1 *cmdline.txt* For Vim version 7.0. Last change: 2006 Apr 30
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 *Cmdline-mode* *Command-line-mode*
8 Command-line mode *Cmdline* *Command-line* *mode-cmdline* *:*
10 Command-line mode is used to enter Ex commands (":"), search patterns
11 ("/" and "?"), and filter commands ("!").
13 Basic command line editing is explained in chapter 20 of the user manual
16 1. Command-line editing |cmdline-editing|
17 2. Command-line completion |cmdline-completion|
18 3. Ex command-lines |cmdline-lines|
19 4. Ex command-line ranges |cmdline-ranges|
20 5. Ex command-line flags |ex-flags|
21 6. Ex special characters |cmdline-special|
22 7. Command-line window |cmdline-window|
24 ==============================================================================
25 1. Command-line editing *cmdline-editing*
27 Normally characters are inserted in front of the cursor position. You can
28 move around in the command-line with the left and right cursor keys. With the
29 <Insert> key, you can toggle between inserting and overstriking characters.
30 {Vi: can only alter the last character in the line}
32 Note that if your keyboard does not have working cursor keys or any of the
33 other special keys, you can use ":cnoremap" to define another key for them.
34 For example, to define tcsh style editing keys: *tcsh-style* >
35 :cnoremap <C-A> <Home>
36 :cnoremap <C-F> <Right>
37 :cnoremap <C-B> <Left>
38 :cnoremap <Esc>b <S-Left>
39 :cnoremap <Esc>f <S-Right>
40 (<> notation |<>|; type all this literally)
43 When the command line is getting longer than what fits on the screen, only the
44 part that fits will be shown. The cursor can only move in this visible part,
45 thus you cannot edit beyond that.
47 *cmdline-history* *history*
48 The command-lines that you enter are remembered in a history table. You can
49 recall them with the up and down cursor keys. There are actually five
51 - one for ':' commands
52 - one for search strings
54 - one for input lines, typed for the |input()| function.
55 - one for debug mode commands
56 These are completely separate. Each history can only be accessed when
57 entering the same type of line.
58 Use the 'history' option to set the number of lines that are remembered
61 - When you enter a command-line that is exactly the same as an older one, the
62 old one is removed (to avoid repeated commands moving older commands out of
64 - Only commands that are typed are remembered. Ones that completely come from
65 mappings are not put in the history
66 - All searches are put in the search history, including the ones that come
67 from commands like "*" and "#". But for a mapping, only the last search is
68 remembered (to avoid that long mappings trash the history).
70 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| feature}
72 There is an automatic completion of names on the command-line; see
76 CTRL-V Insert next non-digit literally. Up to three digits form the
77 decimal value of a single byte. The non-digit and the three
78 digits are not considered for mapping. This works the same
79 way as in Insert mode (see above, |i_CTRL-V|).
80 Note: Under Windows CTRL-V is often mapped to paste text.
81 Use CTRL-Q instead then.
83 CTRL-Q Same as CTRL-V. But with some terminals it is used for
84 control flow, it doesn't work then.
91 <S-Left> or <C-Left> *c_<C-Left>*
94 <S-Right> or <C-Right> *c_<C-Right>*
96 CTRL-B or <Home> *c_CTRL-B* *c_<Home>*
97 cursor to beginning of command-line
98 CTRL-E or <End> *c_CTRL-E* *c_<End>*
99 cursor to end of command-line
102 <LeftMouse> cursor to position of mouse click.
104 CTRL-H *c_<BS>* *c_CTRL-H*
105 <BS> delete the character in front of the cursor (see |:fixdel| if
106 your <BS> key does not do what you want).
108 <Del> delete the character under the cursor (at end of line:
109 character before the cursor) (see |:fixdel| if your <Del>
110 key does not do what you want).
112 CTRL-W delete the word before the cursor
114 CTRL-U remove all characters between the cursor position and
115 the beginning of the line. Previous versions of vim
116 deleted all characters on the line. If that is the
117 preferred behavior, add the following to your .vimrc: >
118 :cnoremap <C-U> <C-E><C-U>
120 Note: if the command-line becomes empty with one of the
121 delete commands, Command-line mode is quit.
123 <Insert> Toggle between insert and overstrike. {not in Vi}
125 {char1} <BS> {char2} or *c_digraph*
126 CTRL-K {char1} {char2} *c_CTRL-K*
127 enter digraph (see |digraphs|). When {char1} is a special
128 key, the code for that key is inserted in <> form. {not in Vi}
130 CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=.} *c_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>*
131 Insert the contents of a numbered or named register. Between
132 typing CTRL-R and the second character '"' will be displayed
133 to indicate that you are expected to enter the name of a
135 The text is inserted as if you typed it, but mappings and
136 abbreviations are not used. Command-line completion through
137 'wildchar' is not triggered though. And characters that end
138 the command line are inserted literally (<Esc>, <CR>, <NL>,
139 <C-C>). A <BS> or CTRL-W could still end the command line
140 though, and remaining characters will then be interpreted in
141 another mode, which might not be what you intended.
143 '"' the unnamed register, containing the text of
144 the last delete or yank
145 '%' the current file name
146 '#' the alternate file name
147 '*' the clipboard contents (X11: primary selection)
148 '+' the clipboard contents
149 '/' the last search pattern
150 ':' the last command-line
151 '-' the last small (less than a line) delete
152 '.' the last inserted text
154 '=' the expression register: you are prompted to
155 enter an expression (see |expression|)
156 (doesn't work at the expression prompt; some
157 things such as changing the buffer or current
158 window are not allowed to avoid side effects)
159 See |registers| about registers. {not in Vi}
160 Implementation detail: When using the |expression| register
161 and invoking setcmdpos(), this sets the position before
162 inserting the resulting string. Use CTRL-R CTRL-R to set the
165 CTRL-R CTRL-F *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-F* *c_<C-R>_<C-F>*
166 CTRL-R CTRL-P *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-P* *c_<C-R>_<C-P>*
167 CTRL-R CTRL-W *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-W* *c_<C-R>_<C-W>*
168 CTRL-R CTRL-A *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-A* *c_<C-R>_<C-A>*
169 Insert the object under the cursor:
170 CTRL-F the Filename under the cursor
171 CTRL-P the Filename under the cursor, expanded with
173 CTRL-W the Word under the cursor
174 CTRL-A the WORD under the cursor; see |WORD|
176 When 'incsearch' is set the cursor position at the end of the
177 currently displayed match is used. With CTRL-W the part of
178 the word that was already typed is not inserted again.
181 CTRL-F and CTRL-P: {only when +file_in_path feature is
184 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-R* *c_<C-R>_<C-R>*
185 *c_CTRL-R_CTRL-O* *c_<C-R>_<C-O>*
186 CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
187 CTRL-R CTRL-O {0-9a-z"%#:-=. CTRL-F CTRL-P CTRL-W CTRL-A}
188 Insert register or object under the cursor. Works like
189 |c_CTRL-R| but inserts the text literally. For example, if
190 register a contains "xy^Hz" (where ^H is a backspace),
191 "CTRL-R a" will insert "xz" while "CTRL-R CTRL-R a" will
194 CTRL-\ e {expr} *c_CTRL-\_e*
195 Evaluate {expr} and replace the whole command line with the
196 result. You will be prompted for the expression, type <Enter>
197 to finish it. It's most useful in mappings though. See
199 See |c_CTRL-R_=| for inserting the result of an expression.
200 Useful functions are |getcmdtype()|, |getcmdline()| and
202 The cursor position is unchanged, except when the cursor was
203 at the end of the line, then it stays at the end.
204 |setcmdpos()| can be used to set the cursor position.
205 The |sandbox| is used for evaluating the expression to avoid
208 :cmap <F7> <C-\>eAppendSome()<CR>
210 :let cmd = getcmdline() . " Some()"
211 :" place the cursor on the )
212 :call setcmdpos(strlen(cmd))
215 < This doesn't work recursively, thus not when already editing
219 CTRL-Y When there is a modeless selection, copy the selection into
220 the clipboard. |modeless-selection|
221 If there is no selection CTRL-Y is inserted as a character.
223 CTRL-J *c_CTRL-J* *c_<NL>* *c_<CR>*
224 <CR> or <NL> start entered command
226 <Esc> When typed and 'x' not present in 'cpoptions', quit
227 Command-line mode without executing. In macros or when 'x'
228 present in 'cpoptions', start entered command.
230 CTRL-C quit command-line without executing
233 <Up> recall older command-line from history, whose beginning
234 matches the current command-line (see below).
235 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
238 <Down> recall more recent command-line from history, whose beginning
239 matches the current command-line (see below).
240 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
243 *c_<S-Up>* *c_<PageUp>*
245 recall older command-line from history
246 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
248 *c_<S-Down>* *c_<PageDown>*
249 <S-Down> or <PageDown>
250 recall more recent command-line from history
251 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
254 CTRL-D command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
256 command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
257 CTRL-N command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
258 CTRL-P command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
259 CTRL-A command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
260 CTRL-L command-line completion (see |cmdline-completion|)
263 CTRL-_ a - switch between Hebrew and English keyboard mode, which is
264 private to the command-line and not related to hkmap.
265 This is useful when Hebrew text entry is required in the
266 command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc. Applies only if
267 Vim is compiled with the |+rightleft| feature and the
268 'allowrevins' option is set.
271 b - switch between Farsi and English keyboard mode, which is
272 private to the command-line and not related to fkmap. In
273 Farsi keyboard mode the characters are inserted in reverse
274 insert manner. This is useful when Farsi text entry is
275 required in the command-line, searches, abbreviations, etc.
276 Applies only if Vim is compiled with the |+farsi| feature.
280 CTRL-^ Toggle the use of language |:lmap| mappings and/or Input
282 When typing a pattern for a search command and 'imsearch' is
283 not -1, VAL is the value of 'imsearch', otherwise VAL is the
285 When language mappings are defined:
286 - If VAL is 1 (langmap mappings used) it becomes 0 (no langmap
288 - If VAL was not 1 it becomes 1, thus langmap mappings are
290 When no language mappings are defined:
291 - If VAL is 2 (Input Method is used) it becomes 0 (no input
293 - If VAL has another value it becomes 2, thus the Input Method
295 These language mappings are normally used to type characters
296 that are different from what the keyboard produces. The
297 'keymap' option can be used to install a whole number of them.
298 When entering a command line, langmap mappings are switched
299 off, since you are expected to type a command. After
300 switching it on with CTRL-^, the new state is not used again
301 for the next command or Search pattern.
304 For Emacs-style editing on the command-line see |emacs-keys|.
306 The <Up> and <Down> keys take the current command-line as a search string.
307 The beginning of the next/previous command-lines are compared with this
308 string. The first line that matches is the new command-line. When typing
309 these two keys repeatedly, the same string is used again. For example, this
310 can be used to find the previous substitute command: Type ":s" and then <Up>.
311 The same could be done by typing <S-Up> a number of times until the desired
312 command-line is shown. (Note: the shifted arrow keys do not work on all
316 :his[tory] Print the history of last entered commands.
318 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
321 :his[tory] [{name}] [{first}][, [{last}]]
322 List the contents of history {name} which can be:
323 c[md] or : command-line history
324 s[earch] or / search string history
325 e[xpr] or = expression register history
326 i[nput] or @ input line history
327 d[ebug] or > debug command history
328 a[ll] all of the above
331 If the numbers {first} and/or {last} are given, the respective
332 range of entries from a history is listed. These numbers can
333 be specified in the following form:
335 A positive number represents the absolute index of an entry
336 as it is given in the first column of a :history listing.
337 This number remains fixed even if other entries are deleted.
339 A negative number means the relative position of an entry,
340 counted from the newest entry (which has index -1) backwards.
343 List entries 6 to 12 from the search history: >
346 List the recent five entries from all histories: >
349 ==============================================================================
350 2. Command-line completion *cmdline-completion*
352 When editing the command-line, a few commands can be used to complete the
353 word before the cursor. This is available for:
355 - Command names: At the start of the command-line.
356 - Tags: Only after the ":tag" command.
357 - File names: Only after a command that accepts a file name or a setting for
358 an option that can be set to a file name. This is called file name
360 - Shell command names: After ":!cmd", ":r !cmd" and ":w !cmd". $PATH is used.
361 - Options: Only after the ":set" command.
362 - Mappings: Only after a ":map" or similar command.
363 - Variable and function names: Only after a ":if", ":call" or similar command.
365 When Vim was compiled with the |+cmdline_compl| feature disabled, only file
366 names, directories and help items can be completed.
368 These are the commands that can be used:
371 CTRL-D List names that match the pattern in front of the cursor.
372 When showing file names, directories are highlighted (see
373 'highlight' option). Names where 'suffixes' matches are moved
375 The 'wildoptions' option can be set to "tagfile" to list the
376 file of matching tags.
377 *c_CTRL-I* *c_wildchar* *c_<Tab>*
379 A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. The
380 match (if there are several, the first match) is inserted
381 in place of the pattern. (Note: does not work inside a
382 macro, because <Tab> or <Esc> are mostly used as 'wildchar',
383 and these have a special meaning in some macros.) When typed
384 again and there were multiple matches, the next
385 match is inserted. After the last match, the first is used
387 The behavior can be changed with the 'wildmode' option.
389 CTRL-N After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to next
390 match. Otherwise recall more recent command-line from history.
391 <S-Tab> *c_CTRL-P* *c_<S-Tab>*
392 CTRL-P After using 'wildchar' which got multiple matches, go to
393 previous match. Otherwise recall older command-line from
394 history. <S-Tab> only works with the GUI, on the Amiga and
397 CTRL-A All names that match the pattern in front of the cursor are
400 CTRL-L A match is done on the pattern in front of the cursor. If
401 there is one match, it is inserted in place of the pattern.
402 If there are multiple matches the longest common part is
403 inserted in place of the pattern. If the result is shorter
404 than the pattern, no completion is done.
405 When 'incsearch' is set, entering a search pattern for "/" or
406 "?" and the current match is displayed then CTRL-L will add
407 one character from the end of the current match.
409 The 'wildchar' option defaults to <Tab> (CTRL-E when in Vi compatible mode; in
410 a previous version <Esc> was used). In the pattern standard wildcards '*' and
411 '?' are accepted. '*' matches any string, '?' matches exactly one character.
413 If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use this mapping:
414 :cnoremap X <C-L><C-D>
415 (Where X is the command key to use, <C-L> is CTRL-L and <C-D> is CTRL-D)
416 This will find the longest match and then list all matching files.
418 If you like tcsh's autolist completion, you can use the 'wildmode' option to
419 emulate it. For example, this mimics autolist=ambiguous:
420 :set wildmode=longest,list
421 This will find the longest match with the first 'wildchar', then list all
422 matching files with the next.
425 For file name completion you can use the 'suffixes' option to set a priority
426 between files with almost the same name. If there are multiple matches,
427 those files with an extension that is in the 'suffixes' option are ignored.
428 The default is ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj", which means that files ending
429 in ".bak", "~", ".o", ".h", ".info", ".swp" and ".obj" are sometimes ignored.
430 It is impossible to ignore suffixes with two dots. Examples:
432 pattern: files: match: ~
433 test* test.c test.h test.o test.c
434 test* test.h test.o test.h and test.o
435 test* test.i test.h test.c test.i and test.c
437 If there is more than one matching file (after ignoring the ones matching
438 the 'suffixes' option) the first file name is inserted. You can see that
439 there is only one match when you type 'wildchar' twice and the completed
440 match stays the same. You can get to the other matches by entering
441 'wildchar', CTRL-N or CTRL-P. All files are included, also the ones with
442 extensions matching the 'suffixes' option.
444 To completely ignore files with some extension use 'wildignore'.
446 The old value of an option can be obtained by hitting 'wildchar' just after
447 the '='. For example, typing 'wildchar' after ":set dir=" will insert the
448 current value of 'dir'. This overrules file name completion for the options
449 that take a file name.
451 If you would like using <S-Tab> for CTRL-P in an xterm, put this command in
453 xmodmap -e "keysym Tab = Tab Find"
454 And this in your .vimrc: >
457 ==============================================================================
458 3. Ex command-lines *cmdline-lines*
460 The Ex commands have a few specialties:
463 '"' at the start of a line causes the whole line to be ignored. '"'
464 after a command causes the rest of the line to be ignored. This can be used
465 to add comments. Example: >
466 :set ai "set 'autoindent' option
467 It is not possible to add a comment to a shell command ":!cmd" or to the
468 ":map" command and friends, because they see the '"' as part of their
472 '|' can be used to separate commands, so you can give multiple commands in one
473 line. If you want to use '|' in an argument, precede it with '\'.
475 These commands see the '|' as their argument, and can therefore not be
476 followed by another command:
508 a user defined command without the "-bar" argument |:command|
510 Note that this is confusing (inherited from Vi): With ":g" the '|' is included
511 in the command, with ":s" it is not.
513 To be able to use another command anyway, use the ":execute" command.
514 Example (append the output of "ls" and jump to the first line): >
515 :execute 'r !ls' | '[
517 There is one exception: When the 'b' flag is present in 'cpoptions', with the
518 ":map" and ":abbr" commands and friends CTRL-V needs to be used instead of
519 '\'. You can also use "<Bar>" instead. See also |map_bar|.
522 :!ls | wc view the output of two commands
523 :r !ls | wc insert the same output in the text
524 :%g/foo/p|> moves all matching lines one shiftwidth
525 :%s/foo/bar/|> moves one line one shiftwidth
526 :map q 10^V| map "q" to "10|"
527 :map q 10\| map \ l map "q" to "10\" and map "\" to "l"
528 (when 'b' is present in 'cpoptions')
530 You can also use <NL> to separate commands in the same way as with '|'. To
531 insert a <NL> use CTRL-V CTRL-J. "^@" will be shown. Using '|' is the
532 preferred method. But for external commands a <NL> must be used, because a
533 '|' is included in the external command. To avoid the special meaning of <NL>
534 it must be preceded with a backslash. Example: >
536 This reads the current date into the file and joins it with the previous line.
538 Note that when the command before the '|' generates an error, the following
539 commands will not be executed.
542 Because of Vi compatibility the following strange commands are supported: >
543 :| print current line (like ":p")
544 :3| print line 3 (like ":3p")
547 A colon is allowed between the range and the command name. It is ignored
548 (this is Vi compatible). For example: >
551 When the character '%' or '#' is used where a file name is expected, they are
552 expanded to the current and alternate file name (see the chapter "editing
555 Embedded spaces in file names are allowed on the Amiga if one file name is
556 expected as argument. Trailing spaces will be ignored, unless escaped with a
557 backslash or CTRL-V. Note that the ":next" command uses spaces to separate
558 file names. Escape the spaces to include them in a file name. Example: >
559 :next foo\ bar goes\ to school\
560 starts editing the three files "foo bar", "goes to" and "school ".
562 When you want to use the special characters '"' or '|' in a command, or want
563 to use '%' or '#' in a file name, precede them with a backslash. The
564 backslash is not required in a range and in the ":substitute" command.
567 The '!' (bang) character after an Ex command makes the command behave in a
568 different way. The '!' should be placed immediately after the command, without
569 any blanks in between. If you insert blanks the '!' will be seen as an
570 argument for the command, which has a different meaning. For example:
571 :w! name write the current buffer to file "name", overwriting
573 :w !name send the current buffer as standard input to command
576 ==============================================================================
577 4. Ex command-line ranges *cmdline-ranges* *[range]* *E16*
579 Some Ex commands accept a line range in front of them. This is noted as
580 [range]. It consists of one or more line specifiers, separated with ',' or
583 The basics are explained in section |10.3| of the user manual.
586 When separated with ';' the cursor position will be set to that line
587 before interpreting the next line specifier. This doesn't happen for ','.
590 < from line 4 till match with "this line" after the cursor line. >
592 < from line 5 till match with "that line" after line 5.
594 The default line specifier for most commands is the cursor position, but the
595 commands ":write" and ":global" have the whole file (1,$) as default.
597 If more line specifiers are given than required for the command, the first
598 one(s) will be ignored.
600 Line numbers may be specified with: *:range* *E14* *{address}*
601 {number} an absolute line number
602 . the current line *:.*
603 $ the last line in the file *:$*
604 % equal to 1,$ (the entire file) *:%*
605 't position of mark t (lowercase) *:'*
606 'T position of mark T (uppercase); when the mark is in
607 another file it cannot be used in a range
608 /{pattern}[/] the next line where {pattern} matches *:/*
609 ?{pattern}[?] the previous line where {pattern} matches *:?*
610 \/ the next line where the previously used search
612 \? the previous line where the previously used search
614 \& the next line where the previously used substitute
617 Each may be followed (several times) by '+' or '-' and an optional number.
618 This number is added or subtracted from the preceding line number. If the
619 number is omitted, 1 is used.
621 The "/" and "?" after {pattern} are required to separate the pattern from
622 anything that follows.
624 The "/" and "?" may be preceded with another address. The search starts from
625 there. The difference from using ';' is that the cursor isn't moved.
627 /pat1//pat2/ Find line containing "pat2" after line containing
628 "pat1", without moving the cursor.
629 7;/pat2/ Find line containing "pat2", after line 7, leaving
630 the cursor in line 7.
632 The {number} must be between 0 and the number of lines in the file. When
633 using a 0 (zero) this is interpreted as a 1 by most commands. Commands that
634 use it as a count do use it as a zero (|:tag|, |:pop|, etc). Some commands
635 interpret the zero as "before the first line" (|:read|, search pattern, etc).
638 .+3 three lines below the cursor
639 /that/+1 the line below the next line containing "that"
640 .,$ from current line until end of file
641 0;/that the first line containing "that", also matches in the
643 1;/that the first line after line 1 containing "that"
645 Some commands allow for a count after the command. This count is used as the
646 number of lines to be used, starting with the line given in the last line
647 specifier (the default is the cursor line). The commands that accept a count
648 are the ones that use a range but do not have a file name argument (because
649 a file name can also be a number).
652 :s/x/X/g 5 substitute 'x' by 'X' in the current line and four
654 :23d 4 delete lines 23, 24, 25 and 26
659 When folds are active the line numbers are rounded off to include the whole
660 closed fold. See |fold-behavior|.
665 A range should have the lower line number first. If this is not the case, Vim
666 will ask you if it should swap the line numbers.
667 Backwards range given, OK to swap ~
668 This is not done within the global command ":g".
670 You can use ":silent" before a command to avoid the question, the range will
671 always be swapped then.
676 When giving a count before entering ":", this is translated into:
678 In words: The 'count' lines at and after the cursor. Example: To delete
680 3:d<CR> is translated into: .,.+2d<CR>
683 Visual Mode and Range *v_:*
685 {Visual}: Starts a command-line with the Visual selected lines as a
686 range. The code ":'<,'>" is used for this range, which makes
687 it possible to select a similar line from the command-line
688 history for repeating a command on different Visually selected
691 ==============================================================================
692 5. Ex command-line flags *ex-flags*
694 These flags are supported by a selection of Ex commands. They print the line
695 that the cursor ends up after executing the command:
697 l output like for |:list|
699 p output like for |:print|
701 The flags can be combined, thus "l#" uses both a line number and |:list| style
704 ==============================================================================
705 6. Ex special characters *cmdline-special*
707 Note: These are special characters in the executed command line. If you want
708 to insert special things while typing you can use the CTRL-R command. For
709 example, "%" stands for the current file name, while CTRL-R % inserts the
710 current file name right away. See |c_CTRL-R|.
713 In Ex commands, at places where a file name can be used, the following
714 characters have a special meaning. These can also be used in the expression
715 function expand() |expand()|.
716 % is replaced with the current file name *:_%*
717 # is replaced with the alternate file name *:_#*
718 #n (where n is a number) is replaced with the file name of
719 buffer n. "#0" is the same as "#"
720 ## is replaced with all names in the argument list *:_##*
721 concatenated, separated by spaces. Each space in a name
722 is preceded with a backslash.
723 Note that these give the file name as it was typed. If an absolute path is
724 needed (when using the file name from a different directory), you need to add
725 ":p". See |filename-modifiers|.
726 Note that backslashes are inserted before spaces, so that the command will
727 correctly interpret the file name. But this doesn't happen for shell
728 commands. For those you probably have to use quotes: >
732 To avoid the special meaning of '%' and '#' insert a backslash before it.
733 Detail: The special meaning is always escaped when there is a backslash before
734 it, no matter how many backslashes.
740 *:<cword>* *:<cWORD>* *:<cfile>* *<cfile>*
741 *:<sfile>* *<sfile>* *:<afile>* *<afile>*
742 *:<abuf>* *<abuf>* *:<amatch>* *<amatch>*
743 *E495* *E496* *E497* *E498* *E499* *E500*
744 Note: these are typed literally, they are not special keys!
745 <cword> is replaced with the word under the cursor (like |star|)
746 <cWORD> is replaced with the WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
747 <cfile> is replaced with the path name under the cursor (like what
749 <afile> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the file name
750 for a file read or write
751 <abuf> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the currently
752 effective buffer number (for ":r file" and ":so file" it is
753 the current buffer, the file being read/sourced is not in a
755 <amatch> when executing autocommands, is replaced with the match for
756 which this autocommand was executed. It differs from
757 <afile> only when the file name isn't used to match with
758 (for FileType, Syntax and SpellFileMissing events).
759 <sfile> when executing a ":source" command, is replaced with the
760 file name of the sourced file;
761 when executing a function, is replaced with
762 "function {function-name}"; function call nesting is
764 "function {function-name1}..{function-name2}". Note that
765 filename-modifiers are useless when <sfile> is used inside
769 *:_%:* *::8* *::p* *::.* *::~* *::h* *::t* *::r* *::e* *::s* *::gs*
770 The file name modifiers can be used after "%", "#", "#n", "<cfile>", "<sfile>",
771 "<afile>" or "<abuf>". They are also used with the |fnamemodify()| function.
772 These are not available when Vim has been compiled without the |+modify_fname|
774 These modifiers can be given, in this order:
775 :p Make file name a full path. Must be the first modifier. Also
776 changes "~/" (and "~user/" for Unix and VMS) to the path for
777 the home directory. If the name is a directory a path
778 separator is added at the end. For a file name that does not
779 exist and does not have an absolute path the result is
781 :8 Converts the path to 8.3 short format (currently only on
782 win32). Will act on as much of a path that is an existing
784 :~ Reduce file name to be relative to the home directory, if
785 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the home
787 :. Reduce file name to be relative to current directory, if
788 possible. File name is unmodified if it is not below the
790 For maximum shortness, use ":~:.".
791 :h Head of the file name (the last component and any separators
792 removed). Cannot be used with :e, :r or :t.
793 Can be repeated to remove several components at the end.
794 When the file name ends in a path separator, only the path
795 separator is removed. Thus ":p:h" on a directory name results
796 on the directory name itself (without trailing slash).
797 When the file name is an absolute path (starts with "/" for
798 Unix; "x:\" for MS-DOS, WIN32, OS/2; "drive:" for Amiga), that
799 part is not removed. When there is no head (path is relative
800 to current directory) the result is empty.
801 :t Tail of the file name (last component of the name). Must
802 precede any :r or :e.
803 :r Root of the file name (the last extension removed). When
804 there is only an extension (file name that starts with '.',
805 e.g., ".vimrc"), it is not removed. Can be repeated to remove
806 several extensions (last one first).
807 :e Extension of the file name. Only makes sense when used alone.
808 When there is no extension the result is empty.
809 When there is only an extension (file name that starts with
810 '.'), the result is empty. Can be repeated to include more
811 extensions. If there are not enough extensions (but at least
812 one) as much as possible are included.
814 Substitute the first occurrence of "pat" with "sub". This
815 works like the |:s| command. "pat" is a regular expression.
816 Any character can be used for '?', but it must not occur in
818 After this, the previous modifiers can be used again. For
819 example ":p", to make a full path after the substitution.
821 Substitute all occurrences of "path" with "sub". Otherwise
822 this works like ":s".
824 Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c", current dir
826 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c
828 :p:~ ~/vim/src/version.c
830 :p:h /home/mool/vim/src
831 :p:h:h /home/mool/vim
835 :p:r /home/mool/vim/src/version
838 :s?version?main? src/main.c
839 :s?version?main?:p /home/mool/vim/src/main.c
840 :p:gs?/?\\? \home\mool\vim\src\version.c
842 Examples, when the file name is "src/version.c.gz": >
843 :p /home/mool/vim/src/version.c.gz
853 *extension-removal* *:_%<*
854 If a "<" is appended to "%", "#", "#n" or "CTRL-V p" the extension of the file
855 name is removed (everything after and including the last '.' in the file
856 name). This is included for backwards compatibility with version 3.0, the
857 ":r" form is preferred. Examples: >
860 %< current file name without extension
861 # alternate file name for current window
862 #< idem, without extension
863 #31 alternate file number 31
864 #31< idem, without extension
865 <cword> word under the cursor
866 <cWORD> WORD under the cursor (see |WORD|)
867 <cfile> path name under the cursor
868 <cfile>< idem, without extension
870 Note: Where a file name is expected wildcards expansion is done. On Unix the
871 shell is used for this, unless it can be done internally (for speed).
872 Backticks also work, like in >
874 (backtick expansion is not possible in |restricted-mode|)
875 But expansion is only done if there are any wildcards before expanding the
876 '%', '#', etc.. This avoids expanding wildcards inside a file name. If you
877 want to expand the result of <cfile>, add a wildcard character to it.
878 Examples: (alternate file name is "?readme?")
881 :e `ls #` :e {files matching "?readme?"}
882 :e #.* :e {files matching "?readme?.*"}
883 :cd <cfile> :cd {file name under cursor}
884 :cd <cfile>* :cd {file name under cursor plus "*" and then expanded}
886 When the expanded argument contains a "!" and it is used for a shell command
887 (":!cmd", ":r !cmd" or ":w !cmd"), it is escaped with a backslash to avoid it
888 being expanded into a previously used command. When the 'shell' option
889 contains "sh", this is done twice, to avoid the shell trying to expand the
893 For filesystems that use a backslash as directory separator (MS-DOS, Windows,
894 OS/2), it's a bit difficult to recognize a backslash that is used to escape
895 the special meaning of the next character. The general rule is: If the
896 backslash is followed by a normal file name character, it does not have a
897 special meaning. Therefore "\file\foo" is a valid file name, you don't have
898 to type the backslash twice.
900 An exception is the '$' sign. It is a valid character in a file name. But
901 to avoid a file name like "$home" to be interpreted as an environment variable,
902 it needs to be preceded by a backslash. Therefore you need to use "/\$home"
903 for the file "$home" in the root directory. A few examples:
905 FILE NAME INTERPRETED AS ~
906 $home expanded to value of environment var $home
907 \$home file "$home" in current directory
908 /\$home file "$home" in root directory
909 \\$home file "\\", followed by expanded $home
911 ==============================================================================
912 6. Command-line window *cmdline-window* *cmdwin*
914 In the command-line window the command line can be edited just like editing
915 text in any window. It is a special kind of window, because you cannot leave
917 {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| or |+vertsplit|
923 There are two ways to open the command-line window:
924 1. From Command-line mode, use the key specified with the 'cedit' option.
925 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is not set.
926 2. From Normal mode, use the "q:", "q/" or "q?" command. *q:* *q/* *q?*
927 This starts editing an Ex command-line ("q:") or search string ("q/" or
928 "q?"). Note that this is not possible while recording is in progress (the
929 "q" stops recording then).
931 When the window opens it is filled with the command-line history. The last
932 line contains the command as typed so far. The left column will show a
933 character that indicates the type of command-line being edited, see
936 Vim will be in Normal mode when the editor is opened, except when 'insertmode'
939 The height of the window is specified with 'cmdwinheight' (or smaller if there
940 is no room). The window is always full width and is positioned just above the
946 You can now use commands to move around and edit the text in the window. Both
947 in Normal mode and Insert mode.
949 It is possible to use ":", "/" and other commands that use the command-line,
950 but it's not possible to open another command-line window then. There is no
953 The command-line window is not a normal window. It is not possible to move to
954 another window or edit another buffer. All commands that would do this are
955 disabled in the command-line window. Of course it _is_ possible to execute
956 any command that you entered in the command-line window.
961 There are several ways to leave the command-line window:
963 <CR> Execute the command-line under the cursor. Works both in
964 Insert and in Normal mode.
965 CTRL-C Continue in Command-line mode. The command-line under the
966 cursor is used as the command-line. Works both in Insert and
967 in Normal mode. ":close" also works. There is no redraw,
968 thus the window will remain visible.
969 :quit Discard the command line and go back to Normal mode.
970 ":exit", ":xit" and CTRL-\ CTRL-N also work.
971 :qall Quit Vim, unless there are changes in some buffer.
972 :qall! Quit Vim, discarding changes to any buffer.
974 Once the command-line window is closed the old window sizes are restored. The
975 executed command applies to the window and buffer where the command-line was
976 started from. This works as if the command-line window was not there, except
977 that there will be an extra screen redraw.
978 The buffer used for the command-line window is deleted. Any changes to lines
979 other than the one that is executed with <CR> are lost.
981 If you would like to execute the command under the cursor and then have the
982 command-line window open again, you may find this mapping useful: >
989 The command-line window cannot be used:
990 - when there already is a command-line window (no nesting)
991 - for entering a encryption key or when using inputsecret()
992 - when Vim was not compiled with the +vertsplit feature
994 Some options are set when the command-line window is opened:
995 'filetype' "vim", when editing an Ex command-line; this starts Vim syntax
996 highlighting if it was enabled
1002 It is allowed to write the buffer contents to a file. This is an easy way to
1003 save the command-line history and read it back later.
1005 If the 'wildchar' option is set to <Tab>, and the command-line window is used
1006 for an Ex command, then two mappings will be added to use <Tab> for completion
1007 in the command-line window, like this: >
1008 :imap <buffer> <Tab> <C-X><C-V>
1009 :nmap <buffer> <Tab> a<C-X><C-V>
1010 Note that hitting <Tab> in Normal mode will do completion on the next
1011 character. That way it works at the end of the line.
1012 If you don't want these mappings, disable them with: >
1013 au CmdwinEnter [:>] iunmap <Tab>
1014 au CmdwinEnter [:>] nunmap <Tab>
1015 You could put these lines in your vimrc file.
1017 While in the command-line window you cannot use the mouse to put the cursor in
1018 another window, or drag statuslines of other windows. You can drag the
1019 statusline of the command-line window itself and the statusline above it.
1020 Thus you can resize the command-line window, but not others.
1025 Two autocommand events are used: |CmdwinEnter| and |CmdwinLeave|. Since this
1026 window is of a special type, the WinEnter, WinLeave, BufEnter and BufLeave
1027 events are not triggered. You can use the Cmdwin events to do settings
1028 specifically for the command-line window. Be careful not to cause side
1031 :au CmdwinEnter : let b:cpt_save = &cpt | set cpt=v
1032 :au CmdwinLeave : let &cpt = b:cpt_save
1033 This sets 'complete' to use command-line completion in Insert mode for CTRL-N.
1035 :au CmdwinEnter [/?] startinsert
1036 This will make Vim start in Insert mode in the command-line window.
1039 The character used for the pattern indicates the type of command-line:
1041 > debug mode command |debug-mode|
1042 / forward search string
1043 ? backward search string
1044 = expression for "= |expr-register|
1045 @ string for |input()|
1046 - text for |:insert| or |:append|
1048 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: