same window, you don't want to keep
250 using these local window options. Therefore Vim keeps a global value of the
251 local window options, which is used when editing another buffer. Each window
252 has its own copy of these values. Thus these are local to the window, but
253 global to all buffers in the window. With this you can do: >
254 :e one
255 :set list
256 :e two
257 Now the 'list' option will also be set in "two", since with the ":set list"
258 command you have also set the global value. >
259 :set nolist
260 :e one
261 :setlocal list
262 :e two
263 Now the 'list' option is not set, because ":set nolist" resets the global
264 value, ":setlocal list" only changes the local value and ":e two" gets the
265 global value. Note that if you do this next: >
266 :e one
267 You will not get back the 'list' value as it was the last time you edited
268 "one". The options local to a window are not remembered for each buffer.
270 *:setl* *:setlocal*
271 :setl[ocal] ... Like ":set" but set only the value local to the
272 current buffer or window. Not all options have a
273 local value. If the option does not have a local
274 value the global value is set.
275 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
276 local values.
277 Without argument: Display all local option's local
278 values which are different from the default.
279 When displaying a specific local option, show the
280 local value. For a global/local boolean option, when
281 the global value is being used, "--" is displayed
282 before the option name.
283 For a global option the global value is
284 shown (but that might change in the future).
285 {not in Vi}
287 :setl[ocal] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
288 copying the value.
289 {not in Vi}
291 :se[t] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
292 making it empty. Only makes sense for |global-local|
293 options.
294 {not in Vi}
296 *:setg* *:setglobal*
297 :setg[lobal] ... Like ":set" but set only the global value for a local
298 option without changing the local value.
299 When displaying an option, the global value is shown.
300 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
301 global values.
302 Without argument: display all local option's global
303 values which are different from the default.
304 {not in Vi}
306 For buffer-local and window-local options:
307 Command global value local value ~
308 :set option=value set set
309 :setlocal option=value - set
310 :setglobal option=value set -
311 :set option? - display
312 :setlocal option? - display
313 :setglobal option? display -
316 Global options with a local value *global-local*
318 Options are global when you mostly use one value for all buffers and windows.
319 For some global options it's useful to sometimes have a different local value.
320 You can set the local value with ":setlocal". That buffer or window will then
321 use the local value, while other buffers and windows continue using the global
322 value.
324 For example, you have two windows, both on C source code. They use the global
325 'makeprg' option. If you do this in one of the two windows: >
326 :set makeprg=gmake
327 then the other window will switch to the same value. There is no need to set
328 the 'makeprg' option in the other C source window too.
329 However, if you start editing a Perl file in a new window, you want to use
330 another 'makeprg' for it, without changing the value used for the C source
331 files. You use this command: >
332 :setlocal makeprg=perlmake
333 You can switch back to using the global value by making the local value empty: >
334 :setlocal makeprg=
335 This only works for a string option. For a boolean option you need to use the
336 "<" flag, like this: >
337 :setlocal autoread<
338 Note that for non-boolean options using "<" copies the global value to the
339 local value, it doesn't switch back to using the global value (that matters
340 when the global value changes later). You can also use: >
341 :set path<
342 This will make the local value of 'path' empty, so that the global value is
343 used. Thus it does the same as: >
344 :setlocal path=
345 Note: In the future more global options can be made global-local. Using
346 ":setlocal" on a global option might work differently then.
349 Setting the filetype
351 :setf[iletype] {filetype} *:setf* *:setfiletype*
352 Set the 'filetype' option to {filetype}, but only if
353 not done yet in a sequence of (nested) autocommands.
354 This is short for: >
355 :if !did_filetype()
356 : setlocal filetype={filetype}
357 :endif
358 < This command is used in a filetype.vim file to avoid
359 setting the 'filetype' option twice, causing different
360 settings and syntax files to be loaded.
361 {not in Vi}
363 :bro[wse] se[t] *:set-browse* *:browse-set* *:opt* *:options*
364 :opt[ions] Open a window for viewing and setting all options.
365 Options are grouped by function.
366 Offers short help for each option. Hit <CR> on the
367 short help to open a help window with more help for
368 the option.
369 Modify the value of the option and hit <CR> on the
370 "set" line to set the new value. For window and
371 buffer specific options, the last accessed window is
372 used to set the option value in, unless this is a help
373 window, in which case the window below help window is
374 used (skipping the option-window).
375 {not available when compiled without the |+eval| or
376 |+autocmd| features}
378 *$HOME*
379 Using "~" is like using "$HOME", but it is only recognized at the start of an
380 option and after a space or comma.
382 On Unix systems "~user" can be used too. It is replaced by the home directory
383 of user "user". Example: >
384 :set path=~mool/include,/usr/include,.
386 On Unix systems the form "${HOME}" can be used too. The name between {} can
387 contain non-id characters then. Note that if you want to use this for the
388 "gf" command, you need to add the '{' and '}' characters to 'isfname'.
390 NOTE: expanding environment variables and "~/" is only done with the ":set"
391 command, not when assigning a value to an option with ":let".
394 Note the maximum length of an expanded option is limited. How much depends on
395 the system, mostly it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
397 *:fix* *:fixdel*
398 :fix[del] Set the value of 't_kD':
399 't_kb' is 't_kD' becomes ~
400 CTRL-? CTRL-H
401 not CTRL-? CTRL-?
403 (CTRL-? is 0177 octal, 0x7f hex) {not in Vi}
405 If your delete key terminal code is wrong, but the
406 code for backspace is alright, you can put this in
407 your .vimrc: >
408 :fixdel
409 < This works no matter what the actual code for
410 backspace is.
412 If the backspace key terminal code is wrong you can
413 use this: >
414 :if &term == "termname"
415 : set t_kb=^V<BS>
416 : fixdel
417 :endif
418 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<BS>" is the backspace key
419 (don't type four characters!). Replace "termname"
420 with your terminal name.
422 If your <Delete> key sends a strange key sequence (not
423 CTRL-? or CTRL-H) you cannot use ":fixdel". Then use: >
424 :if &term == "termname"
425 : set t_kD=^V<Delete>
426 :endif
427 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<Delete>" is the delete key
428 (don't type eight characters!). Replace "termname"
429 with your terminal name.
431 *Linux-backspace*
432 Note about Linux: By default the backspace key
433 produces CTRL-?, which is wrong. You can fix it by
434 putting this line in your rc.local: >
435 echo "keycode 14 = BackSpace" | loadkeys
436 <
437 *NetBSD-backspace*
438 Note about NetBSD: If your backspace doesn't produce
439 the right code, try this: >
440 xmodmap -e "keycode 22 = BackSpace"
441 < If this works, add this in your .Xmodmap file: >
442 keysym 22 = BackSpace
443 < You need to restart for this to take effect.
445 ==============================================================================
446 2. Automatically setting options *auto-setting*
448 Besides changing options with the ":set" command, there are three alternatives
449 to set options automatically for one or more files:
451 1. When starting Vim initializations are read from various places. See
452 |initialization|. Most of them are performed for all editing sessions,
453 and some of them depend on the directory where Vim is started.
454 You can create an initialization file with |:mkvimrc|, |:mkview| and
455 |:mksession|.
456 2. If you start editing a new file, the automatic commands are executed.
457 This can be used to set options for files matching a particular pattern and
458 many other things. See |autocommand|.
459 3. If you start editing a new file, and the 'modeline' option is on, a
460 number of lines at the beginning and end of the file are checked for
461 modelines. This is explained here.
463 *modeline* *vim:* *vi:* *ex:* *E520*
464 There are two forms of modelines. The first form:
465 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]{options}
467 [text] any text or empty
468 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
469 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
470 [white] optional white space
471 {options} a list of option settings, separated with white space or ':',
472 where each part between ':' is the argument for a ":set"
473 command (can be empty)
475 Example:
476 vi:noai:sw=3 ts=6 ~
478 The second form (this is compatible with some versions of Vi):
480 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]se[t] {options}:[text]
482 [text] any text or empty
483 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
484 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
485 [white] optional white space
486 se[t] the string "set " or "se " (note the space)
487 {options} a list of options, separated with white space, which is the
488 argument for a ":set" command
489 : a colon
490 [text] any text or empty
492 Example:
493 /* vim: set ai tw=75: */ ~
495 The white space before {vi:|vim:|ex:} is required. This minimizes the chance
496 that a normal word like "lex:" is caught. There is one exception: "vi:" and
497 "vim:" can also be at the start of the line (for compatibility with version
498 3.0). Using "ex:" at the start of the line will be ignored (this could be
499 short for "example:").
501 *modeline-local*
502 The options are set like with ":setlocal": The new value only applies to the
503 buffer and window that contain the file. Although it's possible to set global
504 options from a modeline, this is unusual. If you have two windows open and
505 the files in it set the same global option to a different value, the result
506 depends on which one was opened last.
508 When editing a file that was already loaded, only the window-local options
509 from the modeline are used. Thus if you manually changed a buffer-local
510 option after opening the file, it won't be changed if you edit the same buffer
511 in another window. But window-local options will be set.
513 *modeline-version*
514 If the modeline is only to be used for some versions of Vim, the version
515 number can be specified where "vim:" is used:
516 vim{vers}: version {vers} or later
517 vim<{vers}: version before {vers}
518 vim={vers}: version {vers}
519 vim>{vers}: version after {vers}
520 {vers} is 600 for Vim 6.0 (hundred times the major version plus minor).
521 For example, to use a modeline only for Vim 6.0 and later:
522 /* vim600: set foldmethod=marker: */ ~
523 To use a modeline for Vim before version 5.7:
524 /* vim<570: set sw=4: */ ~
525 There can be no blanks between "vim" and the ":".
528 The number of lines that are checked can be set with the 'modelines' option.
529 If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is 0 no lines are checked.
531 Note that for the first form all of the rest of the line is used, thus a line
532 like:
533 /* vi:ts=4: */ ~
534 will give an error message for the trailing "*/". This line is OK:
535 /* vi:set ts=4: */ ~
537 If an error is detected the rest of the line is skipped.
539 If you want to include a ':' in a set command precede it with a '\'. The
540 backslash in front of the ':' will be removed. Example:
541 /* vi:set dir=c\:\tmp: */ ~
542 This sets the 'dir' option to "c:\tmp". Only a single backslash before the
543 ':' is removed. Thus to include "\:" you have to specify "\\:".
545 No other commands than "set" are supported, for security reasons (somebody
546 might create a Trojan horse text file with modelines). And not all options
547 can be set. For some options a flag is set, so that when it's used the
548 |sandbox| is effective. Still, there is always a small risk that a modeline
549 causes trouble. E.g., when some joker sets 'textwidth' to 5 all your lines
550 are wrapped unexpectedly. So disable modelines before editing untrusted text.
551 The mail ftplugin does this, for example.
553 Hint: If you would like to do something else than setting an option, you could
554 define an autocommand that checks the file for a specific string. For
555 example: >
556 au BufReadPost * if getline(1) =~ "VAR" | call SetVar() | endif
557 And define a function SetVar() that does something with the line containing
558 "VAR".
560 ==============================================================================
561 3. Options summary *option-summary*
563 In the list below all the options are mentioned with their full name and with
564 an abbreviation if there is one. Both forms may be used.
566 In this document when a boolean option is "set" that means that ":set option"
567 is entered. When an option is "reset", ":set nooption" is used.
569 For some options there are two default values: The "Vim default", which is
570 used when 'compatible' is not set, and the "Vi default", which is used when
571 'compatible' is set.
573 Most options are the same in all windows and buffers. There are a few that
574 are specific to how the text is presented in a window. These can be set to a
575 different value in each window. For example the 'list' option can be set in
576 one window and reset in another for the same text, giving both types of view
577 at the same time. There are a few options that are specific to a certain
578 file. These can have a different value for each file or buffer. For example
579 the 'textwidth' option can be 78 for a normal text file and 0 for a C
580 program.
582 global one option for all buffers and windows
583 local to window each window has its own copy of this option
584 local to buffer each buffer has its own copy of this option
586 When creating a new window the option values from the currently active window
587 are used as a default value for the window-specific options. For the
588 buffer-specific options this depends on the 's' and 'S' flags in the
589 'cpoptions' option. If 's' is included (which is the default) the values for
590 buffer options are copied from the currently active buffer when a buffer is
591 first entered. If 'S' is present the options are copied each time the buffer
592 is entered, this is almost like having global options. If 's' and 'S' are not
593 present, the options are copied from the currently active buffer when the
594 buffer is created.
596 Hidden options *hidden-options*
598 Not all options are supported in all versions. This depends on the supported
599 features and sometimes on the system. A remark about this is in curly braces
600 below. When an option is not supported it may still be set without getting an
601 error, this is called a hidden option. You can't get the value of a hidden
602 option though, it is not stored.
604 To test if option "foo" can be used with ":set" use something like this: >
605 if exists('&foo')
606 This also returns true for a hidden option. To test if option "foo" is really
607 supported use something like this: >
608 if exists('+foo')
609 <
610 *E355*
611 A jump table for the options with a short description can be found at |Q_op|.
613 *'aleph'* *'al'* *aleph* *Aleph*
614 'aleph' 'al' number (default 128 for MS-DOS, 224 otherwise)
615 global
616 {not in Vi}
617 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
618 feature}
619 The ASCII code for the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The
620 routine that maps the keyboard in Hebrew mode, both in Insert mode
621 (when hkmap is set) and on the command-line (when hitting CTRL-_)
622 outputs the Hebrew characters in the range [aleph..aleph+26].
623 aleph=128 applies to PC code, and aleph=224 applies to ISO 8859-8.
624 See |rileft.txt|.
626 *'allowrevins'* *'ari'* *'noallowrevins'* *'noari'*
627 'allowrevins' 'ari' boolean (default off)
628 global
629 {not in Vi}
630 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
631 feature}
632 Allow CTRL-_ in Insert and Command-line mode. This is default off, to
633 avoid that users that accidentally type CTRL-_ instead of SHIFT-_ get
634 into reverse Insert mode, and don't know how to get out. See
635 'revins'.
636 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
638 *'altkeymap'* *'akm'* *'noaltkeymap'* *'noakm'*
639 'altkeymap' 'akm' boolean (default off)
640 global
641 {not in Vi}
642 {only available when compiled with the |+farsi|
643 feature}
644 When on, the second language is Farsi. In editing mode CTRL-_ toggles
645 the keyboard map between Farsi and English, when 'allowrevins' set.
647 When off, the keyboard map toggles between Hebrew and English. This
648 is useful to start the Vim in native mode i.e. English (left-to-right
649 mode) and have default second language Farsi or Hebrew (right-to-left
650 mode). See |farsi.txt|.
652 *'ambiwidth'* *'ambw'*
653 'ambiwidth' 'ambw' string (default: "single")
654 global
655 {not in Vi}
656 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
657 feature}
658 Only effective when 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding.
659 Tells Vim what to do with characters with East Asian Width Class
660 Ambiguous (such as Euro, Registered Sign, Copyright Sign, Greek
661 letters, Cyrillic letters).
663 There are currently two possible values:
664 "single": Use the same width as characters in US-ASCII. This is
665 expected by most users.
666 "double": Use twice the width of ASCII characters.
668 There are a number of CJK fonts for which the width of glyphs for
669 those characters are solely based on how many octets they take in
670 legacy/traditional CJK encodings. In those encodings, Euro,
671 Registered sign, Greek/Cyrillic letters are represented by two octets,
672 therefore those fonts have "wide" glyphs for them. This is also
673 true of some line drawing characters used to make tables in text
674 file. Therefore, when a CJK font is used for GUI Vim or
675 Vim is running inside a terminal (emulators) that uses a CJK font
676 (or Vim is run inside an xterm invoked with "-cjkwidth" option.),
677 this option should be set to "double" to match the width perceived
678 by Vim with the width of glyphs in the font. Perhaps it also has
679 to be set to "double" under CJK Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2k/XP
680 when the system locale is set to one of CJK locales. See Unicode
681 Standard Annex #11 (http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11).
683 *'antialias'* *'anti'* *'noantialias'* *'noanti'*
684 'antialias' 'anti' boolean (default: off)
685 global
686 {not in Vi}
687 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled
688 on Mac OS X}
689 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim on Mac OS X
690 v10.2 or later. When on, Vim will use smooth ("antialiased") fonts,
691 which can be easier to read at certain sizes on certain displays.
692 Setting this option can sometimes cause problems if 'guifont' is set
693 to its default (empty string).
695 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
696 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
697 global
698 {not in Vi}
699 {only available when compiled with the
700 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
701 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
702 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
703 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
704 or selected.
705 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
706 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
707 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
709 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
710 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
711 local to window
712 {not in Vi}
713 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
714 feature}
715 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
716 Setting this option will:
717 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
718 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
719 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
720 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
721 - Set the 'delcombine' option
722 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
724 Resetting this option will:
725 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
726 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
727 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
728 option.
729 Also see |arabic.txt|.
731 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
732 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
733 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
734 global
735 {not in Vi}
736 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
737 feature}
738 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
739 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
740 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
741 one which encompasses:
742 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
743 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
744 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
745 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
746 When disabled the display shows each character's true stand-alone
747 form.
748 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
749 further details see |arabic.txt|.
751 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
752 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
753 local to buffer
754 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
755 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
756 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
757 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
758 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
759 in 'cpoptions'.
760 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
761 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
762 line.
763 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
764 a different way.
765 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
766 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
767 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
768 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
770 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
771 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
772 global or local to buffer |global-local|
773 {not in Vi}
774 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
775 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
776 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
777 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
778 using the global value: >
779 :set autoread<
780 <
781 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
782 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
783 global
784 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
785 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
786 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
787 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
788 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
789 'autowriteall' for that.
791 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
792 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
793 global
794 {not in Vi}
795 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
796 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
797 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
798 been set.
800 *'background'* *'bg'*
801 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
802 global
803 {not in Vi}
804 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
805 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
806 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
807 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
808 This will not always be correct.
809 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
810 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
811 color, see |:hi-normal|.
813 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
814 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
815 change. *g:colors_name*
816 When a color scheme is loaded (the "g:colors_name" variable is set)
817 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
818 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
819 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
820 be undone. First delete the "g:colors_name" variable when needed.
822 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
823 :set background&
824 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
825 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
827 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
828 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
829 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
830 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
831 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
832 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
833 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
834 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
835 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
836 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
837 :if &term == "pcterm"
838 : set background=dark
839 :endif
840 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
841 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
842 the setting of the 'background' option.
843 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
844 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
845 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
846 done with ":syntax on".
848 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
849 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
850 global
851 {not in Vi}
852 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
853 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
854 a way to backspace over something:
855 value effect ~
856 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
857 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
858 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
859 stop once at the start of insert.
861 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
863 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
864 value effect ~
865 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
866 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
867 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
869 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
870 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
872 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
873 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
874 global
875 {not in Vi}
876 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
877 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
878 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
879 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
880 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
881 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
882 |backup-table| for more explanations.
883 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
884 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
885 oldest version of a file.
886 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
888 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
889 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
890 global
891 {not in Vi}
892 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
893 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
895 The main values are:
896 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
897 "no" rename the file and write a new one
898 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
900 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
901 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
902 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
904 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
905 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
906 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
907 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
908 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
909 not of the real file.
911 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
912 + It's fast.
913 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
914 file.
915 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
917 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
918 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
919 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
920 copy will be made.
922 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
923 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
924 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
925 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
926 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
927 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
928 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
929 be propagated back to the original source.
930 *crontab*
931 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
932 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
933 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
934 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
935 example.
937 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
938 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
939 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
940 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
941 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
942 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
943 others.
945 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
946 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
947 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
948 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
949 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
950 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
951 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
952 again not rename the file.
954 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
955 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
956 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
957 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
958 global
959 {not in Vi}
960 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
961 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
962 where this is possible. The directory must exist, Vim will not
963 create it for you.
964 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
965 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
966 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
967 as the edited file.
968 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
969 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
970 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
971 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
972 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
973 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
974 name, precede it with a backslash.
975 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
976 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
977 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
978 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
979 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
980 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
981 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
982 of the option is removed.
983 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
984 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
985 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
986 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
987 home directory for this to work properly.
988 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
989 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
990 uses another default.
991 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
992 security reasons.
994 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
995 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
996 global
997 {not in Vi}
998 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
999 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
1000 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
1001 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
1002 ".bak" that you want to keep.
1003 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
1005 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
1006 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
1007 include a timestamp. >
1008 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
1009 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
1011 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
1012 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
1013 global
1014 {not in Vi}
1015 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1016 feature}
1017 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1018 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1019 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1020 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1021 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1022 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1023 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1025 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1026 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1027 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1029 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1030 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1031 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1033 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1034 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1035 global
1036 {not in Vi}
1037 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1038 feature}
1039 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1041 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1042 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1043 global
1044 {not in Vi}
1045 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1046 feature}
1047 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1049 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1050 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1051 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1052 {not in Vi}
1053 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1054 feature}
1055 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1056 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1058 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1059 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1060 v:beval_lnum line number
1061 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1062 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1064 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1065 Example: >
1066 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1067 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1068 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1069 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1070 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1071 endfunction
1072 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1073 set ballooneval
1074 <
1075 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1076 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1077 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1078 or Sun Workshop).
1080 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1081 |sandbox-option|.
1083 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1084 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1086 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1087 if has("balloon_multiline")
1088 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1089 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1090 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1092 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1093 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1094 local to buffer
1095 {not in Vi}
1096 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1097 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1098 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1099 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1100 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1101 'modeline' will be off
1102 'expandtab' will be off
1103 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1104 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1105 separates lines).
1106 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1107 file is read without conversion.
1108 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1109 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1110 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1111 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1112 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1113 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1114 saved option values.
1115 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1116 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1117 files you edit.
1118 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1119 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1120 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1121 the 'endofline' option.
1123 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1124 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1125 global
1126 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1127 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1128 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1129 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1130 Also see |'conskey'|.
1132 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1133 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1134 local to buffer
1135 {not in Vi}
1136 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1137 feature}
1138 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1139 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1140 - this option is on
1141 - the 'binary' option is off
1142 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1143 endian variants.
1144 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1145 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1146 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1147 appear halfway the resulting file. Gcc doesn't accept a BOM.
1148 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1149 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1150 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1151 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1152 will be restored when writing the file.
1154 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1155 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1156 global
1157 {not in Vi}
1158 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1159 feature}
1160 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1161 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1162 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1164 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1165 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1166 global
1167 {not in Vi} {only for Motif, Athena, GTK, Mac and
1168 Win32 GUI}
1169 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1170 last Use same directory as with last file browser, where a
1171 file was opened or saved.
1172 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1173 current Use the current directory.
1174 {path} Use the specified directory
1176 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1177 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1178 local to buffer
1179 {not in Vi}
1180 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1181 feature}
1182 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1183 displayed in a window:
1184 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1185 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1186 is not set
1187 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1188 |:hide|
1189 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1190 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1191 |:bdelete|
1192 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1193 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1194 |:bwipeout|
1196 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1197 are lost without a warning.
1198 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1199 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1201 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1202 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1203 local to buffer
1204 {not in Vi}
1205 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1206 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1207 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1208 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1209 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1211 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1212 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1213 local to buffer
1214 {not in Vi}
1215 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1216 feature}
1217 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1218 <empty> normal buffer
1219 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1220 written
1221 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1222 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1223 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1224 |+autocmd| feature}
1225 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1226 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1227 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1228 manually)
1230 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1231 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1233 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1235 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1236 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1237 you are not supposed to change it.
1239 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1240 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1241 work (":w filename" does work though).
1242 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1243 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1244 example when you quit Vim.
1245 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1246 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1247 file).
1248 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1249 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1250 command.
1251 *E676*
1252 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1253 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1254 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1255 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1256 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1258 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1259 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1260 global
1261 {not in Vi}
1262 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1263 feature}
1264 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1265 these words, separated by a comma:
1266 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1267 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1268 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1269 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1270 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1271 functions are used when available.
1272 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1273 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1274 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1276 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1277 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1278 global
1279 {not in Vi}
1280 {not available when compiled without the
1281 |+file_in_path| feature}
1282 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1283 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1284 for has a relative path, not an absolute part starting with "/", "./"
1285 or "../", the 'cdpath' option is not used then.
1286 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1287 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1288 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1289 in the current directory first.
1290 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1291 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1292 override it: >
1293 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1294 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1295 security reasons.
1296 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1298 *'cedit'*
1299 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1300 global
1301 {not in Vi}
1302 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1303 feature}
1304 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1305 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1306 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1307 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1308 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1309 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1310 :set cedit=<Esc>
1311 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1312 See |cmdwin|.
1314 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1315 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1316 global
1317 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1318 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1319 {not in Vi}
1320 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1321 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1322 different encoding from what is desired.
1323 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1324 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1325 preferred, because it is much faster.
1326 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1327 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1328 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1329 non-zero for failure.
1330 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1331 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1332 used.
1333 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1334 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1335 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1336 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1337 Example: >
1338 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1339 fun CharConvert()
1340 system("recode "
1341 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1342 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1343 return v:shell_error
1344 endfun
1345 < The related Vim variables are:
1346 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1347 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1348 v:fname_in name of the input file
1349 v:fname_out name of the output file
1350 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1351 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1352 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1353 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1354 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1355 of this.
1356 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1357 security reasons.
1359 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1360 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1361 local to buffer
1362 {not in Vi}
1363 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1364 feature}
1365 Enables automatic C program indenting. See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1366 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1367 preferred indent style.
1368 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1369 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1370 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1371 external program.
1372 See |C-indenting|.
1373 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1374 option or 'indentexpr'.
1375 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1376 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1378 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1379 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1380 local to buffer
1381 {not in Vi}
1382 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1383 feature}
1384 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1385 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1386 empty.
1387 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1388 See |C-indenting|.
1390 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1391 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1392 local to buffer
1393 {not in Vi}
1394 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1395 feature}
1396 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1397 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1398 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1401 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1402 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1403 local to buffer
1404 {not in Vi}
1405 {not available when compiled without both the
1406 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1407 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1408 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1409 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1410 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1411 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1412 "if,If,IF".
1414 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1415 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1416 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1417 global
1418 {not in Vi}
1419 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1420 feature is included}
1421 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1422 These names are recognized:
1424 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1425 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1426 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1427 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1428 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1429 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1430 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1431 |gui-clipboard|.
1433 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1434 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1435 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1436 windowing system's global selection or put the
1437 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1438 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1439 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1440 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1441 "autoselect" flag is used.
1442 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1444 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1445 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1447 html When the clipboard contains HTML, use this when
1448 pasting. When putting text on the clipboard, mark it
1449 as HTML. This works to copy rendered HTML from
1450 Firefox, paste it as raw HTML in Vim, select the HTML
1451 in Vim and paste it in a rich edit box in Firefox.
1452 Only supported for GTK version 2 and later.
1453 Only available with the |+multi_byte| feature.
1455 exclude:{pattern}
1456 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1457 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1458 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1459 useful in this situation:
1460 - Running Vim in a console.
1461 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1462 display.
1463 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1464 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1465 To never connect to the X server use: >
1466 exclude:.*
1467 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1468 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1469 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1470 cannot be accessed.
1471 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1472 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1473 The rest of the option value will be used for
1474 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1476 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1477 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1478 global
1479 {not in Vi}
1480 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1481 |hit-enter| prompts.
1482 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1483 page can have a different value.
1485 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1486 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1487 global
1488 {not in Vi}
1489 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1490 feature}
1491 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1493 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1494 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1495 global
1496 {not in Vi}
1497 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1498 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1499 |posix-screen-size|.
1500 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1501 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1502 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1503 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1504 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1505 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1506 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1507 window possible: >
1508 :set columns=9999
1509 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1511 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1512 'comments' 'com' string (default
1513 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1514 local to buffer
1515 {not in Vi}
1516 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1517 feature}
1518 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1519 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1520 insert a space.
1522 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1523 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1524 local to buffer
1525 {not in Vi}
1526 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1527 feature}
1528 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1529 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1530 |fold-marker|.
1532 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1533 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1534 file is found)
1535 global
1536 {not in Vi}
1537 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1538 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1539 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1540 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1541 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1542 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1543 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1544 very start.
1545 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1546 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1547 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1548 option.
1549 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1550 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1551 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1552 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1553 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1554 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1555 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1556 |posix-compliance|.
1557 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1558 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1559 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1560 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1561 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1562 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1563 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1564 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1565 editing.
1566 See also 'cpoptions'.
1568 option + set value effect ~
1570 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1571 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1572 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1573 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1574 'backup' off no backup file
1575 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1576 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1577 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1578 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1579 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1580 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1581 'digraph' off no digraphs
1582 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1583 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1584 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1585 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1586 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1587 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1588 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1589 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1590 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1591 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1592 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1593 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1594 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1595 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1596 characters and '_'
1597 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1598 'modeline' + off no modelines
1599 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1600 'revins' off no reverse insert
1601 'ruler' off no ruler
1602 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1603 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1604 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1605 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1606 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1607 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1608 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1609 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1610 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1611 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1612 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1613 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1614 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1615 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1616 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1617 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1618 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1619 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1620 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1621 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1623 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1624 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1625 local to buffer
1626 {not in Vi}
1627 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1628 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1629 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1630 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1631 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1632 w scan buffers from other windows
1633 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1634 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1635 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1636 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1637 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1638 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1639 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1640 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1641 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1642 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1643 are valid too.
1644 i scan current and included files
1645 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1646 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1647 ] tag completion
1648 t same as "]"
1650 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1651 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1652 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1653 whole-line completion.
1655 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1656 1. the current buffer
1657 2. buffers in other windows
1658 3. other loaded buffers
1659 4. unloaded buffers
1660 5. tags
1661 6. included files
1663 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1664 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1665 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1667 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1668 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1669 local to buffer
1670 {not in Vi}
1671 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1672 or +insert_expand feature}
1673 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1674 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1675 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1676 invoked and what it should return.
1679 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1680 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1681 global
1682 {not available when compiled without the
1683 |+insert_expand| feature}
1684 {not in Vi}
1685 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1686 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1688 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1689 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1690 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1692 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1693 Useful when there is additional information about the
1694 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1696 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1697 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1698 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1699 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1700 used.
1702 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1703 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1704 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1707 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1708 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1709 global
1710 {not in Vi}
1711 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1712 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1713 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1714 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1715 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1716 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1717 command.
1718 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1720 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1721 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1722 global
1723 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1724 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1725 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1726 three methods of console input are available:
1727 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1728 on on or off direct console input
1729 off on BIOS
1730 off off STDIN
1732 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1733 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1734 local to buffer
1735 {not in Vi}
1736 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1737 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1738 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1739 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1740 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1741 existing line. 'expandtab' has no effect on these characters, a Tab
1742 remains a Tab. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1743 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1744 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1745 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1747 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1748 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1749 Vi default: all flags)
1750 global
1751 {not in Vi}
1752 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1753 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1754 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1755 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1756 Commas can be added for readability.
1757 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1758 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1759 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1760 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1761 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1762 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1763 variable exists |posix|. This means Vim tries to behave like the
1764 POSIX specification.
1766 contains behavior ~
1767 *cpo-a*
1768 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1769 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1770 current window.
1771 *cpo-A*
1772 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1773 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1774 current window.
1775 *cpo-b*
1776 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1777 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1778 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1779 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1780 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1781 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1782 See also |map_bar|.
1783 *cpo-B*
1784 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1785 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1786 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1787 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1788 results in X being mapped to:
1789 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1790 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1791 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1792 *cpo-c*
1793 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1794 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1795 next line. When not present searching continues
1796 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1797 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1798 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1799 *cpo-C*
1800 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1801 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1802 *cpo-d*
1803 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1804 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1805 tags file in the current directory.
1806 *cpo-D*
1807 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1808 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1809 |t|.
1810 *cpo-e*
1811 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1812 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1813 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1814 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1815 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1816 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1817 *cpo-E*
1818 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1819 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1820 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1821 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1822 *cpo-f*
1823 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1824 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1825 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1826 *cpo-F*
1827 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1828 argument will set the file name for the current
1829 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1830 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1831 *cpo-g*
1832 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1833 *cpo-H*
1834 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1835 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1836 the last blank.
1837 *cpo-i*
1838 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1839 leave it modified.
1840 *cpo-I*
1841 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1842 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1843 *cpo-j*
1844 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1845 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1846 *cpo-J*
1847 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1848 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1849 white space.
1850 *cpo-k*
1851 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1852 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1853 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1854 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1855 being mapped to:
1856 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1857 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1858 Also see the '<' flag below.
1859 *cpo-K*
1860 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1861 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1862 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1863 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1864 *cpo-l*
1865 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1866 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1867 See |/[]|
1868 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1869 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1870 Also see |cpo-\|.
1871 *cpo-L*
1872 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1873 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1874 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1875 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1876 *cpo-m*
1877 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1878 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1879 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1880 *cpo-M*
1881 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1882 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1883 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1884 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1885 *cpo-n*
1886 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1887 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1888 *cpo-o*
1889 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1890 next search.
1891 *cpo-O*
1892 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1893 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1894 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1895 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1896 *cpo-p*
1897 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1898 slightly better algorithm is used.
1899 *cpo-P*
1900 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1901 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1902 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1903 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1904 *cpo-q*
1905 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1906 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1907 *cpo-r*
1908 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1909 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1910 *cpo-R*
1911 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1912 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1913 *cpo-s*
1914 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1915 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1916 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1917 set when the buffer is created.
1918 *cpo-S*
1919 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1920 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1921 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1922 The options are set to the values in the current
1923 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1924 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1925 buffer options global to all buffers.
1927 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1928 no no when buffer created
1929 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1930 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1931 *cpo-t*
1932 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1933 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1934 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1935 last used search pattern.
1936 *cpo-u*
1937 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1938 *cpo-v*
1939 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1940 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1941 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1942 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1943 characters.
1944 *cpo-w*
1945 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1946 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1947 next word.
1948 *cpo-W*
1949 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1950 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1951 *cpo-x*
1952 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1953 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1954 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1955 *cpo-X*
1956 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1957 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1958 and a count.
1959 *cpo-y*
1960 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1961 *cpo-Z*
1962 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1963 don't reset 'readonly'.
1964 *cpo-!*
1965 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1966 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1967 used -filter- command is used.
1968 *cpo-$*
1969 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1970 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1971 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1972 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1973 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1974 point.
1975 *cpo-%*
1976 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1977 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1978 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1979 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1980 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1981 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1982 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1983 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1984 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1985 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1986 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1987 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1988 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
1989 This flag is also used for other features, such as
1990 C-indenting.
1991 *cpo--*
1992 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
1993 it would go above the first line or below the last
1994 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
1995 last line, unless it already was in that line.
1996 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
1997 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
1998 *cpo-+*
1999 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
2000 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
2001 itself may still be different from its file.
2002 *cpo-star*
2003 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
2004 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
2005 *cpo-<*
2006 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
2007 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
2008 menu commands. For example, the command
2009 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
2010 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
2011 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
2012 Also see the 'k' flag above.
2013 *cpo->*
2014 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
2015 the appended text.
2017 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
2018 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
2020 contains behavior ~
2021 *cpo-#*
2022 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
2023 *cpo-&*
2024 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
2025 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
2026 This flag is tested when exiting.
2027 *cpo-\*
2028 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2029 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2030 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2031 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2032 Also see |cpo-l|.
2033 *cpo-/*
2034 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2035 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2036 *cpo-{*
2037 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2038 at the start of a line.
2039 *cpo-.*
2040 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2041 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2042 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2043 opened file.
2044 *cpo-bar*
2045 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2046 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2047 with system specific functions.
2050 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2051 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2052 global
2053 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2054 feature}
2055 {not in Vi}
2056 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2057 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2059 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2060 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2061 global
2062 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2063 feature}
2064 {not in Vi}
2065 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2066 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2067 security reasons.
2069 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2070 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2071 global
2072 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2073 or |+quickfix| features}
2074 {not in Vi}
2075 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2076 See |cscopequickfix|.
2078 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2079 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2080 global
2081 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2082 feature}
2083 {not in Vi}
2084 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2085 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2087 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2088 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2089 global
2090 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2091 feature}
2092 {not in Vi}
2093 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2094 |cscopetagorder|.
2095 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2097 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2098 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2099 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2100 global
2101 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2102 feature}
2103 {not in Vi}
2104 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2105 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2108 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2109 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2110 local to window
2111 {not in Vi}
2112 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2113 feature}
2114 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2115 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2116 slower.
2117 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2118 these autocommands: >
2119 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2120 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2121 <
2123 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2124 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2125 local to window
2126 {not in Vi}
2127 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2128 feature}
2129 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2130 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2131 redrawing slower.
2132 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2133 easier to see the selected text.
2136 *'debug'*
2137 'debug' string (default "")
2138 global
2139 {not in Vi}
2140 These values can be used:
2141 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2142 anyway.
2143 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2144 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2145 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2146 produced.
2147 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2148 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2149 'indentexpr'.
2151 *'define'* *'def'*
2152 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2153 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2154 {not in Vi}
2155 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2156 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2157 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2158 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2159 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2160 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2161 or backslash.
2162 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2163 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2164 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2165 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2167 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2168 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2169 global
2170 {not in Vi}
2171 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2172 feature}
2173 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2174 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2175 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2176 deleted.
2177 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2179 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2180 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2181 to remove only the combining ones.
2183 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2184 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2185 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2186 {not in Vi}
2187 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2188 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2189 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2190 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2191 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2192 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2193 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2194 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2195 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2196 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2197 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2198 Where to find a list of words?
2199 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2200 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2201 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2202 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2203 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2204 uses another default.
2205 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2207 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2208 'diff' boolean (default off)
2209 local to window
2210 {not in Vi}
2211 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2212 feature}
2213 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2214 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2216 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2217 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2218 global
2219 {not in Vi}
2220 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2221 feature}
2222 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2223 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2224 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2225 security reasons.
2227 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2228 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2229 global
2230 {not in Vi}
2231 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2232 feature}
2233 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2234 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2236 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2237 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2238 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2239 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2240 is set.
2242 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2243 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2244 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2245 See |fold-diff|.
2247 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2248 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2249 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2251 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2252 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2253 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2254 of the "diff" command for what this does
2255 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2256 white space, but not leading white space.
2258 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2259 explicitly specified otherwise).
2261 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2262 explicitly specified otherwise).
2264 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2265 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2267 Examples: >
2269 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2270 :set diffopt=
2271 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2272 <
2273 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2274 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2275 global
2276 {not in Vi}
2277 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2278 feature}
2279 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2280 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2281 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2283 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2284 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2285 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2286 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2287 global
2288 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2289 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2290 possible.
2291 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2292 impossible!).
2293 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2294 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2295 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2296 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2297 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2298 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2299 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2300 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2301 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2302 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2303 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2304 On Win32, when a separating comma is following, you must use "//",
2305 since "\\" will include the comma in the file name.
2306 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2307 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2308 name, precede it with a backslash.
2309 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2310 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2311 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2312 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2313 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2314 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2315 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2316 of the option is removed.
2317 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2318 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2319 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2320 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2321 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2322 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2323 home directory is tried first.
2324 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2325 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2326 uses another default.
2327 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2328 security reasons.
2329 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2331 *'display'* *'dy'*
2332 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2333 global
2334 {not in Vi}
2335 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2336 flags:
2337 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2338 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2339 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2340 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2341 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2343 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2344 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2345 global
2346 {not in Vi}
2347 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2348 feature}
2349 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2350 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2351 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2352 both width and height of windows is affected
2354 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2355 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2356 global
2357 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2358 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2359 also 'gdefault' option.
2360 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2362 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2363 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2364 global
2365 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2366 feature}
2367 {not in Vi}
2368 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2369 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2370 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2371 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2373 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2374 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2375 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2376 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2378 NOTE: For GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding' to
2379 "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2380 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2381 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2382 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2383 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2384 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2386 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2387 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2388 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2390 If you need to know whether 'encoding' is a multi-byte encoding, you
2391 can use: >
2392 if has("multi_byte_encoding")
2393 <
2394 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2395 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2396 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2397 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2399 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2400 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2402 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2403 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2404 to '-' signs.
2405 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2406 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2407 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2409 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2410 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2411 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2412 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2413 utf-8.
2415 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2416 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2417 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2418 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2419 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2421 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2422 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2424 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2425 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2426 local to buffer
2427 {not in Vi}
2428 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2429 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2430 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2431 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2432 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2433 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2434 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2435 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2436 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2437 it if you want to.
2439 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2440 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2441 global
2442 {not in Vi}
2443 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2444 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2445 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2446 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2447 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2448 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2449 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2450 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2451 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2452 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2453 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2454 If a window size is specified when creating a new window sizes are
2455 currently not equalized (it's complicated, but may be implemented in
2456 the future).
2458 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2459 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2460 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2461 {not in Vi}
2462 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2463 the internal formatting functions are used; either 'lisp', 'cindent'
2464 or 'indentexpr'. When Vim was compiled without internal formatting,
2465 the "indent" program is used.
2466 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2467 about including spaces and backslashes.
2468 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2469 security reasons.
2471 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2472 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2473 global
2474 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2475 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2476 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2477 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2478 screen flash or do nothing.
2480 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2481 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2482 others: "errors.err")
2483 global
2484 {not in Vi}
2485 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2486 feature}
2487 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2488 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2489 following argument. See |-q|.
2490 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2491 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2492 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2493 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2494 security reasons.
2496 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2497 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2498 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2499 {not in Vi}
2500 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2501 feature}
2502 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2503 (see |errorformat|).
2505 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2506 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2507 global
2508 {not in Vi}
2509 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2510 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2511 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2512 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2513 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2514 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2515 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2516 won't work by default.
2517 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2518 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2520 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2521 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2522 global
2523 {not in Vi}
2524 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2525 feature}
2526 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2527 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2528 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2529 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2530 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2531 <
2532 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2533 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2534 local to buffer
2535 {not in Vi}
2536 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2537 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2538 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2539 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2540 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2542 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2543 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2544 global
2545 {not in Vi}
2546 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2547 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2548 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2549 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2550 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2551 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2552 security reasons.
2554 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2555 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2556 local to buffer
2557 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2558 feature}
2559 {not in Vi}
2560 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2561 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2562 done when writing the file. For reading see below.
2563 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2564 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2565 Conversion will also be done when 'encoding' and 'fileencoding' are
2566 both a Unicode encoding and 'fileencoding' is not utf-8. That's
2567 because internally Unicode is always stored as utf-8.
2568 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2569 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding, conversion
2570 is most likely done in a way that the reverse conversion
2571 results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some
2572 characters may be lost!
2573 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2574 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2575 |mbyte-conversion|.
2576 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2577 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2578 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2579 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2580 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2581 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2582 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2583 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2584 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2585 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2586 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2587 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2588 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2589 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2590 avoid this.
2591 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2593 *'fe'*
2594 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2595 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2596 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2598 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2599 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2600 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2601 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2602 global
2603 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2604 feature}
2605 {not in Vi}
2606 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2607 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2608 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2609 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2610 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2611 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2612 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2613 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2614 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2615 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2616 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2617 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2618 that can't be converted.
2619 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2620 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2621 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2622 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2623 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2624 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2625 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2626 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2627 non-blank characters.
2628 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2629 not used.
2630 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2631 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2632 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2633 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2634 an empty file.
2635 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2636 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2637 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2638 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2639 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2640 accepted.
2641 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2642 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2643 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2644 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2645 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2646 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2647 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2648 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2649 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2650 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2651 file
2652 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2653 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2654 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2655 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2656 is read.
2658 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2659 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2660 Unix default: "unix",
2661 Macintosh default: "mac")
2662 local to buffer
2663 {not in Vi}
2664 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2665 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2666 dos <CR> <NL>
2667 unix <NL>
2668 mac <CR>
2669 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2670 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2671 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2672 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2673 works like it was set to "unix'.
2674 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2675 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2676 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2677 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2678 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2679 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2680 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2682 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2683 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2684 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2685 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2686 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2687 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2688 Vi others: "")
2689 global
2690 {not in Vi}
2691 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2692 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2693 buffer:
2694 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2695 always. It is not set automatically.
2696 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2697 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2698 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2699 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2700 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2701 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2702 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2703 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2704 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2705 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2706 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2707 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2708 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2709 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2710 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2711 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2712 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2713 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2714 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2715 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2716 'fileformats' is used.
2717 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2718 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2719 file only, the option is not changed.
2720 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2722 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2723 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2724 done:
2725 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2726 format will be used.
2727 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2728 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2729 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2730 used.
2731 Also see |file-formats|.
2732 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2733 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2734 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2735 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2736 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2738 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2739 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2740 local to buffer
2741 {not in Vi}
2742 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2743 feature}
2744 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2745 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2746 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2747 name.
2748 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2749 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2750 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2751 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2752 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2753 Example, for in an IDL file:
2754 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2755 |FileType| |filetypes|
2756 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2757 names. Example:
2758 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2759 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2760 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2761 one dot may appear.
2762 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2763 type that is actually stored with the file.
2764 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2765 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2766 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2768 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2769 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2770 global
2771 {not in Vi}
2772 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2773 and |+folding| features}
2774 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2775 It is a comma separated list of items:
2777 item default Used for ~
2778 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2779 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2780 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2781 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2782 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2784 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2785 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2786 otherwise.
2788 Example: >
2789 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2790 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2791 be used when there is highlighting.
2793 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2795 The highlighting used for these items:
2796 item highlight group ~
2797 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2798 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2799 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2800 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2801 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2803 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2804 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2805 global
2806 {not in Vi}
2807 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2808 feature}
2809 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2810 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2811 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2813 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2814 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2815 global
2816 {not in Vi}
2817 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2818 feature}
2819 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2820 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2821 automatically close when moving out of them.
2823 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2824 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2825 local to window
2826 {not in Vi}
2827 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2828 feature}
2829 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2830 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2831 value is 12.
2832 See |folding|.
2834 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2835 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2836 local to window
2837 {not in Vi}
2838 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2839 feature}
2840 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2841 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2842 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2843 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2844 'foldenable' is off.
2845 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2846 See |folding|.
2848 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2849 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2850 local to window
2851 {not in Vi}
2852 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2853 or |+eval| feature}
2854 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2855 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2857 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2858 |sandbox-option|.
2859 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
2860 on.
2862 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2863 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2865 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2866 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2867 local to window
2868 {not in Vi}
2869 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2870 feature}
2871 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2872 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2873 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2874 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2876 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2877 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2878 local to window
2879 {not in Vi}
2880 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2881 feature}
2882 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2883 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2884 close fewer folds.
2885 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2886 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2888 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2889 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2890 global
2891 {not in Vi}
2892 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2893 feature}
2894 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2895 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2896 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2897 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2898 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2899 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2900 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2901 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2902 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2904 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2905 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2906 local to window
2907 {not in Vi}
2908 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2909 feature}
2910 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2911 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2912 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2913 See |fold-marker|.
2915 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2916 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2917 local to window
2918 {not in Vi}
2919 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2920 feature}
2921 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2922 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2923 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2924 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2925 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2926 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2927 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2929 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2930 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2931 local to window
2932 {not in Vi}
2933 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2934 feature}
2935 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2936 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2937 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2938 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2939 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2941 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2942 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2943 local to window
2944 {not in Vi}
2945 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2946 feature}
2947 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2948 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2949 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2951 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2952 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2953 search,tag,undo")
2954 global
2955 {not in Vi}
2956 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2957 feature}
2958 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2959 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2960 list of items.
2961 item commands ~
2962 all any
2963 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2964 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2965 insert any command in Insert mode
2966 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2967 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2968 percent "%"
2969 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2970 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2971 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2972 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2973 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2974 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2975 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2976 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2977 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2978 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2979 whole closed fold.
2980 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2981 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2982 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2983 when text is inserted.
2984 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2985 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2987 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2988 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
2989 local to window
2990 {not in Vi}
2991 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2992 feature}
2993 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
2994 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
2996 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2997 |sandbox-option|.
2999 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3000 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
3002 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
3003 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
3004 local to buffer
3005 {not in Vi}
3006 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
3007 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
3008 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
3009 be inserted for readability.
3010 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3011 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3012 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3013 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3015 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
3016 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
3017 local to buffer
3018 {not in Vi}
3019 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
3020 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
3021 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
3022 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
3023 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
3024 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
3025 like there is no match.
3026 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
3027 character and white space.
3029 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
3030 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
3031 global
3032 {not in Vi}
3033 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
3034 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
3035 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
3036 such a program.
3037 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
3038 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
3039 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
3040 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
3041 about including spaces and backslashes.
3042 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3043 |sandbox-option|.
3045 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3046 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3047 local to buffer
3048 {not in Vi}
3049 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3050 feature}
3051 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3052 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3054 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3055 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3056 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3057 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3059 Example: >
3060 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3061 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3062 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3064 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3065 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3066 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3067 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3068 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3069 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3071 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3072 |sandbox-option|.
3074 *'fsync'* *'fs'*
3075 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3076 global
3077 {not in Vi}
3078 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3079 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3080 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3081 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3082 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3083 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3084 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3085 off.
3086 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3088 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3089 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3090 global
3091 {not in Vi}
3092 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3093 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3094 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3095 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3097 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3098 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3099 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3100 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3102 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3104 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3105 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3106 global
3107 {not in Vi}
3108 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3109 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3110 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3112 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3113 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3114 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3115 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3116 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3117 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3118 {not in Vi}
3119 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3120 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3121 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3122 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3123 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3124 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3125 also work well with a single file: >
3126 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3127 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3128 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3129 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3130 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3131 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3132 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3133 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3134 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3135 security reasons.
3137 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3138 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3139 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3140 o:hor50-Cursor,
3141 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3142 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3143 sm:block-Cursor
3144 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3145 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3146 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3147 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3148 global
3149 {not in Vi}
3150 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3151 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3152 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3153 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3154 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3155 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3156 horizontal cursor.
3157 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3159 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3160 mode-list and an argument-list:
3161 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3162 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3163 n Normal mode
3164 v Visual mode
3165 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3166 if not specified)
3167 o Operator-pending mode
3168 i Insert mode
3169 r Replace mode
3170 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3171 ci Command-line Insert mode
3172 cr Command-line Replace mode
3173 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3174 a all modes
3175 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3176 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3177 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3178 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3179 [only one of the above three should be present]
3180 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3181 blinkon{N}
3182 blinkoff{N}
3183 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3184 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3185 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3186 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3187 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3188 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3189 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3190 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3191 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3192 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3193 executing a command.
3194 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3195 |xterm-blink|.
3196 {group-name}
3197 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3198 for the cursor
3199 {group-name}/{group-name}
3200 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3201 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3202 are. |language-mapping|
3204 Examples of parts:
3205 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3206 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3207 highlight group
3208 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3209 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3210 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3211 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3212 faster.
3214 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3215 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3216 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3217 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3219 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3220 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3221 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3222 <
3223 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3224 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3225 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3226 global
3227 {not in Vi}
3228 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3229 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3230 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3231 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3232 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3233 The first valid font is used.
3235 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3236 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3238 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3239 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3240 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3241 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3242 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3243 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3244 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3246 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3247 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3248 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3249 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3250 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3251 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3253 For Win32, GTK, Motif, Mac OS and Photon: >
3254 :set guifont=*
3255 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3257 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3258 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3260 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3261 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3262 < That's all. XLFDs are not used. For Chinese this is reported to work
3263 well: >
3264 if has("gui_gtk2")
3265 set guifont=Bitstream\ Vera\ Sans\ Mono\ 12,Fixed\ 12
3266 set guifontwide=Microsoft\ Yahei\ 12,WenQuanYi\ Zen\ Hei\ 12
3267 endif
3268 <
3269 For Mac OSX you can use something like this: >
3270 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3271 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems.
3272 *E236*
3273 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3274 width). An exception is GTK 2: all fonts are accepted, but
3275 mono-spaced fonts look best.
3277 To preview a font on X11, you might be able to use the "xfontsel"
3278 program. The "xlsfonts" program gives a list of all available fonts.
3280 For the Win32 GUI *E244* *E245*
3281 - takes these options in the font name:
3282 hXX - height is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3283 wXX - width is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3284 b - bold
3285 i - italic
3286 u - underline
3287 s - strikeout
3288 cXX - character set XX. Valid charsets are: ANSI, ARABIC,
3289 BALTIC, CHINESEBIG5, DEFAULT, EASTEUROPE, GB2312, GREEK,
3290 HANGEUL, HEBREW, JOHAB, MAC, OEM, RUSSIAN, SHIFTJIS,
3291 SYMBOL, THAI, TURKISH, VIETNAMESE ANSI and BALTIC.
3292 Normally you would use "cDEFAULT".
3294 Use a ':' to separate the options.
3295 - A '_' can be used in the place of a space, so you don't need to use
3296 backslashes to escape the spaces.
3297 - Examples: >
3298 :set guifont=courier_new:h12:w5:b:cRUSSIAN
3299 :set guifont=Andale_Mono:h7.5:w4.5
3300 < See also |font-sizes|.
3302 *'guifontset'* *'gfs'*
3303 *E250* *E252* *E234* *E597* *E598*
3304 'guifontset' 'gfs' string (default "")
3305 global
3306 {not in Vi}
3307 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3308 with the |+xfontset| feature}
3309 {not available in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
3310 When not empty, specifies two (or more) fonts to be used. The first
3311 one for normal English, the second one for your special language. See
3312 |xfontset|.
3313 Setting this option also means that all font names will be handled as
3314 a fontset name. Also the ones used for the "font" argument of the
3315 |:highlight| command.
3316 The fonts must match with the current locale. If fonts for the
3317 character sets that the current locale uses are not included, setting
3318 'guifontset' will fail.
3319 Note the difference between 'guifont' and 'guifontset': In 'guifont'
3320 the comma-separated names are alternative names, one of which will be
3321 used. In 'guifontset' the whole string is one fontset name,
3322 including the commas. It is not possible to specify alternative
3323 fontset names.
3324 This example works on many X11 systems: >
3325 :set guifontset=-*-*-medium-r-normal--16-*-*-*-c-*-*-*
3326 <
3327 *'guifontwide'* *'gfw'* *E231* *E533* *E534*
3328 'guifontwide' 'gfw' string (default "")
3329 global
3330 {not in Vi}
3331 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3332 When not empty, specifies a comma-separated list of fonts to be used
3333 for double-width characters. The first font that can be loaded is
3334 used.
3335 Note: The size of these fonts must be exactly twice as wide as the one
3336 specified with 'guifont' and the same height.
3338 All GUI versions but GTK+ 2:
3340 'guifontwide' is only used when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and
3341 'guifontset' is empty or invalid.
3342 When 'guifont' is set and a valid font is found in it and
3343 'guifontwide' is empty Vim will attempt to find a matching
3344 double-width font and set 'guifontwide' to it.
3346 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3348 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3349 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3350 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3351 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3352 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3353 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3354 made by Pango/Xft.
3356 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3357 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3358 global
3359 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3360 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3361 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3362 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3363 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3364 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3365 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3366 screen.
3368 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3369 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3370 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3371 global
3372 {not in Vi}
3373 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3374 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3375 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3376 GUI should be used.
3377 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3378 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3380 Valid letters are as follows:
3381 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3382 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3383 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3384 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3385 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3386 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3387 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3388 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3389 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3390 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3391 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3392 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3393 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3394 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3395 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3396 *'go-A'*
3397 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3398 applies to the modeless selection.
3400 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3401 "" - -
3402 "a" yes yes
3403 "A" - yes
3404 "aA" yes yes
3406 *'go-c'*
3407 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3408 choices.
3409 *'go-e'*
3410 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3411 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3412 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3413 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3414 GTK, Motif, Mac OS/X and MS-Windows.
3415 *'go-f'*
3416 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3417 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3418 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3419 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3420 foreground. |gui-fork|
3421 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3422 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3423 *'go-i'*
3424 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3425 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3426 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3427 *'go-m'*
3428 'm' Menu bar is present.
3429 *'go-M'*
3430 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3431 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3432 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3433 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3434 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3435 *'go-g'*
3436 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3437 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3438 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3439 *'go-t'*
3440 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3441 GTK+, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3442 *'go-T'*
3443 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3444 and Athena GUIs.
3445 *'go-r'*
3446 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3447 *'go-R'*
3448 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3449 split window.
3450 *'go-l'*
3451 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3452 *'go-L'*
3453 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3454 split window.
3455 *'go-b'*
3456 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3457 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3458 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3459 *'go-h'*
3460 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3461 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3463 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3464 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3466 *'go-v'*
3467 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3468 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3469 vertical layout is used anyway.
3470 *'go-p'*
3471 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3472 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3473 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3474 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3475 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3476 *'go-F'*
3477 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3480 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3481 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3482 global
3483 {not in Vi}
3484 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3485 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3486 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3488 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3489 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3490 global
3491 {not in Vi}
3492 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3493 with the +windows feature}
3494 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3495 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3496 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3498 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3499 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3501 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3502 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3503 used.
3505 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3506 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3507 global
3508 {not in Vi}
3509 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3510 with the +windows feature}
3511 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3512 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3513 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3514 You can include a line break. Simplest method is to use |:let|: >
3515 :let &guitabtooltip = "line one\nline two"
3516 <
3518 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3519 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3520 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3521 global
3522 {not in Vi}
3523 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3524 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3525 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3526 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3527 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3528 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3529 spaces and backslashes.
3530 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3531 security reasons.
3533 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3534 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3535 global
3536 {not in Vi}
3537 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3538 feature}
3539 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3540 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3541 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3542 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3543 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3545 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3546 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3547 global
3548 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3549 feature}
3550 {not in Vi}
3551 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3552 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3553 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3554 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3555 language and not in the English help.
3556 Example: >
3557 :set helplang=de,it
3558 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3559 files.
3560 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3561 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3562 See |help-translated|.
3564 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3565 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3566 global
3567 {not in Vi}
3568 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3569 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3570 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3571 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3572 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3573 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3574 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3575 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3576 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3577 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3578 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3580 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3581 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3582 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3583 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3584 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3585 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3586 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3587 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3588 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3589 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3590 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3591 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3592 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3593 global
3594 {not in Vi}
3595 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3596 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3597 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3598 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3599 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3600 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3601 characters from 'showbreak'
3602 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3603 things in listings
3604 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3605 h (obsolete, ignored)
3606 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3607 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3608 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3609 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3610 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3611 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3612 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3613 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3614 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3615 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3616 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3617 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3618 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3619 |xterm-clipboard|.
3620 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3621 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3622 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3623 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3624 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3625 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3626 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3627 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3628 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3629 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3630 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3631 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3632 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3633 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3634 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3635 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3636 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3638 The display modes are:
3639 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3640 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3641 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3642 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3643 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3644 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3645 n no highlighting
3646 - no highlighting
3647 : use a highlight group
3648 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3649 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3650 for an example.
3651 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3652 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3653 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3654 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3655 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3657 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3658 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3659 global
3660 {not in Vi}
3661 {not available when compiled without the
3662 |+extra_search| feature}
3663 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3664 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3665 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3666 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3667 are not applied.
3668 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3669 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3670 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3671 highlighting comes back.
3672 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spent on finding matches.
3673 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3674 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3675 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3676 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3677 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3678 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3680 *'history'* *'hi'*
3681 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3682 global
3683 {not in Vi}
3684 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3685 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3686 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3687 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3688 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3690 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3691 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3692 global
3693 {not in Vi}
3694 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3695 feature}
3696 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3697 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3698 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3699 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3701 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3702 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3703 global
3704 {not in Vi}
3705 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3706 feature}
3707 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3708 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3709 See |rileft.txt|.
3710 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3712 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3713 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3714 global
3715 {not in Vi}
3716 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3717 feature}
3718 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3719 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3720 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3721 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3722 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3723 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3724 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3725 builtin termcap).
3726 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3727 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3728 X11.
3730 *'iconstring'*
3731 'iconstring' string (default "")
3732 global
3733 {not in Vi}
3734 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3735 feature}
3736 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3737 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3738 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3739 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3740 Does not work for MS Windows.
3741 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3742 restored if possible |X11|.
3743 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3744 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3745 'titlestring' for example settings.
3746 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3748 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3749 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3750 global
3751 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3752 file.
3753 Also see 'smartcase'.
3754 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3755 |/ignorecase|.
3757 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3758 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3759 global
3760 {not in Vi}
3761 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3762 |+GUI_GTK|}
3763 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3764 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3765 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3766 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3767 tells Vim what the key is.
3768 Format:
3769 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3771 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3772 S Shift key
3773 L Lock key
3774 C Control key
3775 1 Mod1 key
3776 2 Mod2 key
3777 3 Mod3 key
3778 4 Mod4 key
3779 5 Mod5 key
3780 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3781 both shift+ctrl+space.
3782 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3784 Example: >
3785 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3786 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3787 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3789 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3790 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3791 global
3792 {not in Vi}
3793 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3794 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3795 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3796 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3797 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3798 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3799 characters with dead keys.
3801 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'noimdisable'* *'noimd'*
3802 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for some systems (SGI))
3803 global
3804 {not in Vi}
3805 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3806 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3807 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3808 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3809 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX machines. This
3810 may change in later releases.
3812 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3813 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3814 local to buffer
3815 {not in Vi}
3816 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3817 Insert mode. Valid values:
3818 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3819 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3820 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3821 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3822 or |global-ime|.
3823 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3824 this can be used: >
3825 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3826 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3827 mode.
3828 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3829 |i_CTRL-^|.
3830 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3831 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3832 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3833 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3835 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3836 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3837 local to buffer
3838 {not in Vi}
3839 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3840 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3841 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3842 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3843 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3844 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3845 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3846 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3847 |c_CTRL-^|.
3848 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3849 option to a valid keymap name.
3850 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3851 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3853 *'include'* *'inc'*
3854 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3855 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3856 {not in Vi}
3857 {not available when compiled without the
3858 |+find_in_path| feature}
3859 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3860 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3861 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3862 "]I", "[d", etc.
3863 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3864 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3865 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3866 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3867 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3868 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3869 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3871 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3872 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3873 local to buffer
3874 {not in Vi}
3875 {not available when compiled without the
3876 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3877 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3878 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3879 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3880 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3882 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3883 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3884 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3886 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3887 |sandbox-option|.
3889 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3890 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
3892 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
3893 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
3894 global
3895 {not in Vi}
3896 {not available when compiled without the
3897 |+extra_search| feature}
3898 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
3899 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
3900 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
3901 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
3902 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
3903 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
3904 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
3905 cursor to the match.
3906 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
3907 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
3908 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
3909 are typing the pattern.
3910 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
3911 See also: 'hlsearch'.
3912 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
3913 to the command line.
3914 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
3915 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
3916 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3918 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
3919 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
3920 local to buffer
3921 {not in Vi}
3922 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3923 or |+eval| features}
3924 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
3925 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
3926 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
3927 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
3928 'smartindent' indenting.
3929 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
3930 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
3931 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
3932 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
3933 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
3934 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
3935 used for the indent).
3936 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
3937 and |lispindent()|.
3938 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
3939 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
3940 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
3941 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
3942 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
3943 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
3944 "msg".
3945 See |indent-expression|.
3946 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
3948 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3949 |sandbox-option|.
3951 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3952 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
3955 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
3956 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
3957 local to buffer
3958 {not in Vi}
3959 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3960 feature}
3961 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
3962 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
3963 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
3964 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
3966 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
3967 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
3968 local to buffer
3969 {not in Vi}
3970 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
3971 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted depending
3972 on the typed text. If the typed text contains a lowercase letter
3973 where the match has an upper case letter, the completed part is made
3974 lowercase. If the typed text has no lowercase letters and the match
3975 has a lowercase letter where the typed text has an uppercase letter,
3976 and there is a letter before it, the completed part is made uppercase.
3977 With 'noinfercase' the match is used as-is.
3979 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
3980 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
3981 global
3982 {not in Vi}
3983 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
3984 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
3985 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
3986 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
3987 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
3988 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
3989 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
3990 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
3991 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
3992 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
3994 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
3995 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
3996 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
3997 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
3998 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
3999 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
4000 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
4001 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
4002 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
4003 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
4005 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
4007 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
4008 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4009 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
4010 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
4011 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
4012 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
4013 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
4014 global
4015 {not in Vi}
4016 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
4017 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
4018 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
4019 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4020 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
4021 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
4022 Think twice before adding white space to this option. Although a
4023 space may appear inside a file name, the effect will be that Vim
4024 doesn't know where a file name starts or ends when doing completion.
4025 It most likely works better without a space in 'isfname'.
4027 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
4028 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
4029 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4030 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4031 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4032 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4033 cmd.exe.
4035 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4036 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4037 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4038 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4039 not work for digits). Example:
4040 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4041 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4042 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4043 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4044 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4045 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4046 option or the end of a range. Example:
4047 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4048 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4049 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4050 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4051 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4052 case ASCII letters.
4053 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4054 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4055 expected. Example:
4056 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4057 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4058 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4059 comma, plus <Tab>.
4060 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4062 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4063 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4064 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4065 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4066 global
4067 {not in Vi}
4068 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4069 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4070 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4071 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4072 option.
4073 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4074 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4075 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4077 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4078 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4079 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4080 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4081 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4082 local to buffer
4083 {not in Vi}
4084 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4085 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4086 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4087 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4088 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4089 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4090 command).
4091 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4092 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4093 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4095 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4096 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4097 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4098 global
4099 {not in Vi}
4100 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4101 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4102 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4103 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4104 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4106 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4107 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4108 32 - 126 always single characters
4109 127 "^?"
4110 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4111 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4112 255 "~?"
4113 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4114 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4115 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4116 displayed as <xx>.
4117 The SpecialKey highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4118 |hl-SpecialKey|
4120 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4121 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4122 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4123 replacement character will be shown.
4124 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4125 There is no option to specify these characters.
4127 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4128 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4129 global
4130 {not in Vi}
4131 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4132 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4133 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4134 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4136 *'key'*
4137 'key' string (default "")
4138 local to buffer
4139 {not in Vi}
4140 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4141 See |encryption|.
4142 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4143 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4144 :set key=
4145 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4146 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4147 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4148 be careful not to make a typing error!
4150 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4151 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4152 local to buffer
4153 {not in Vi}
4154 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4155 feature}
4156 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4157 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4158 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4159 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4160 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4162 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4163 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4164 global
4165 {not in Vi}
4166 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4167 can do. These values can be used:
4168 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4169 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4170 present in 'selectmode').
4171 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4172 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4173 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4174 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4176 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4177 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4178 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4179 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4180 {not in Vi}
4181 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4182 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4183 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4184 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4185 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4186 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4187 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4188 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4189 Example: >
4190 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4191 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4192 security reasons.
4194 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4195 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4196 global
4197 {not in Vi}
4198 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4199 feature}
4200 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4201 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4202 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4203 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4204 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4205 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4206 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4207 mapped in Insert mode.
4209 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4210 :set langmap=ΑA,ΒB,ΨC,ΔD,ΕE,ΦF,ΓG,ΗH,ΙI,ΞJ,ΚK,ΛL,ΜM,ΝN,ΟO,ΠP,QQ,ΡR,ΣS,ΤT,ΘU,ΩV,WW,ΧX,ΥY,ΖZ,αa,βb,ψc,δd,εe,φf,γg,ηh,ιi,ξj,κk,λl,μm,νn,οo,πp,qq,ρr,σs,τt,θu,ωv,ςw,χx,υy,ζz
4211 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4212 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4213 <
4214 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4215 part can be in one of two forms:
4216 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4217 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4218 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4219 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4220 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4221 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4222 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4224 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4225 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4226 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4227 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4228 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4229 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4230 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4231 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4232 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4233 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4234 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4236 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4237 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4238 global
4239 {not in Vi}
4240 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4241 |+multi_lang| features}
4242 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4243 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4244 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4245 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4246 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4247 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4248 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4249 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4250 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4251 the English menus: >
4252 :set langmenu=none
4253 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4254 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4255 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4256 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4257 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4258 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4259 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4261 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4262 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4263 global
4264 {not in Vi}
4265 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4266 status line:
4267 0: never
4268 1: only if there are at least two windows
4269 2: always
4270 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4271 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4273 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4274 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4275 global
4276 {not in Vi}
4277 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4278 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4279 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4280 update use |:redraw|.
4282 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4283 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4284 local to window
4285 {not in Vi}
4286 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4287 feature}
4288 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4289 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4290 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4291 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4292 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4293 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4294 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4295 with the right amount of white space.
4297 *'lines'* *E593*
4298 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4299 global
4300 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4301 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4302 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4303 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4304 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4305 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4306 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4307 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4308 :set lines=999
4309 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4310 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4311 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4312 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4314 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4315 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4316 global
4317 {not in Vi}
4318 {only in the GUI}
4319 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4320 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4321 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4322 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4323 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4324 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4325 though!
4327 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4328 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4329 local to buffer
4330 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4331 feature}
4332 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4333 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4334 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4335 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4336 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4337 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4338 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4339 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4340 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4341 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4343 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4344 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4345 global
4346 {not in Vi}
4347 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4348 feature}
4349 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4350 |'lisp'|
4352 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4353 'list' boolean (default off)
4354 local to window
4355 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I is displayed, display $ after end of
4356 line. Useful to see the difference between tabs and spaces and for
4357 trailing blanks. Further changed by the 'listchars' option.
4359 The cursor is displayed at the start of the space a Tab character
4360 occupies, not at the end as usual in Normal mode. To get this cursor
4361 position while displaying Tabs with spaces, use: >
4362 :set list lcs=tab\ \
4363 <
4364 Note that list mode will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth'
4365 or 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4366 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4368 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4369 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4370 global
4371 {not in Vi}
4372 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4373 settings.
4374 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4375 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4376 line.
4377 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4378 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4379 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4380 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4381 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4382 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4383 trailing spaces are blank.
4384 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4385 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4386 screen.
4387 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4388 is off and there is text preceding the character
4389 visible in the first column.
4390 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4391 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4393 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4394 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4395 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4397 Examples: >
4398 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4399 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4400 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4401 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4402 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4403 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4405 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4406 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4407 global
4408 {not in Vi}
4409 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4410 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4411 of plugins.
4412 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4413 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4415 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4416 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4417 global
4418 {only available in Mac GUI version}
4419 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4420 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4421 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4422 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4423 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4424 to unset it: >
4425 if exists('&macatsui')
4426 set nomacatsui
4427 endif
4428 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4429 'termencoding'.
4431 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4432 'magic' boolean (default on)
4433 global
4434 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4435 See |pattern|.
4436 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4437 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4438 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4439 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4441 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4442 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4443 global
4444 {not in Vi}
4445 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4446 feature}
4447 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4448 and the |:grep| command.
4449 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4450 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4451 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4452 existing file.
4453 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4454 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4455 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4456 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4457 security reasons.
4459 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4460 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4461 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4462 {not in Vi}
4463 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4464 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4465 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4466 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4467 about including spaces and backslashes.
4468 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4469 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4470 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4471 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4472 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4473 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4474 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4475 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4476 security reasons.
4478 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4479 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4480 local to buffer
4481 {not in Vi}
4482 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4483 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4484 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4485 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4486 '>' (HTML): >
4487 :set mps+=<:>
4489 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4490 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4491 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4493 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4494 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4496 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4497 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4498 global
4499 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4500 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4501 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4502 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4504 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4505 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4506 global
4507 {not in Vi}
4508 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4509 feature}
4510 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4511 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4512 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4513 Maximum value is 6.
4514 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4515 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4516 See |mbyte-combining|.
4518 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4519 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4520 global
4521 {not in Vi}
4522 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4523 feature}
4524 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4525 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4526 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4527 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4528 See also |:function|.
4530 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4531 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4532 global
4533 {not in Vi}
4534 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4535 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4536 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4537 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4538 |key-mapping|.
4540 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4541 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4542 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4543 available)
4544 global
4545 {not in Vi}
4546 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4547 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4548 other memory to be freed. The maximum usable value is about 2000000.
4549 Use this to work without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4551 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4552 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4553 global
4554 {not in Vi}
4555 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4556 The maximum value is about 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4557 *E363*
4558 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4559 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4560 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4561 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4562 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4563 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4565 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4566 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4567 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4568 available)
4569 global
4570 {not in Vi}
4571 Maximum amount of memory in Kbyte to use for all buffers together.
4572 The maximum usable value is about 2000000 (2 Gbyte). Use this to work
4573 without a limit. On 64 bit machines higher values might work. But
4574 hey, do you really need more than 2 Gbyte for text editing?
4575 Also see 'maxmem'.
4577 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4578 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4579 global
4580 {not in Vi}
4581 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4582 feature}
4583 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4584 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4585 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4587 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4588 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4589 global
4590 {not in Vi}
4591 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4592 feature}
4593 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4594 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4595 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4596 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4597 this tuning is complicated.
4599 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4600 {start},{inc},{added}
4602 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4603 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4604 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4605 memory that is available to Vim.
4607 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4608 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4609 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4610 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4611 will be allocated.
4613 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4614 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4615 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4616 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4617 slower.
4619 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4620 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4621 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4622 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4623 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4624 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4626 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4627 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4628 Vi default: off)
4629 local to buffer
4630 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4631 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4632 global
4633 {not in Vi}
4634 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4635 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4636 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4637 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4638 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4640 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4641 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4642 local to buffer
4643 {not in Vi} *E21*
4644 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4645 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4646 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4648 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4649 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4650 local to buffer
4651 {not in Vi}
4652 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4653 when:
4654 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4655 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4656 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4657 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4658 when it was written.
4659 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4660 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4661 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4662 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4663 reset.
4664 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4665 will be ignored.
4667 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4668 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4669 global
4670 {not in Vi}
4671 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4672 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4673 listing continues until finished.
4674 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4675 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4677 *'mouse'* *E538*
4678 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4679 global
4680 {not in Vi}
4681 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4682 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
4683 sysmouse and Linux console with gpm). For using the mouse in the
4684 GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4685 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4686 n Normal mode
4687 v Visual mode
4688 i Insert mode
4689 c Command-line mode
4690 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4691 a all previous modes
4692 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4693 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4694 :set mouse=a
4695 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4696 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4698 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4700 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4701 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4702 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4703 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4705 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4706 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4707 global
4708 {not in Vi}
4709 {only works in the GUI}
4710 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4711 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4712 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4713 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4714 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4716 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4717 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4718 global
4719 {not in Vi}
4720 {only works in the GUI}
4721 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4722 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4724 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4725 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4726 global
4727 {not in Vi}
4728 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4729 the right mouse button is used for:
4730 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4731 like in an xterm.
4732 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4733 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4734 with Microsoft Windows.
4735 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4736 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4737 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4738 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4739 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4740 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4741 end Visual mode.
4742 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4743 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4744 left click place cursor place cursor
4745 left drag start selection start selection
4746 shift-left search word extend selection
4747 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4748 right drag extend selection -
4749 middle click paste paste
4751 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4752 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4754 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4755 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4756 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4758 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4760 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4761 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4762 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4763 global
4764 {not in Vi}
4765 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4766 feature}
4767 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4768 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4769 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4770 and an argument-list:
4771 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4772 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4773 In a normal window: ~
4774 n Normal mode
4775 v Visual mode
4776 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4777 if not specified)
4778 o Operator-pending mode
4779 i Insert mode
4780 r Replace mode
4782 Others: ~
4783 c appending to the command-line
4784 ci inserting in the command-line
4785 cr replacing in the command-line
4786 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4787 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4788 e any mode, pointer below last window
4789 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4790 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4791 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4792 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4793 a everywhere
4795 The shape is one of the following:
4796 avail name looks like ~
4797 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4798 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4799 w x beam I-beam
4800 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4801 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4802 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4803 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4804 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4805 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4806 x crosshair like a big thin +
4807 x hand1 black hand
4808 x hand2 white hand
4809 x pencil what you write with
4810 x question big ?
4811 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4812 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4813 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4815 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4816 x for X11.
4817 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4818 pointer.
4820 Example: >
4821 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4822 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4823 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4824 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4826 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4827 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4828 global
4829 {not in Vi}
4830 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4831 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4832 recognized as a multi click.
4834 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4835 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4836 global
4837 {not in Vi}
4838 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4839 feature}
4840 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4841 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4843 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4844 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4845 local to buffer
4846 {not in Vi}
4847 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4848 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4849 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4850 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4851 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4852 letter index a), b), etc.
4853 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4854 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4855 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4856 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4857 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4858 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4859 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4860 recognized as octal or hex.
4862 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4863 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4864 local to window
4865 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4866 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4867 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4868 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4869 number.
4870 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4871 characters are put before the number.
4872 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4874 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4875 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4876 local to window
4877 {not in Vi}
4878 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
4879 feature}
4880 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
4881 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
4882 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
4883 one less character for the number itself.
4884 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
4885 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
4886 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
4887 1000 lines five columns will be used.
4888 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
4889 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
4891 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
4892 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
4893 local to buffer
4894 {not in Vi}
4895 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4896 or +insert_expand feature}
4897 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
4898 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
4899 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
4900 invoked and what it should return.
4901 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
4902 |:filetype-plugin-on|
4905 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
4906 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
4907 global
4908 {not in Vi}
4909 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
4910 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
4911 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
4912 it is off by default.
4913 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
4914 result in editing a device.
4917 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
4918 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
4919 global
4920 {not in Vi}
4921 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
4922 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
4924 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4925 security reasons.
4928 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
4929 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
4930 others default: "")
4931 local to buffer
4932 {not in Vi}
4933 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
4934 feature}
4935 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
4936 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
4937 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
4938 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
4939 is used to set the operating system file type when file is written.
4940 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
4941 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
4943 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
4944 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP TPHPLIPpLpItpplpipbp")
4945 global
4946 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
4947 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
4949 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
4950 'paste' boolean (default off)
4951 global
4952 {not in Vi}
4953 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
4954 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
4955 unexpected effects.
4956 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
4957 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
4958 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
4959 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
4960 mouse clicks itself.
4961 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
4962 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
4963 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
4964 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
4965 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
4966 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
4967 - abbreviations are disabled
4968 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
4969 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
4970 - 'autoindent' is reset
4971 - 'smartindent' is reset
4972 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
4973 - 'revins' is reset
4974 - 'ruler' is reset
4975 - 'showmatch' is reset
4976 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
4977 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
4978 - 'lisp'
4979 - 'indentexpr'
4980 - 'cindent'
4981 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
4982 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
4983 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
4984 set the 'paste' option again.
4985 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
4986 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
4987 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
4988 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
4989 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
4991 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
4992 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
4993 global
4994 {not in Vi}
4995 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
4996 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
4997 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
4998 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
4999 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
5000 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
5001 Command-line mode.
5002 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
5003 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
5004 this: >
5005 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
5006 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
5007 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
5008 :imap <F11> <nop>
5009 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
5010 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
5011 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
5012 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
5013 sequence.
5014 When the value has several bytes 'ttimeoutlen' applies.
5016 *'pex'* *'patchexpr'*
5017 'patchexpr' 'pex' string (default "")
5018 global
5019 {not in Vi}
5020 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
5021 feature}
5022 Expression which is evaluated to apply a patch to a file and generate
5023 the resulting new version of the file. See |diff-patchexpr|.
5025 *'patchmode'* *'pm'* *E206*
5026 'patchmode' 'pm' string (default "")
5027 global
5028 {not in Vi}
5029 When non-empty the oldest version of a file is kept. This can be used
5030 to keep the original version of a file if you are changing files in a
5031 source distribution. Only the first time that a file is written a
5032 copy of the original file will be kept. The name of the copy is the
5033 name of the original file with the string in the 'patchmode' option
5034 appended. This option should start with a dot. Use a string like
5035 ".org". 'backupdir' must not be empty for this to work (Detail: The
5036 backup file is renamed to the patchmode file after the new file has
5037 been successfully written, that's why it must be possible to write a
5038 backup file). If there was no file to be backed up, an empty file is
5039 created.
5040 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a patchmode file is not made.
5041 Using 'patchmode' for compressed files appends the extension at the
5042 end (e.g., "file.gz.orig"), thus the resulting name isn't always
5043 recognized as a compressed file.
5044 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
5046 *'path'* *'pa'* *E343* *E345* *E347*
5047 'path' 'pa' string (default on Unix: ".,/usr/include,,"
5048 on OS/2: ".,/emx/include,,"
5049 other systems: ".,,")
5050 global or local to buffer |global-local|
5051 {not in Vi}
5052 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
5053 |gf|, [f, ]f, ^Wf, |:find|, |:sfind|, |:tabfind| and other commands,
5054 provided that the file being searched for has a relative path (not
5055 starting with "/", "./" or "../"). The directories in the 'path'
5056 option may be relative or absolute.
5057 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5058 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5059 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5060 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5061 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5062 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5063 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5064 backslash: >
5065 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5066 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5067 :set path=.
5068 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5069 commas: >
5070 :set path=,,
5071 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5072 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5073 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5074 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5075 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree using "*", "**" and
5076 ";". See |file-searching| for info and syntax.
5077 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5078 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5079 :set path=.,c:\\include
5080 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5081 :set path=.,c:/include
5082 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5083 the file!
5084 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5085 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5086 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5087 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5088 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5089 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5090 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5091 :set path-=
5092 < To add the current directory use: >
5093 :set path+=
5094 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5095 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5096 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5097 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5098 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5099 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5101 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5102 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5103 local to buffer
5104 {not in Vi}
5105 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5106 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5107 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5108 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5109 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5110 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5111 'expandtab' does not apply to the preserved white space, a Tab remains
5112 a Tab.
5113 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5114 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5115 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5116 Also see 'copyindent'.
5117 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5119 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5120 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5121 global
5122 {not in Vi}
5123 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5124 |+quickfix| feature}
5125 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5126 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5128 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5129 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5130 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5131 local to window
5132 {not in Vi}
5133 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5134 |+quickfix| feature}
5135 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5136 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5137 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5139 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5140 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5141 global
5142 {not in Vi}
5143 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5144 feature}
5145 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5146 See |pdev-option|.
5147 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5148 security reasons.
5150 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5151 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5152 global
5153 {not in Vi}
5154 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5155 and |+postscript| features}
5156 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5157 See |penc-option|.
5159 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5160 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5161 global
5162 {not in Vi}
5163 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5164 and |+postscript| features}
5165 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5166 See |pexpr-option|.
5168 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5169 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5170 global
5171 {not in Vi}
5172 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5173 feature}
5174 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5175 See |pfn-option|.
5177 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5178 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5179 global
5180 {not in Vi}
5181 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5182 feature}
5183 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5184 See |pheader-option|.
5186 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5187 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5188 global
5189 {not in Vi}
5190 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5191 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5192 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5193 See |pmbcs-option|.
5195 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5196 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5197 global
5198 {not in Vi}
5199 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5200 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5201 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5202 See |pmbfn-option|.
5204 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5205 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5206 global
5207 {not in Vi}
5208 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5209 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5210 See |popt-option|.
5212 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5213 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5214 global
5215 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5217 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5218 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5219 global
5220 {not available when compiled without the
5221 |+insert_expand| feature}
5222 {not in Vi}
5223 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5224 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5225 |ins-completion-menu|.
5228 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5229 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5230 local to buffer
5231 {not in Vi}
5232 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5233 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5234 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5235 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5236 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5238 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5239 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5240 local to buffer
5241 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5242 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5243 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5244 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5245 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5246 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5247 set for the newly edited buffer.
5249 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5250 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5251 global
5252 {not in Vi}
5253 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5254 feature}
5255 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5256 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5257 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5258 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5259 when using a very complicated pattern.
5261 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5262 'remap' boolean (default on)
5263 global
5264 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5265 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5266 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5267 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5268 old Vi scripts.
5270 *'report'*
5271 'report' number (default 2)
5272 global
5273 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5274 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5275 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5276 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5277 instead of the number of lines.
5279 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5280 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5281 global
5282 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5283 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5284 happens when executing external commands.
5286 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5287 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5288 set t_ti= t_te=
5289 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5290 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5291 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5293 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5294 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5295 global
5296 {not in Vi}
5297 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5298 feature}
5299 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5300 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5301 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5302 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5304 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5305 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5306 local to window
5307 {not in Vi}
5308 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5309 feature}
5310 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5311 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5312 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5313 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5314 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5315 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5316 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5317 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5318 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5320 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5321 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5322 local to window
5323 {not in Vi}
5324 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5325 feature}
5326 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5327 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5329 search "/" and "?" commands
5331 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5332 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5334 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5335 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5336 global
5337 {not in Vi}
5338 {not available when compiled without the
5339 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5340 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5341 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5342 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5343 Top first line is visible
5344 Bot last line is visible
5345 All first and last line are visible
5346 45% relative position in the file
5347 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5348 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5349 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5350 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5351 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5352 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5353 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5354 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5355 separated with a dash.
5356 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5357 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5358 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5359 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5360 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5361 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5363 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5364 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5365 global
5366 {not in Vi}
5367 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5368 feature}
5369 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5370 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5371 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5372 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5373 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5374 Example: >
5375 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5376 <
5377 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5378 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5379 Unix: "$HOME/.vim,
5380 $VIM/vimfiles,
5381 $VIMRUNTIME,
5382 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5383 $HOME/.vim/after"
5384 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5385 $VIM/vimfiles,
5386 $VIMRUNTIME,
5387 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5388 home:vimfiles/after"
5389 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5390 $VIM/vimfiles,
5391 $VIMRUNTIME,
5392 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5393 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5394 Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles,
5395 $VIMRUNTIME,
5396 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5397 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5398 $VIMRUNTIME,
5399 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5400 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5401 $VIM/vimfiles,
5402 $VIMRUNTIME,
5403 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5404 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5405 global
5406 {not in Vi}
5407 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5408 files:
5409 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5410 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5411 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5412 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5413 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5414 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5415 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5416 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5417 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5418 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5419 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5420 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5421 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5422 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5423 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5424 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5426 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5428 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5429 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5430 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5431 administrator.
5432 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5433 *after-directory*
5434 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5435 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5436 defaults (rarely needed)
5437 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5438 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5439 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5441 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5442 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5443 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5444 wildcards.
5445 See |:runtime|.
5446 Example: >
5447 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5448 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5449 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5450 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5451 files).
5452 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5453 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5454 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5455 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5456 runtime files.
5457 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5458 security reasons.
5460 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5461 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5462 local to window
5463 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5464 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5465 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5466 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5467 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5468 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5469 when lines wrap}
5471 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5472 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5473 local to window
5474 {not in Vi}
5475 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5476 feature}
5477 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5478 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5479 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5480 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5481 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5482 interpreted.
5483 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5484 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5485 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5487 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5488 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5489 global
5490 {not in Vi}
5491 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5492 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5493 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5494 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5495 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5496 height.
5497 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5499 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5500 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5501 global
5502 {not in Vi}
5503 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5504 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5505 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5506 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5507 when long lines wrap).
5508 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5509 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5511 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5512 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5513 global
5514 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5515 feature}
5516 {not in Vi}
5517 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5518 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5519 Options.
5520 The following words are available:
5521 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5522 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5523 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5524 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5525 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5526 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5527 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5528 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5529 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5530 to the desired position when possible.
5531 When now making that window the current one, two
5532 things can be done with the relative offset:
5533 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5534 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5535 window. When going back to the other window, the
5536 new relative offset will be used.
5537 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5538 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5539 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5540 same relative offset.
5541 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5542 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5543 even when "ver" isn't there.
5545 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5546 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5547 global
5548 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5549 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5550 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5552 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5553 'secure' boolean (default off)
5554 global
5555 {not in Vi}
5556 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5557 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5558 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5559 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5560 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5561 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5562 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5563 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5564 security reasons.
5566 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5567 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5568 global
5569 {not in Vi}
5570 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5571 in Visual and Select mode.
5572 Possible values:
5573 value past line inclusive ~
5574 old no yes
5575 inclusive yes yes
5576 exclusive yes no
5577 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5578 character past the line.
5579 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5580 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5581 selection.
5582 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5583 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5584 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5586 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5588 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5589 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5590 global
5591 {not in Vi}
5592 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5593 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5594 Possible values:
5595 mouse when using the mouse
5596 key when using shifted special keys
5597 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5598 See |Select-mode|.
5599 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5601 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5602 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5603 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5604 global
5605 {not in Vi}
5606 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5607 feature}
5608 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5609 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5610 something:
5611 word save and restore ~
5612 blank empty windows
5613 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5614 curdir the current directory
5615 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5616 fold options
5617 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5618 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5619 String and Number types are stored.
5620 help the help window
5621 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5622 global values for local options)
5623 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5624 options)
5625 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5626 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5627 will become the current directory (useful with
5628 projects accessed over a network from different
5629 systems)
5630 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5631 slashes
5632 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5633 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5634 tab page separately
5635 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5636 on Windows or DOS
5637 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5638 winsize window sizes
5640 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5641 When neither "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored
5642 with absolute paths.
5643 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5644 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5645 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5647 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5648 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5649 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5650 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5651 global
5652 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5653 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5654 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5655 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5656 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5657 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5658 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5659 it in quotes. Example: >
5660 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5661 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5662 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5663 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5664 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5665 separators.
5666 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5667 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5668 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5669 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5670 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5671 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5672 filtering).
5673 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5674 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5675 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5676 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5677 security reasons.
5679 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5680 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5681 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5682 global
5683 {not in Vi}
5684 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5685 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5686 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5687 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5688 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5689 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5690 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5691 security reasons.
5693 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5694 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5695 global
5696 {not in Vi}
5697 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5698 feature}
5699 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5700 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5701 including spaces and backslashes.
5702 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5703 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5704 of this option).
5705 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5706 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5707 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5708 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5709 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5710 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5711 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5712 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5713 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5714 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5715 explicitly set before.
5716 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5717 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5718 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5719 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5720 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5721 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5722 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5723 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5724 security reasons.
5726 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5727 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5728 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5729 global
5730 {not in Vi}
5731 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5732 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5733 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5734 probably not useful to set both options.
5735 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5736 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5737 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5738 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5739 user. See |dos-shell|.
5740 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5741 security reasons.
5743 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5744 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5745 global
5746 {not in Vi}
5747 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5748 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5749 and backslashes.
5750 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5751 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5752 of this option).
5753 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5754 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5755 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5756 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5757 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5758 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5759 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5760 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5761 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5762 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5763 explicitly set before.
5764 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5765 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5766 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5767 security reasons.
5769 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5770 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5771 global
5772 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5773 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5774 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5775 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5776 forward slashes by Vim.
5777 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5778 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5779 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5780 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5781 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5782 if exists('+shellslash')
5783 <
5784 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5785 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5786 global
5787 {not in Vi}
5788 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5789 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5790 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5791 :if has("filterpipe")
5792 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5793 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5794 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5795 can be detected.
5796 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5797 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5798 'shelltemp' is off.
5800 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5801 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5802 global
5803 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5804 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5805 which use a shell.
5806 0 and 1: always use the shell
5807 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5808 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5809 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5811 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5812 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5814 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5815 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5816 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5817 somewhere: "\""
5818 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5819 global
5820 {not in Vi}
5821 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5822 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5823 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5824 to set both options.
5825 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5826 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5827 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5828 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5829 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5830 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5831 security reasons.
5833 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5834 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5835 global
5836 {not in Vi}
5837 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5838 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5839 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5840 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5842 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5843 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5844 local to buffer
5845 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5846 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5848 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5849 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5850 POSIX default: "A")
5851 global
5852 {not in Vi}
5853 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5854 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5855 It is a list of flags:
5856 flag meaning when present ~
5857 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5858 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5859 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5860 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5861 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5862 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5863 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5864 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5865 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5866 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5867 a all of the above abbreviations
5869 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5870 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5871 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5872 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5873 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5874 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5875 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5876 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
5877 Ignored in Ex mode.
5878 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
5879 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
5880 Ignored in Ex mode.
5881 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
5882 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
5883 is found.
5884 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
5886 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
5887 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
5888 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
5889 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
5890 Useful values:
5891 shm= No abbreviation of message.
5892 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
5893 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
5895 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5896 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5898 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
5899 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
5900 local to buffer
5901 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
5902 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
5903 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
5904 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
5905 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
5906 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
5907 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
5908 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
5909 option is always on by default.
5911 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
5912 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
5913 global
5914 {not in Vi}
5915 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
5916 feature}
5917 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
5918 values are "> " or "+++ ": >
5919 :set showbreak=>\
5920 < Note the backslash to escape the trailing space. It's easier like
5921 this: >
5922 :let &showbreak = '+++ '
5923 < Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
5924 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
5925 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
5926 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
5927 'highlight'.
5928 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
5929 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
5930 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
5932 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
5933 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
5934 off)
5935 global
5936 {not in Vi}
5937 {not available when compiled without the
5938 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5939 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
5940 option off if your terminal is slow.
5941 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
5942 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
5943 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
5944 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters:
5945 {lines}x{columns}.
5946 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5947 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5949 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
5950 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
5951 global
5952 {not in Vi}
5953 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
5954 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
5955 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
5956 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
5957 required (coding style permitting).
5958 Note that this doesn't work well together with having "longest" in
5959 'completeopt', because the completion from the search pattern may not
5960 match the typed text.
5962 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
5963 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
5964 global
5965 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
5966 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
5967 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
5968 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
5969 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5970 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
5971 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
5972 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
5973 blinking when showing the match.
5974 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
5975 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
5976 matches.
5977 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
5978 around |pi_paren.txt|.
5979 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
5981 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
5982 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
5983 global
5984 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
5985 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
5986 this message.
5987 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
5988 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
5989 not set.
5990 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5991 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5993 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
5994 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
5995 global
5996 {not in Vi}
5997 {not available when compiled without the +windows
5998 feature}
5999 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
6000 will be displayed:
6001 0: never
6002 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
6003 2: always
6004 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
6005 line.
6006 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
6008 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
6009 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
6010 global
6011 {not in Vi}
6012 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
6013 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
6014 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
6015 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
6016 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
6017 commands.
6019 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
6020 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
6021 global
6022 {not in Vi}
6023 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
6024 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
6025 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
6026 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
6027 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
6028 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
6029 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
6030 close to the beginning of the line.
6031 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6033 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
6034 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
6035 onto the "extends" character:
6037 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
6038 :set sidescrolloff=1
6041 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6042 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6043 global
6044 {not in Vi}
6045 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6046 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6047 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6048 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6049 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6050 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6051 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6053 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6054 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6055 local to buffer
6056 {not in Vi}
6057 {not available when compiled without the
6058 |+smartindent| feature}
6059 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6060 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6061 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6062 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6063 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6064 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6065 An indent is automatically inserted:
6066 - After a line ending in '{'.
6067 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6068 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6069 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6070 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6071 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6072 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6073 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6074 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6075 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6076 right.
6077 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6078 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6080 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6081 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6082 global
6083 {not in Vi}
6084 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6085 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6086 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6087 line.
6088 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6089 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6090 right |shift-left-right|.
6091 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6092 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6093 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6094 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6096 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6097 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6098 local to buffer
6099 {not in Vi}
6100 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6101 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6102 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6103 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6104 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6105 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6106 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6107 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6108 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6109 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6110 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6111 set.
6112 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6114 If Vim is compiled with the |+vartabs| feature then the value of
6115 'softtabstop' will be ignored if |'varsofttabstop'| is set to
6116 anything other than an empty string.
6118 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6119 'spell' boolean (default off)
6120 local to window
6121 {not in Vi}
6122 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6123 feature}
6124 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6125 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6127 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6128 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6129 local to buffer
6130 {not in Vi}
6131 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6132 feature}
6133 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6134 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6135 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6136 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6137 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6138 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6139 including spaces and backslashes.
6140 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6141 |set-spc-auto|.
6143 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6144 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6145 local to buffer
6146 {not in Vi}
6147 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6148 feature}
6149 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6150 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6151 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6152 *E765*
6153 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6154 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6155 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6156 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6157 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6158 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6159 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6160 ignoring the region.
6161 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6162 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6163 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6164 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6165 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6166 without region name will be found.
6167 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6168 security reasons.
6170 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6171 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6172 local to buffer
6173 {not in Vi}
6174 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6175 feature}
6176 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6177 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6178 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6179 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6180 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6181 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6182 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6183 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6184 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6185 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6186 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6187 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6188 Britain.
6189 *E757*
6190 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6191 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6192 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6193 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6194 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6195 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6196 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6197 files twice.
6198 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6200 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6201 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6202 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6204 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6205 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6206 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6207 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6210 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6211 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6212 global
6213 {not in Vi}
6214 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6215 feature}
6216 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6217 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6218 items:
6220 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6221 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6222 scoring to improve the ordering.
6224 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6225 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6226 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6227 word. That only works when the language specifies
6228 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6229 better results.
6231 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6232 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6233 simple typing mistakes.
6235 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6236 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6237 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6238 minus two.
6240 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6241 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6242 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6243 Example:
6244 theribal/terrible ~
6245 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6246 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6247 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6248 comments.
6249 The file is used for all languages.
6251 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6252 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6253 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6254 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6255 Example:
6256 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6257 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6258 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6259 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6260 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6261 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6262 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6264 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6265 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6266 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6267 <
6268 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6269 security reasons.
6272 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6273 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6274 global
6275 {not in Vi}
6276 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6277 feature}
6278 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6279 one. |:split|
6281 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6282 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6283 global
6284 {not in Vi}
6285 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6286 feature}
6287 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6288 current one. |:vsplit|
6290 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6291 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6292 global
6293 {not in Vi}
6294 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6295 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6296 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6297 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6298 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6299 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6300 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6301 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6302 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6303 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6305 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6306 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6307 global or local to window |global-local|
6308 {not in Vi}
6309 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6310 feature}
6311 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6312 Also see |status-line|.
6314 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6315 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6316 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6317 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6318 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6320 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6321 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6322 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6323 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6325 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6326 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6328 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6329 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6331 field meaning ~
6332 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6333 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6334 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6335 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6336 Value must be 50 or less.
6337 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6338 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6339 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6340 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6341 an exponential notation.
6342 item A one letter code as described below.
6344 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6345 second character in "item" is the type:
6346 N for number
6347 S for string
6348 F for flags as described below
6349 - not applicable
6351 item meaning ~
6352 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6353 directory.
6354 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6355 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6356 m F Modified flag, text is "[+]"; "[-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6357 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6358 r F Readonly flag, text is "[RO]".
6359 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6360 h F Help buffer flag, text is "[help]".
6361 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6362 w F Preview window flag, text is "[Preview]".
6363 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6364 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., "[vim]". See 'filetype'.
6365 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6366 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6367 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6368 being used: "<keymap>"
6369 n N Buffer number.
6370 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6371 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6372 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6373 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6374 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6375 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6376 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6377 l N Line number.
6378 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6379 c N Column number.
6380 v N Virtual column number.
6381 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6382 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6383 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6384 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6385 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6386 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6387 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6388 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6389 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6390 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6391 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6392 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6393 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6394 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6395 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6396 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6397 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6398 No width fields allowed.
6399 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6400 No width fields allowed.
6401 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6402 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6403 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6404 windows.
6405 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6406 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6407 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6408 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6409 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6411 When displaying a flag, Vim removes the leading comma, if any, when
6412 that flag comes right after plaintext. This will make a nice display
6413 when flags are used like in the examples below.
6415 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6416 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6417 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6418 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6419 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6420 <
6421 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6422 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6423 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6424 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6425 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6426 real current buffer.
6428 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6429 |sandbox-option|.
6431 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6432 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6434 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6435 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6436 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6437 :let &ro = &ro
6439 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6440 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6441 described above.
6443 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6444 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6445 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6447 Examples:
6448 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6449 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6450 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6451 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6452 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6453 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6454 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6455 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6456 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6457 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6458 :let b:gzflag = 1
6459 < And: >
6460 :unlet b:gzflag
6461 < And define this function: >
6462 :function VarExists(var, val)
6463 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6464 :endfunction
6465 <
6466 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6467 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6468 global
6469 {not in Vi}
6470 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6471 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6472 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6473 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6474 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6475 including spaces and backslashes).
6476 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6477 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6478 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6479 uses another default.
6481 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6482 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6483 local to buffer
6484 {not in Vi}
6485 {not available when compiled without the
6486 |+file_in_path| feature}
6487 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6488 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6489 :set suffixesadd=.java
6490 <
6491 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6492 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6493 local to buffer
6494 {not in Vi}
6495 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6496 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6497 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6498 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6499 - Don't use this for big files.
6500 - Recovery will be impossible!
6501 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6502 'swapfile' is set.
6503 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6504 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6505 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6506 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6508 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6509 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6511 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6512 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6513 global
6514 {not in Vi}
6515 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6516 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6517 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6518 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6519 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6520 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6521 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6522 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6523 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6524 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6526 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6527 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6528 global
6529 {not in Vi}
6530 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6531 Possible values (comma separated list):
6532 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6533 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6534 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6535 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6536 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6537 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6538 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6539 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6540 pages.
6541 split If included, split the current window before loading
6542 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6543 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6544 newtab Like "split", but open a new tab page. Overrules
6545 "split" when both are present.
6547 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6548 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6549 local to buffer
6550 {not in Vi}
6551 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6552 feature}
6553 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6554 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6555 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6556 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6557 long line.
6558 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6560 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6561 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6562 local to buffer
6563 {not in Vi}
6564 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6565 feature}
6566 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6567 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6568 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6569 b:current_syntax variable does).
6570 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6571 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6572 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6573 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6574 names. Example:
6575 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6576 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6577 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6578 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6579 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6580 :set syntax=OFF
6581 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6582 'filetype' option: >
6583 :set syntax=ON
6584 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6585 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6586 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6587 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6588 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6590 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6591 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6592 global
6593 {not in Vi}
6594 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6595 feature}
6596 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6597 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6598 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6600 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6601 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6602 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6603 instead.
6605 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6606 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6607 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6608 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6610 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6611 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6614 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6615 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6616 global
6617 {not in Vi}
6618 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6619 feature}
6620 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6621 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6624 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6625 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6626 local to buffer
6627 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6628 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6630 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6631 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6633 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6634 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6635 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6636 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6637 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6638 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6639 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6640 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6641 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6642 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6643 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6644 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6645 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6646 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6647 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6648 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6649 changed.
6651 If Vim is compiled with the |+vartabs| feature then the value of
6652 'tabstop' will be ignored if |'vartabstop'| is set to anything other
6653 than an empty string.
6655 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6656 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6657 global
6658 {not in Vi}
6659 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6660 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6661 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6662 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6663 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6664 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6665 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6667 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6668 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6669 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6670 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6672 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6673 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6674 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some comment/
6675 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6677 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6678 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6679 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6680 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6681 be found in the retry.
6683 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6684 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6685 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6686 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6687 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6688 5.x or higher (at least 5.5) the --sort=foldcase switch can be used
6689 for this as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this
6690 to work.
6692 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6693 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6694 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6695 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6696 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6697 must be included in the tags file.
6698 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6699 command-line completion and ":help").
6700 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6702 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6703 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6704 global
6705 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6707 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6708 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6709 global
6710 {not in Vi}
6711 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6712 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6713 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6714 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6716 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6717 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6718 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6719 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6720 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6721 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6722 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6723 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6724 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6725 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6726 |tags-option|.
6727 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6728 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6729 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6730 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6731 actually used.
6732 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6733 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6734 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6735 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6736 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6737 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6738 uses another default.
6739 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6741 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6742 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6743 global
6744 {not in all versions of Vi}
6745 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6746 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6747 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6748 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6749 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6750 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6751 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6753 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6754 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6755 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6756 on Amiga: "amiga"
6757 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6758 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6759 on MiNT: "vt52"
6760 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6761 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6762 on Unix: "ansi"
6763 on VMS: "ansi"
6764 on Win 32: "win32")
6765 global
6766 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6767 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6768 For example: >
6769 :set term=$TERM
6770 < See |termcap|.
6772 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6773 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6774 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6775 global
6776 {not in Vi}
6777 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6778 feature}
6779 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6780 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6781 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6782 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6783 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6784 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6785 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6786 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6787 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6789 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6790 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""; with GTK+ 2 GUI: "utf-8"; with
6791 Macintosh GUI: "macroman")
6792 global
6793 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6794 feature}
6795 {not in Vi}
6796 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6797 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6798 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6799 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6800 'termencoding' should be "macroman".
6801 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6802 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6803 *E617*
6804 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 GUI. After the GUI has been
6805 successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set to "utf-8".
6806 Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected, and an error
6807 message is shown.
6808 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6809 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6810 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6811 This is the normal value.
6812 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6813 |encoding-table|.
6814 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6815 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6816 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6817 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6818 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6819 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6820 :set encoding=utf-8
6821 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6823 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6824 'terse' boolean (default off)
6825 global
6826 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6827 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6828 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6829 shortens a lot of messages}
6831 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6832 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6833 global
6834 {not in Vi}
6835 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6836 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6837 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6838 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6839 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6840 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6842 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6843 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6844 others: default off)
6845 local to buffer
6846 {not in Vi}
6847 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6848 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6849 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6850 "unix".
6852 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6853 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6854 local to buffer
6855 {not in Vi}
6856 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6857 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6858 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6859 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6860 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6861 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6862 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6864 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6865 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6866 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6867 {not in Vi}
6868 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6869 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6870 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6871 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6872 length is 510 bytes.
6873 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6874 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6875 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6876 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6877 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6878 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6879 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6880 uses another default.
6881 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6883 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
6884 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
6885 global
6886 {not in Vi}
6887 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
6888 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6890 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
6891 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
6892 global
6893 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
6894 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
6895 global
6896 {not in Vi}
6897 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
6898 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
6900 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
6901 off off do not time out
6902 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
6903 off on time out on key codes
6905 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
6906 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
6907 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
6908 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
6909 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
6910 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
6911 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
6912 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
6913 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
6914 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
6915 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
6916 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
6917 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
6918 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
6919 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
6920 reset the 'timeout' option.
6922 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6924 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
6925 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
6926 global
6927 {not in all versions of Vi}
6928 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
6929 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
6930 global
6931 {not in Vi}
6932 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
6933 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
6934 when part of a command has been typed.
6935 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
6936 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
6937 a non-negative number.
6939 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
6940 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
6941 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
6943 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
6944 tell so. A useful setting would be >
6945 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
6946 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
6947 a tenth of a second).
6949 *'title'* *'notitle'*
6950 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
6951 global
6952 {not in Vi}
6953 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6954 feature}
6955 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
6956 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
6957 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
6958 Where:
6959 filename the name of the file being edited
6960 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
6961 + indicates the file was modified
6962 = indicates the file is read-only
6963 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
6964 (path) is the path of the file being edited
6965 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
6966 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
6967 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
6968 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
6969 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
6970 *X11*
6971 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6972 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
6973 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
6974 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
6975 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
6976 will not work (except in the GUI).
6977 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
6978 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
6979 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
6980 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
6981 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
6982 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
6983 exiting Vim.
6985 *'titlelen'*
6986 'titlelen' number (default 85)
6987 global
6988 {not in Vi}
6989 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6990 feature}
6991 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
6992 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
6993 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
6994 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
6995 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
6996 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
6997 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
6998 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
6999 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
7001 *'titleold'*
7002 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
7003 global
7004 {not in Vi}
7005 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
7006 feature}
7007 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
7008 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
7009 'titlestring' is not empty.
7010 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7011 security reasons.
7012 *'titlestring'*
7013 'titlestring' string (default "")
7014 global
7015 {not in Vi}
7016 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
7017 feature}
7018 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
7019 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
7020 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
7021 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
7022 non-empty 't_ts' option).
7023 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
7024 be restored if possible |X11|.
7025 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
7026 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
7027 Example: >
7028 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
7029 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
7030 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
7031 of the available space.
7032 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
7033 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
7034 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
7035 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
7036 separating space only when needed.
7037 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
7038 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
7039 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
7041 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
7042 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
7043 global
7044 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif| and
7045 |+GUI_Photon|}
7046 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
7047 possible values are:
7048 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
7049 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7050 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7051 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7052 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7053 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7054 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7056 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7057 following: >
7058 :set tb=icons,text
7059 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7060 will show icons if both are requested.
7062 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7063 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7064 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7065 :set guioptions-=T
7066 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7068 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7069 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7070 global
7071 {not in Vi}
7072 {only in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
7073 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7074 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7075 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7076 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7077 large Use large toolbar icons.
7078 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7079 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7080 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16.
7082 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7083 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7085 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7086 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7087 global
7088 {not in Vi}
7089 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7090 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7091 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7092 the change to take effect, for example: >
7093 :set notbi term=$TERM
7094 < See also |termcap|.
7095 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7096 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7097 xterm entries...).
7099 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7100 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7101 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7102 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7103 a DOS console)
7104 global
7105 {not in Vi}
7106 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7107 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7108 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7109 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7110 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7111 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7112 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7114 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7115 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7116 global
7117 {not in Vi}
7118 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7119 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7120 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7121 Currently these strings are valid:
7122 *xterm-mouse*
7123 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7124 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7125 "s" = button state
7126 "c" = column plus 33
7127 "r" = row plus 33
7128 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7129 solution.
7130 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7131 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7132 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7133 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7134 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7135 automatically.
7136 *netterm-mouse*
7137 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7138 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7139 for the row and column.
7140 *dec-mouse*
7141 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7142 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7143 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7144 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7145 *jsbterm-mouse*
7146 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7147 *pterm-mouse*
7148 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7150 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7151 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7152 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7153 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7154 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7155 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7156 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7157 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7158 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7159 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7160 handle xterm mouse codes.
7161 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7162 95 or higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7163 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7164 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7165 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7166 t_RV to an empty string: >
7167 :set t_RV=
7168 <
7169 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7170 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7171 global
7172 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7173 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7174 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7175 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7177 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7178 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7179 global
7180 Alias for 'term', see above.
7182 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7183 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7184 Win32 and OS/2)
7185 global
7186 {not in Vi}
7187 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7188 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7189 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7190 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7191 itself: >
7192 set ul=0
7193 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7194 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7195 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7196 set ul=-1
7197 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7198 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7200 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7201 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7202 global
7203 {not in Vi}
7204 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7205 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7206 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7207 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7208 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7209 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7210 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7211 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7212 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7213 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7214 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7215 or "nowrite".
7217 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7218 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7219 global
7220 {not in Vi}
7221 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7222 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7223 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7225 *'varsofttabstop'* *'vsts'*
7226 'varsofttabstop' 'vsts' string (default "")
7227 local to buffer
7228 {only available when compiled with the |+vartabs|
7229 feature}
7230 {not in Vi}
7231 A list of the number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while editing,
7232 such as inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like variable-
7233 width <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mixture of spaces
7234 and <Tab>s is used. Tab widths are separated with commas, with the
7235 final value applying to all subsequent tabs.
7237 For example, when editing assembly language files where statements
7238 start in the 8th column and comments in the 40th, it may be useful
7239 to use the following: >
7240 :set varsofttabstop=8,32,8
7241 < This will set soft tabstops at the 8th and 40th columns, and at every
7242 8th column thereafter.
7244 Note that the value of |'softtabstop'| will be ignored while
7245 'varsofttabstop' is set.
7247 *'vartabstop'* *'vts'*
7248 'vartabstop' 'vts' string (default 8)
7249 local to buffer
7250 {only available when compiled with the |+vartabs|
7251 feature}
7252 {not in Vi}
7253 A list of the number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for,
7254 separated by commas. Each value corresponds to one tab, with the
7255 final value applying to all subsequent tabs. For example: >
7256 :set vartabstop=4,20,10,8
7257 < This will make the first tab 4 spaces wide, the second 20 spaces,
7258 the third 10 spaces, and all following tabs 8 spaces.
7260 Note that the value of |'tabstop'| will be ignored while 'vartabstop'
7261 is set.
7263 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7264 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7265 global
7266 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7267 verbose option}
7268 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7269 Currently, these messages are given:
7270 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7271 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7272 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7273 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7274 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7275 >= 12 Every executed function.
7276 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7277 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7278 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7280 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7281 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7283 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7284 displayed.
7286 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7287 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7288 global
7289 {not in Vi}
7290 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7291 When the file exists messages are appended.
7292 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7293 empty.
7294 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7295 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7296 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7298 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7299 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7300 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7301 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7302 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7303 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7304 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7305 global
7306 {not in Vi}
7307 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7308 feature}
7309 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7310 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7311 security reasons.
7313 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7314 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7315 global
7316 {not in Vi}
7317 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7318 feature}
7319 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7320 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7321 word save and restore ~
7322 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7323 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7324 fold options
7325 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7326 global values for local options)
7327 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7328 slashes
7329 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7330 on Windows or DOS
7332 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7333 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7334 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7336 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7337 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7338 Windows and OS/2: '100,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7339 for Amiga: '100,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7340 for others: '100,<50,s10,h)
7341 global
7342 {not in Vi}
7343 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7344 feature}
7345 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7346 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7347 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7348 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7349 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7350 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7351 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7352 the effect of their value.
7353 CHAR VALUE ~
7354 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7355 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7356 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7357 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7358 stored.
7359 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7360 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7361 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7362 start of a comment!
7363 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7364 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7365 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7366 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7367 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7368 to the viminfo file.
7369 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7370 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7371 buffers are stored.
7372 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7373 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7374 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7375 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7376 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7377 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7378 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7379 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7380 'history' is used.
7381 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7382 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7383 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7384 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7385 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7386 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7387 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7388 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7389 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7390 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7391 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7392 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7393 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7394 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7395 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7396 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7397 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7398 has been used since the last search command.
7399 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7400 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7401 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7402 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7403 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7404 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7405 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7406 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7407 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7408 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7409 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7410 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7411 characters.
7412 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7413 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7414 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7415 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7417 Example: >
7418 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7419 <
7420 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7421 edited.
7422 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7423 remembered.
7424 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7425 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7426 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7427 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7428 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7429 previous search and substitute patterns.
7430 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7431 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7433 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7434 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7436 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7437 security reasons.
7439 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7440 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7441 global
7442 {not in Vi}
7443 {not available when compiled without the
7444 |+virtualedit| feature}
7445 A comma separated list of these words:
7446 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7447 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7448 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7449 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7451 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7452 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7453 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7454 editing a table.
7455 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7456 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7457 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7458 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7459 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7460 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7461 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7462 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7463 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7464 not get a warning for it.
7466 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7467 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7468 global
7469 {not in Vi}
7470 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7471 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7472 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7473 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7474 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7475 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7476 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7477 where 40 is the time in msec.
7478 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7479 Also see 'errorbells'.
7481 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7482 'warn' boolean (default on)
7483 global
7484 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7485 has been changed.
7487 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7488 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7489 global
7490 {not in Vi}
7491 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7492 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7493 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7494 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7496 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7497 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7498 global
7499 {not in Vi}
7500 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7501 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7502 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7503 char key mode ~
7504 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7505 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7506 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7507 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7508 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7509 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7510 ~ "~" Normal
7511 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7512 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7513 For example: >
7514 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7515 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7516 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7517 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7518 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7519 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7520 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7521 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7522 cursor.
7523 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7524 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7525 "yl" etc. work normally.
7526 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7527 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7529 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7530 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7531 global
7532 {not in Vi}
7533 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7534 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7535 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7536 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7537 'wildcharm' for that.
7538 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7539 :set wc=<Esc>
7540 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7541 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7543 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7544 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7545 global
7546 {not in Vi}
7547 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7548 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7549 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7550 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7551 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7552 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7553 :cnoremap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7554 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7556 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7557 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7558 global
7559 {not in Vi}
7560 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7561 feature}
7562 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7563 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names, and
7564 influences the result of |expand()|, |glob()| and |globpath()| unless
7565 a flag is passed to disable this.
7566 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7567 Also see 'suffixes'.
7568 Example: >
7569 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7570 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7571 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7572 uses another default.
7574 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7575 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7576 global
7577 {not in Vi}
7578 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7579 feature}
7580 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7581 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7582 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7583 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7584 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7585 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7586 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7587 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7588 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7589 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7590 as needed.
7591 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7592 for selecting a completion.
7593 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7594 meanings:
7596 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7597 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7598 subdirectory or submenu.
7599 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7600 dot: move into a submenu.
7601 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7602 parent directory or parent menu.
7604 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7606 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7607 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7608 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7609 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7610 <
7611 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7612 |hl-WildMenu|.
7614 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7615 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7616 global
7617 {not in Vi}
7618 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7619 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7620 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7621 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7622 The second part for the second use, etc.
7623 These are the possible values for each part:
7624 "" Complete only the first match.
7625 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7626 the original string is used and then the first match
7627 again.
7628 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7629 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7630 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7631 enabled.
7632 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7633 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7634 complete first match.
7635 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7636 complete till longest common string.
7637 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7639 Examples: >
7640 :set wildmode=full
7641 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7642 :set wildmode=longest,full
7643 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7644 :set wildmode=list:full
7645 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7646 :set wildmode=list,full
7647 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7648 :set wildmode=longest,list
7649 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7650 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7652 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7653 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7654 global
7655 {not in Vi}
7656 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7657 feature}
7658 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7659 Currently only one word is allowed:
7660 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7661 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7662 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7663 d #define
7664 f function
7665 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7667 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7668 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7669 global
7670 {not in Vi}
7671 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7672 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7673 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7674 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7675 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7676 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7677 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7678 done with the |:simalt| command.
7679 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7680 combinations cannot be mapped.
7681 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7682 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7683 keys can be mapped.
7684 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7685 key is never used for the menu.
7686 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7687 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7689 *'window'* *'wi'*
7690 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7691 global
7692 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7693 use 'lines' for that.
7694 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7695 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7696 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7697 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7698 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7699 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7700 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7701 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7703 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7704 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7705 global
7706 {not in Vi}
7707 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7708 feature}
7709 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7710 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7711 focus goes to a window that is smaller, its size is increased, at the
7712 cost of the height of other windows.
7713 Set 'winheight' to a small number for normal editing.
7714 Set it to 999 to make the current window fill most of the screen.
7715 Other windows will be only 'winminheight' high. This has the drawback
7716 that ":all" will create only two windows. To avoid "vim -o 1 2 3 4"
7717 to create only two windows, set the option after startup is done,
7718 using the |VimEnter| event: >
7719 au VimEnter * set winheight=999
7720 < Minimum value is 1.
7721 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands that change the
7722 height of the current window.
7723 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7724 the minimal height for other windows.
7726 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7727 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7728 local to window
7729 {not in Vi}
7730 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7731 feature}
7732 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7733 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7734 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7735 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7737 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7738 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7739 local to window
7740 {not in Vi}
7741 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7742 feature}
7743 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7744 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7745 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7747 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7748 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7749 global
7750 {not in Vi}
7751 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7752 feature}
7753 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7754 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7755 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7756 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7757 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7758 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7759 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7760 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7761 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7763 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7764 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7765 global
7766 {not in Vi}
7767 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7768 feature}
7769 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7770 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7771 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7772 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7773 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7774 to go.)
7775 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7776 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7777 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7778 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7780 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7781 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7782 global
7783 {not in Vi}
7784 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7785 feature}
7786 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7787 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7788 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7789 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7790 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7791 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7792 width of the current window.
7793 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7794 the minimal width for other windows.
7796 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7797 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7798 local to window
7799 {not in Vi}
7800 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7801 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7802 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7803 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7804 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7805 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7806 horizontally.
7807 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7808 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7809 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7810 :set sidescroll=5
7811 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7812 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7813 This option can't be set from a |modeline| when the 'diff' option is
7814 on.
7816 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7817 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7818 local to buffer
7819 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7820 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7821 and inserting continues on the next line.
7822 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7823 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7824 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7825 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7826 and less usefully}
7828 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7829 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7830 global
7831 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7832 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7834 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7835 'write' boolean (default on)
7836 global
7837 {not in Vi}
7838 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7839 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7840 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7841 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7842 writing a temporary file.
7844 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7845 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7846 global
7847 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7849 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7850 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7851 otherwise)
7852 global
7853 {not in Vi}
7854 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7855 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7856 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7857 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7858 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7859 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7860 set.
7862 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7863 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7864 global
7865 {not in Vi}
7866 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7867 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7868 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7870 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: