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1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.1. Last change: 2007 Nov 11
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 ":set
119 all" or ":set" without an argument.
120 When the option was set by hand there is no "Last set" message. There is only
121 one value for all local options with the same name. Thus the message applies
122 to the option name, not necessarily its value.
123 When the option was set while executing a function, user command or
124 autocommand, the script in which it was defined is reported.
125 Note that an option may also have been set as a side effect of setting
126 'compatible'.
127 {not available when compiled without the +eval feature}
129 *:set-termcap* *E522*
130 For {option} the form "t_xx" may be used to set a terminal option. This will
131 override the value from the termcap. You can then use it in a mapping. If
132 the "xx" part contains special characters, use the <t_xx> form: >
133 :set <t_#4>=^[Ot
134 This can also be used to translate a special code for a normal key. For
135 example, if Alt-b produces <Esc>b, use this: >
136 :set <M-b>=^[b
137 (the ^[ is a real <Esc> here, use CTRL-V <Esc> to enter it)
138 The advantage over a mapping is that it works in all situations.
140 The t_xx options cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
141 security reasons.
143 The listing from ":set" looks different from Vi. Long string options are put
144 at the end of the list. The number of options is quite large. The output of
145 "set all" probably does not fit on the screen, causing Vim to give the
146 |more-prompt|.
148 *option-backslash*
149 To include white space in a string option value it has to be preceded with a
150 backslash. To include a backslash you have to use two. Effectively this
151 means that the number of backslashes in an option value is halved (rounded
152 down).
153 A few examples: >
154 :set tags=tags\ /usr/tags results in "tags /usr/tags"
155 :set tags=tags\\,file results in "tags\,file"
156 :set tags=tags\\\ file results in "tags\ file"
158 The "|" character separates a ":set" command from a following command. To
159 include the "|" in the option value, use "\|" instead. This example sets the
160 'titlestring' option to "hi|there": >
161 :set titlestring=hi\|there
162 This sets the 'titlestring' option to "hi" and 'iconstring' to "there": >
163 :set titlestring=hi|set iconstring=there
165 Similarly, the double quote character starts a comment. To include the '"' in
166 the option value, use '\"' instead. This example sets the 'titlestring'
167 option to 'hi "there"': >
168 :set titlestring=hi\ \"there\"
170 For MS-DOS and WIN32 backslashes in file names are mostly not removed. More
171 precise: For options that expect a file name (those where environment
172 variables are expanded) a backslash before a normal file name character is not
173 removed. But a backslash before a special character (space, backslash, comma,
174 etc.) is used like explained above.
175 There is one special situation, when the value starts with "\\": >
176 :set dir=\\machine\path results in "\\machine\path"
177 :set dir=\\\\machine\\path results in "\\machine\path"
178 :set dir=\\path\\file results in "\\path\file" (wrong!)
179 For the first one the start is kept, but for the second one the backslashes
180 are halved. This makes sure it works both when you expect backslashes to be
181 halved and when you expect the backslashes to be kept. The third gives a
182 result which is probably not what you want. Avoid it.
184 *add-option-flags* *remove-option-flags*
185 *E539* *E550* *E551* *E552*
186 Some options are a list of flags. When you want to add a flag to such an
187 option, without changing the existing ones, you can do it like this: >
188 :set guioptions+=a
189 Remove a flag from an option like this: >
190 :set guioptions-=a
191 This removes the 'a' flag from 'guioptions'.
192 Note that you should add or remove one flag at a time. If 'guioptions' has
193 the value "ab", using "set guioptions-=ba" won't work, because the string "ba"
194 doesn't appear.
196 *:set_env* *expand-env* *expand-environment-var*
197 Environment variables in specific string options will be expanded. If the
198 environment variable exists the '$' and the following environment variable
199 name is replaced with its value. If it does not exist the '$' and the name
200 are not modified. Any non-id character (not a letter, digit or '_') may
201 follow the environment variable name. That character and what follows is
202 appended to the value of the environment variable. Examples: >
203 :set term=$TERM.new
204 :set path=/usr/$INCLUDE,$HOME/include,.
205 When adding or removing a string from an option with ":set opt-=val" or ":set
206 opt+=val" the expansion is done before the adding or removing.
209 Handling of local options *local-options*
211 Some of the options only apply to a window or buffer. Each window or buffer
212 has its own copy of this option, thus can each have their own value. This
213 allows you to set 'list' in one window but not in another. And set
214 'shiftwidth' to 3 in one buffer and 4 in another.
216 The following explains what happens to these local options in specific
217 situations. You don't really need to know all of this, since Vim mostly uses
218 the option values you would expect. Unfortunately, doing what the user
219 expects is a bit complicated...
221 When splitting a window, the local options are copied to the new window. Thus
222 right after the split the contents of the two windows look the same.
224 When editing a new buffer, its local option values must be initialized. Since
225 the local options of the current buffer might be specifically for that buffer,
226 these are not used. Instead, for each buffer-local option there also is a
227 global value, which is used for new buffers. With ":set" both the local and
228 global value is changed. With "setlocal" only the local value is changed,
229 thus this value is not used when editing a new buffer.
231 When editing a buffer that has been edited before, the last used window
232 options are used again. If this buffer has been edited in this window, the
233 values from back then are used. Otherwise the values from the window where
234 the buffer was edited last are used.
236 It's possible to set a local window option specifically for a type of buffer.
237 When you edit another buffer in the same window, you don't want to keep
238 using these local window options. Therefore Vim keeps a global value of the
239 local window options, which is used when editing another buffer. Each window
240 has its own copy of these values. Thus these are local to the window, but
241 global to all buffers in the window. With this you can do: >
242 :e one
243 :set list
244 :e two
245 Now the 'list' option will also be set in "two", since with the ":set list"
246 command you have also set the global value. >
247 :set nolist
248 :e one
249 :setlocal list
250 :e two
251 Now the 'list' option is not set, because ":set nolist" resets the global
252 value, ":setlocal list" only changes the local value and ":e two" gets the
253 global value. Note that if you do this next: >
254 :e one
255 You will not get back the 'list' value as it was the last time you edited
256 "one". The options local to a window are not remembered for each buffer.
258 *:setl* *:setlocal*
259 :setl[ocal] ... Like ":set" but set only the value local to the
260 current buffer or window. Not all options have a
261 local value. If the option does not have a local
262 value the global value is set.
263 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
264 local values.
265 Without argument: Display all local option's local
266 values which are different from the default.
267 When displaying a specific local option, show the
268 local value. For a global option the global value is
269 shown (but that might change in the future).
270 {not in Vi}
272 :setl[ocal] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
273 copying the value.
274 {not in Vi}
276 :se[t] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
277 making it empty. Only makes sense for |global-local|
278 options.
279 {not in Vi}
281 *:setg* *:setglobal*
282 :setg[lobal] ... Like ":set" but set only the global value for a local
283 option without changing the local value.
284 When displaying an option, the global value is shown.
285 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
286 global values.
287 Without argument: display all local option's global
288 values which are different from the default.
289 {not in Vi}
291 For buffer-local and window-local options:
292 Command global value local value ~
293 :set option=value set set
294 :setlocal option=value - set
295 :setglobal option=value set -
296 :set option? - display
297 :setlocal option? - display
298 :setglobal option? display -
301 Global options with a local value *global-local*
303 Options are global when you mostly use one value for all buffers and windows.
304 For some global options it's useful to sometimes have a different local value.
305 You can set the local value with ":setlocal". That buffer or window will then
306 use the local value, while other buffers and windows continue using the global
307 value.
309 For example, you have two windows, both on C source code. They use the global
310 'makeprg' option. If you do this in one of the two windows: >
311 :set makeprg=gmake
312 then the other window will switch to the same value. There is no need to set
313 the 'makeprg' option in the other C source window too.
314 However, if you start editing a Perl file in a new window, you want to use
315 another 'makeprg' for it, without changing the value used for the C source
316 files. You use this command: >
317 :setlocal makeprg=perlmake
318 You can switch back to using the global value by making the local value empty: >
319 :setlocal makeprg=
320 This only works for a string option. For a boolean option you need to use the
321 "<" flag, like this: >
322 :setlocal autoread<
323 Note that for non-boolean options using "<" copies the global value to the
324 local value, it doesn't switch back to using the global value (that matters
325 when the global value changes later). You can also use: >
326 :set path<
327 This will make the local value of 'path' empty, so that the global value is
328 used. Thus it does the same as: >
329 :setlocal path=
330 Note: In the future more global options can be made global-local. Using
331 ":setlocal" on a global option might work differently then.
334 Setting the filetype
336 :setf[iletype] {filetype} *:setf* *:setfiletype*
337 Set the 'filetype' option to {filetype}, but only if
338 not done yet in a sequence of (nested) autocommands.
339 This is short for: >
340 :if !did_filetype()
341 : setlocal filetype={filetype}
342 :endif
343 < This command is used in a filetype.vim file to avoid
344 setting the 'filetype' option twice, causing different
345 settings and syntax files to be loaded.
346 {not in Vi}
348 :bro[wse] se[t] *:set-browse* *:browse-set* *:opt* *:options*
349 :opt[ions] Open a window for viewing and setting all options.
350 Options are grouped by function.
351 Offers short help for each option. Hit <CR> on the
352 short help to open a help window with more help for
353 the option.
354 Modify the value of the option and hit <CR> on the
355 "set" line to set the new value. For window and
356 buffer specific options, the last accessed window is
357 used to set the option value in, unless this is a help
358 window, in which case the window below help window is
359 used (skipping the option-window).
360 {not available when compiled without the |+eval| or
361 |+autocmd| features}
363 *$HOME*
364 Using "~" is like using "$HOME", but it is only recognized at the start of an
365 option and after a space or comma.
367 On Unix systems "~user" can be used too. It is replaced by the home directory
368 of user "user". Example: >
369 :set path=~mool/include,/usr/include,.
371 On Unix systems the form "${HOME}" can be used too. The name between {} can
372 contain non-id characters then. Note that if you want to use this for the
373 "gf" command, you need to add the '{' and '}' characters to 'isfname'.
375 NOTE: expanding environment variables and "~/" is only done with the ":set"
376 command, not when assigning a value to an option with ":let".
379 Note the maximum length of an expanded option is limited. How much depends on
380 the system, mostly it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
382 *:fix* *:fixdel*
383 :fix[del] Set the value of 't_kD':
384 't_kb' is 't_kD' becomes ~
385 CTRL-? CTRL-H
386 not CTRL-? CTRL-?
388 (CTRL-? is 0177 octal, 0x7f hex) {not in Vi}
390 If your delete key terminal code is wrong, but the
391 code for backspace is alright, you can put this in
392 your .vimrc: >
393 :fixdel
394 < This works no matter what the actual code for
395 backspace is.
397 If the backspace key terminal code is wrong you can
398 use this: >
399 :if &term == "termname"
400 : set t_kb=^V<BS>
401 : fixdel
402 :endif
403 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<BS>" is the backspace key
404 (don't type four characters!). Replace "termname"
405 with your terminal name.
407 If your <Delete> key sends a strange key sequence (not
408 CTRL-? or CTRL-H) you cannot use ":fixdel". Then use: >
409 :if &term == "termname"
410 : set t_kD=^V<Delete>
411 :endif
412 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<Delete>" is the delete key
413 (don't type eight characters!). Replace "termname"
414 with your terminal name.
416 *Linux-backspace*
417 Note about Linux: By default the backspace key
418 produces CTRL-?, which is wrong. You can fix it by
419 putting this line in your rc.local: >
420 echo "keycode 14 = BackSpace" | loadkeys
421 <
422 *NetBSD-backspace*
423 Note about NetBSD: If your backspace doesn't produce
424 the right code, try this: >
425 xmodmap -e "keycode 22 = BackSpace"
426 < If this works, add this in your .Xmodmap file: >
427 keysym 22 = BackSpace
428 < You need to restart for this to take effect.
430 ==============================================================================
431 2. Automatically setting options *auto-setting*
433 Besides changing options with the ":set" command, there are three alternatives
434 to set options automatically for one or more files:
436 1. When starting Vim initializations are read from various places. See
437 |initialization|. Most of them are performed for all editing sessions,
438 and some of them depend on the directory where Vim is started.
439 You can create an initialization file with |:mkvimrc|, |:mkview| and
440 |:mksession|.
441 2. If you start editing a new file, the automatic commands are executed.
442 This can be used to set options for files matching a particular pattern and
443 many other things. See |autocommand|.
444 3. If you start editing a new file, and the 'modeline' option is on, a
445 number of lines at the beginning and end of the file are checked for
446 modelines. This is explained here.
448 *modeline* *vim:* *vi:* *ex:* *E520*
449 There are two forms of modelines. The first form:
450 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]{options}
452 [text] any text or empty
453 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
454 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
455 [white] optional white space
456 {options} a list of option settings, separated with white space or ':',
457 where each part between ':' is the argument for a ":set"
458 command (can be empty)
460 Example:
461 vi:noai:sw=3 ts=6 ~
463 The second form (this is compatible with some versions of Vi):
465 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]se[t] {options}:[text]
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 se[t] the string "set " or "se " (note the space)
472 {options} a list of options, separated with white space, which is the
473 argument for a ":set" command
474 : a colon
475 [text] any text or empty
477 Example:
478 /* vim: set ai tw=75: */ ~
480 The white space before {vi:|vim:|ex:} is required. This minimizes the chance
481 that a normal word like "lex:" is caught. There is one exception: "vi:" and
482 "vim:" can also be at the start of the line (for compatibility with version
483 3.0). Using "ex:" at the start of the line will be ignored (this could be
484 short for "example:").
486 *modeline-local*
487 The options are set like with ":setlocal": The new value only applies to the
488 buffer and window that contain the file. Although it's possible to set global
489 options from a modeline, this is unusual. If you have two windows open and
490 the files in it set the same global option to a different value, the result
491 depends on which one was opened last.
493 When editing a file that was already loaded, only the window-local options
494 from the modeline are used. Thus if you manually changed a buffer-local
495 option after opening the file, it won't be changed if you edit the same buffer
496 in another window. But window-local options will be set.
498 *modeline-version*
499 If the modeline is only to be used for some versions of Vim, the version
500 number can be specified where "vim:" is used:
501 vim{vers}: version {vers} or later
502 vim<{vers}: version before {vers}
503 vim={vers}: version {vers}
504 vim>{vers}: version after {vers}
505 {vers} is 600 for Vim 6.0 (hundred times the major version plus minor).
506 For example, to use a modeline only for Vim 6.0 and later:
507 /* vim600: set foldmethod=marker: */ ~
508 To use a modeline for Vim before version 5.7:
509 /* vim<570: set sw=4: */ ~
510 There can be no blanks between "vim" and the ":".
513 The number of lines that are checked can be set with the 'modelines' option.
514 If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is 0 no lines are checked.
516 Note that for the first form all of the rest of the line is used, thus a line
517 like:
518 /* vi:ts=4: */ ~
519 will give an error message for the trailing "*/". This line is OK:
520 /* vi:set ts=4: */ ~
522 If an error is detected the rest of the line is skipped.
524 If you want to include a ':' in a set command precede it with a '\'. The
525 backslash in front of the ':' will be removed. Example:
526 /* vi:set dir=c\:\tmp: */ ~
527 This sets the 'dir' option to "c:\tmp". Only a single backslash before the
528 ':' is removed. Thus to include "\:" you have to specify "\\:".
530 No other commands than "set" are supported, for security reasons (somebody
531 might create a Trojan horse text file with modelines). And not all options
532 can be set. For some options a flag is set, so that when it's used the
533 |sandbox| is effective. Still, there is always a small risk that a modeline
534 causes trouble. E.g., when some joker sets 'textwidth' to 5 all your lines
535 are wrapped unexpectedly. So disable modelines before editing untrusted text.
536 The mail ftplugin does this, for example.
538 Hint: If you would like to do something else than setting an option, you could
539 define an autocommand that checks the file for a specific string. For
540 example: >
541 au BufReadPost * if getline(1) =~ "VAR" | call SetVar() | endif
542 And define a function SetVar() that does something with the line containing
543 "VAR".
545 ==============================================================================
546 3. Options summary *option-summary*
548 In the list below all the options are mentioned with their full name and with
549 an abbreviation if there is one. Both forms may be used.
551 In this document when a boolean option is "set" that means that ":set option"
552 is entered. When an option is "reset", ":set nooption" is used.
554 For some options there are two default values: The "Vim default", which is
555 used when 'compatible' is not set, and the "Vi default", which is used when
556 'compatible' is set.
558 Most options are the same in all windows and buffers. There are a few that
559 are specific to how the text is presented in a window. These can be set to a
560 different value in each window. For example the 'list' option can be set in
561 one window and reset in another for the same text, giving both types of view
562 at the same time. There are a few options that are specific to a certain
563 file. These can have a different value for each file or buffer. For example
564 the 'textwidth' option can be 78 for a normal text file and 0 for a C
565 program.
567 global one option for all buffers and windows
568 local to window each window has its own copy of this option
569 local to buffer each buffer has its own copy of this option
571 When creating a new window the option values from the currently active window
572 are used as a default value for the window-specific options. For the
573 buffer-specific options this depends on the 's' and 'S' flags in the
574 'cpoptions' option. If 's' is included (which is the default) the values for
575 buffer options are copied from the currently active buffer when a buffer is
576 first entered. If 'S' is present the options are copied each time the buffer
577 is entered, this is almost like having global options. If 's' and 'S' are not
578 present, the options are copied from the currently active buffer when the
579 buffer is created.
581 Hidden options *hidden-options*
583 Not all options are supported in all versions. This depends on the supported
584 features and sometimes on the system. A remark about this is in curly braces
585 below. When an option is not supported it may still be set without getting an
586 error, this is called a hidden option. You can't get the value of a hidden
587 option though, it is not stored.
589 To test if option "foo" can be used with ":set" use something like this: >
590 if exists('&foo')
591 This also returns true for a hidden option. To test if option "foo" is really
592 supported use something like this: >
593 if exists('+foo')
594 <
595 *E355*
596 A jump table for the options with a short description can be found at |Q_op|.
598 *'aleph'* *'al'* *aleph* *Aleph*
599 'aleph' 'al' number (default 128 for MS-DOS, 224 otherwise)
600 global
601 {not in Vi}
602 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
603 feature}
604 The ASCII code for the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The
605 routine that maps the keyboard in Hebrew mode, both in Insert mode
606 (when hkmap is set) and on the command-line (when hitting CTRL-_)
607 outputs the Hebrew characters in the range [aleph..aleph+26].
608 aleph=128 applies to PC code, and aleph=224 applies to ISO 8859-8.
609 See |rileft.txt|.
611 *'allowrevins'* *'ari'* *'noallowrevins'* *'noari'*
612 'allowrevins' 'ari' boolean (default off)
613 global
614 {not in Vi}
615 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
616 feature}
617 Allow CTRL-_ in Insert and Command-line mode. This is default off, to
618 avoid that users that accidentally type CTRL-_ instead of SHIFT-_ get
619 into reverse Insert mode, and don't know how to get out. See
620 'revins'.
621 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
623 *'altkeymap'* *'akm'* *'noaltkeymap'* *'noakm'*
624 'altkeymap' 'akm' boolean (default off)
625 global
626 {not in Vi}
627 {only available when compiled with the |+farsi|
628 feature}
629 When on, the second language is Farsi. In editing mode CTRL-_ toggles
630 the keyboard map between Farsi and English, when 'allowrevins' set.
632 When off, the keyboard map toggles between Hebrew and English. This
633 is useful to start the Vim in native mode i.e. English (left-to-right
634 mode) and have default second language Farsi or Hebrew (right-to-left
635 mode). See |farsi.txt|.
637 *'ambiwidth'* *'ambw'*
638 'ambiwidth' 'ambw' string (default: "single")
639 global
640 {not in Vi}
641 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
642 feature}
643 Only effective when 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding.
644 Tells Vim what to do with characters with East Asian Width Class
645 Ambiguous (such as Euro, Registered Sign, Copyright Sign, Greek
646 letters, Cyrillic letters).
648 There are currently two possible values:
649 "single": Use the same width as characters in US-ASCII. This is
650 expected by most users.
651 "double": Use twice the width of ASCII characters.
653 There are a number of CJK fonts for which the width of glyphs for
654 those characters are solely based on how many octets they take in
655 legacy/traditional CJK encodings. In those encodings, Euro,
656 Registered sign, Greek/Cyrillic letters are represented by two octets,
657 therefore those fonts have "wide" glyphs for them. This is also
658 true of some line drawing characters used to make tables in text
659 file. Therefore, when a CJK font is used for GUI Vim or
660 Vim is running inside a terminal (emulators) that uses a CJK font
661 (or Vim is run inside an xterm invoked with "-cjkwidth" option.),
662 this option should be set to "double" to match the width perceived
663 by Vim with the width of glyphs in the font. Perhaps it also has
664 to be set to "double" under CJK Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2k/XP
665 when the system locale is set to one of CJK locales. See Unicode
666 Standard Annex #11 (http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11).
668 *'antialias'* *'anti'* *'noantialias'* *'noanti'*
669 'antialias' 'anti' boolean (default: off)
670 global
671 {not in Vi}
672 {only available when compiled with Carbon GUI enabled
673 on Mac OS X}
674 This option only has an effect in the Carbon GUI version of Vim on Mac
675 OS X v10.2 or later. When on, Vim will use smooth ("antialiased")
676 fonts, which can be easier to read at certain sizes on certain
677 displays. Setting this option can sometimes cause problems if
678 'guifont' is set to its default (empty string).
679 Note: Antialiasing is handled automatically on MacVim.
681 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
682 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
683 global
684 {not in Vi}
685 {only available when compiled with the
686 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
687 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
688 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
689 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
690 or selected.
691 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
692 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
693 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
695 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
696 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
697 local to window
698 {not in Vi}
699 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
700 feature}
701 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
702 Setting this option will:
703 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
704 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
705 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
706 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
707 - Set the 'delcombine' option
708 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
710 Resetting this option will:
711 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
712 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
713 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
714 option.
715 Also see |arabic.txt|.
717 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
718 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
719 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
720 global
721 {not in Vi}
722 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
723 feature}
724 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
725 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
726 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
727 one which encompasses:
728 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
729 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
730 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
731 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
732 When disabled the character display reverts back to each character's
733 true stand-alone form.
734 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
735 further details see |arabic.txt|.
737 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
738 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
739 local to buffer
740 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
741 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
742 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
743 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
744 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
745 in 'cpoptions'.
746 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
747 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
748 line.
749 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
750 a different way.
751 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
752 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
753 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
754 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
756 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
757 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
758 global or local to buffer |global-local|
759 {not in Vi}
760 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
761 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
762 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
763 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
764 using the global value: >
765 :set autoread<
766 <
767 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
768 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
769 global
770 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
771 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
772 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
773 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
774 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
775 'autowriteall' for that.
777 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
778 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
779 global
780 {not in Vi}
781 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
782 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
783 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
784 been set.
786 *'background'* *'bg'*
787 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
788 global
789 {not in Vi}
790 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
791 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
792 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
793 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
794 This will not always be correct.
795 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
796 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
797 color, see |:hi-normal|.
799 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
800 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
801 change.
802 When a color scheme is loaded (the "colors_name" variable is set)
803 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
804 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
805 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
806 be undone. First delete the "colors_name" variable when needed.
808 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
809 :set background&
810 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
811 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
813 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
814 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
815 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
816 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
817 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
818 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
819 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
820 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
821 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
822 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
823 :if &term == "pcterm"
824 : set background=dark
825 :endif
826 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
827 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
828 the setting of the 'background' option.
829 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
830 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
831 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
832 done with ":syntax on".
834 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
835 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
836 global
837 {not in Vi}
838 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
839 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
840 a way to backspace over something:
841 value effect ~
842 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
843 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
844 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
845 stop once at the start of insert.
847 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
849 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
850 value effect ~
851 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
852 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
853 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
855 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
856 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
858 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
859 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
860 global
861 {not in Vi}
862 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
863 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
864 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
865 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
866 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
867 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
868 |backup-table| for more explanations.
869 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
870 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
871 oldest version of a file.
872 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
874 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
875 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
876 global
877 {not in Vi}
878 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
879 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
881 The main values are:
882 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
883 "no" rename the file and write a new one
884 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
886 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
887 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
888 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
890 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
891 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
892 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
893 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
894 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
895 not of the real file.
897 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
898 + It's fast.
899 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
900 file.
901 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
903 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
904 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
905 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
906 copy will be made.
908 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
909 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
910 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
911 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
912 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
913 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
914 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
915 be propagated back to the original source.
916 *crontab*
917 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
918 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
919 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
920 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
921 example.
923 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
924 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
925 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
926 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
927 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
928 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
929 others.
931 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
932 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
933 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
934 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
935 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
936 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
937 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
938 again not rename the file.
940 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
941 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
942 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
943 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
944 global
945 {not in Vi}
946 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
947 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
948 where this is possible.
949 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
950 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
951 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
952 as the edited file.
953 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
954 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
955 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
956 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
957 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
958 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
959 name, precede it with a backslash.
960 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
961 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
962 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
963 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
964 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
965 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
966 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
967 of the option is removed.
968 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
969 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
970 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
971 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
972 home directory for this to work properly.
973 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
974 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
975 uses another default.
976 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
977 security reasons.
979 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
980 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
981 global
982 {not in Vi}
983 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
984 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
985 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
986 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
987 ".bak" that you want to keep.
988 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
990 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
991 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
992 include a timestamp. >
993 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
994 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
996 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
997 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
998 global
999 {not in Vi}
1000 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1001 feature}
1002 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1003 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1004 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1005 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1006 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1007 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1008 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1010 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1011 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1012 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1014 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1015 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1016 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1018 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1019 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1020 global
1021 {not in Vi}
1022 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1023 feature}
1024 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1026 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1027 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1028 global
1029 {not in Vi}
1030 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1031 feature}
1032 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1034 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1035 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1036 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1037 {not in Vi}
1038 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1039 feature}
1040 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1041 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1043 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1044 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1045 v:beval_lnum line number
1046 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1047 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1049 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1050 Example: >
1051 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1052 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1053 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1054 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1055 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1056 endfunction
1057 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1058 set ballooneval
1059 <
1060 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1061 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1062 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1063 or Sun Workshop).
1065 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1066 |sandbox-option|.
1068 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1069 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1071 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1072 if has("balloon_multiline")
1073 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1074 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1075 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1077 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1078 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1079 local to buffer
1080 {not in Vi}
1081 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1082 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1083 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1084 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1085 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1086 'modeline' will be off
1087 'expandtab' will be off
1088 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1089 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1090 separates lines).
1091 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1092 file is read without conversion.
1093 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1094 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1095 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1096 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1097 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1098 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1099 saved option values.
1100 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1101 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1102 files you edit.
1103 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1104 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1105 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1106 the 'endofline' option.
1108 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1109 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1110 global
1111 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1112 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1113 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1114 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1115 Also see |'conskey'|.
1117 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1118 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1119 local to buffer
1120 {not in Vi}
1121 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1122 feature}
1123 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1124 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1125 - this option is on
1126 - the 'binary' option is off
1127 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1128 endian variants.
1129 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1130 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1131 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1132 appear halfway the resulting file.
1133 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1134 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1135 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1136 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1137 will be restored when writing the file.
1139 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1140 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1141 global
1142 {not in Vi}
1143 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1144 feature}
1145 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1146 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1147 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1149 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1150 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1151 global
1152 {not in Vi} {only for Motif and Win32 GUI}
1153 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1154 last Use same directory as with last file browser.
1155 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1156 current Use the current directory.
1157 {path} Use the specified directory
1159 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1160 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1161 local to buffer
1162 {not in Vi}
1163 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1164 feature}
1165 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1166 displayed in a window:
1167 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1168 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1169 is not set
1170 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1171 |:hide|
1172 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1173 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1174 |:bdelete|
1175 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1176 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1177 |:bwipeout|
1179 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1180 are lost without a warning.
1181 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1182 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1184 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1185 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1186 local to buffer
1187 {not in Vi}
1188 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1189 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1190 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1191 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1192 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1194 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1195 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1196 local to buffer
1197 {not in Vi}
1198 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1199 feature}
1200 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1201 <empty> normal buffer
1202 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1203 written
1204 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1205 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1206 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1207 |+autocmd| feature}
1208 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1209 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1210 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1211 manually)
1213 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1214 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1216 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1218 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1219 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1220 you are not supposed to change it.
1222 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1223 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1224 work (":w filename" does work though).
1225 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1226 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1227 example when you quit Vim.
1228 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1229 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1230 file).
1231 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1232 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1233 command.
1234 *E676*
1235 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1236 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1237 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1238 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1239 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1241 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1242 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1243 global
1244 {not in Vi}
1245 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1246 feature}
1247 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1248 these words, separated by a comma:
1249 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1250 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1251 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1252 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1253 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1254 functions are used when available.
1255 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1256 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1257 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1259 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1260 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1261 global
1262 {not in Vi}
1263 {not available when compiled without the
1264 |+file_in_path| feature}
1265 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1266 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1267 for has a relative path (not starting with "/", "./" or "../").
1268 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1269 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1270 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1271 in the current directory first.
1272 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1273 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1274 override it: >
1275 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1276 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1277 security reasons.
1278 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1280 *'cedit'*
1281 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1282 global
1283 {not in Vi}
1284 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1285 feature}
1286 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1287 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1288 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1289 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1290 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1291 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1292 :set cedit=<Esc>
1293 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1294 See |cmdwin|.
1296 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1297 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1298 global
1299 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1300 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1301 {not in Vi}
1302 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1303 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1304 different encoding from what is desired.
1305 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1306 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1307 preferred, because it is much faster.
1308 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1309 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1310 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1311 non-zero for failure.
1312 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1313 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1314 used.
1315 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1316 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1317 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1318 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1319 Example: >
1320 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1321 fun CharConvert()
1322 system("recode "
1323 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1324 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1325 return v:shell_error
1326 endfun
1327 < The related Vim variables are:
1328 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1329 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1330 v:fname_in name of the input file
1331 v:fname_out name of the output file
1332 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1333 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1334 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1335 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1336 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1337 of this.
1338 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1339 security reasons.
1341 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1342 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1343 local to buffer
1344 {not in Vi}
1345 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1346 feature}
1347 Enables automatic C program indenting See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1348 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1349 preferred indent style.
1350 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1351 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1352 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1353 external program.
1354 See |C-indenting|.
1355 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1356 option or 'indentexpr'.
1357 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1358 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1360 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1361 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1362 local to buffer
1363 {not in Vi}
1364 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1365 feature}
1366 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1367 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1368 empty.
1369 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1370 See |C-indenting|.
1372 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1373 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1374 local to buffer
1375 {not in Vi}
1376 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1377 feature}
1378 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1379 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1380 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1383 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1384 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1385 local to buffer
1386 {not in Vi}
1387 {not available when compiled without both the
1388 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1389 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1390 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1391 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1392 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1393 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1394 "if,If,IF".
1396 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1397 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1398 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1399 global
1400 {not in Vi}
1401 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1402 feature is included}
1403 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1404 These names are recognized:
1406 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1407 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1408 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1409 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1410 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1411 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1412 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1413 |gui-clipboard|.
1415 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1416 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1417 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1418 windowing system's global selection or put the
1419 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1420 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1421 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1422 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1423 "autoselect" flag is used.
1424 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1426 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1427 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1429 exclude:{pattern}
1430 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1431 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1432 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1433 useful in this situation:
1434 - Running Vim in a console.
1435 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1436 display.
1437 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1438 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1439 To never connect to the X server use: >
1440 exclude:.*
1441 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1442 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1443 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1444 cannot be accessed.
1445 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1446 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1447 The rest of the option value will be used for
1448 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1450 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1451 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1452 global
1453 {not in Vi}
1454 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1455 |hit-enter| prompts.
1456 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1457 page can have a different value.
1459 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1460 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1461 global
1462 {not in Vi}
1463 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1464 feature}
1465 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1467 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1468 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1469 global
1470 {not in Vi}
1471 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1472 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1473 |posix-screen-size|.
1474 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1475 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1476 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1477 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1478 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1479 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1480 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1481 window possible: >
1482 :set columns=9999
1483 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1485 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1486 'comments' 'com' string (default
1487 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1488 local to buffer
1489 {not in Vi}
1490 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1491 feature}
1492 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1493 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1494 insert a space.
1496 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1497 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1498 local to buffer
1499 {not in Vi}
1500 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1501 feature}
1502 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1503 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1504 |fold-marker|.
1506 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1507 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1508 file is found)
1509 global
1510 {not in Vi}
1511 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1512 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1513 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1514 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1515 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1516 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1517 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1518 very start.
1519 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1520 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1521 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1522 option.
1523 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1524 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1525 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1526 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1527 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1528 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1529 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1530 |posix-compliance|.
1531 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1532 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1533 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1534 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1535 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1536 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1537 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1538 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1539 editing.
1540 See also 'cpoptions'.
1542 option + set value effect ~
1544 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1545 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1546 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1547 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1548 'backup' off no backup file
1549 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1550 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1551 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1552 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1553 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1554 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1555 'digraph' off no digraphs
1556 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1557 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1558 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1559 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1560 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1561 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1562 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1563 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1564 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1565 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1566 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1567 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1568 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1569 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1570 characters and '_'
1571 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1572 'modeline' + off no modelines
1573 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1574 'revins' off no reverse insert
1575 'ruler' off no ruler
1576 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1577 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1578 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1579 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1580 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1581 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1582 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1583 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1584 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1585 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1586 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1587 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1588 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1589 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1590 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1591 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1592 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1593 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1594 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1595 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1597 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1598 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1599 local to buffer
1600 {not in Vi}
1601 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1602 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1603 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1604 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1605 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1606 w scan buffers from other windows
1607 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1608 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1609 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1610 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1611 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1612 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1613 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1614 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1615 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1616 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1617 are valid too.
1618 i scan current and included files
1619 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1620 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1621 ] tag completion
1622 t same as "]"
1624 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1625 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1626 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1627 whole-line completion.
1629 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1630 1. the current buffer
1631 2. buffers in other windows
1632 3. other loaded buffers
1633 4. unloaded buffers
1634 5. tags
1635 6. included files
1637 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1638 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1639 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1641 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1642 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1643 local to buffer
1644 {not in Vi}
1645 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1646 or +insert_expand feature}
1647 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1648 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1649 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1650 invoked and what it should return.
1653 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1654 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1655 global
1656 {not available when compiled without the
1657 |+insert_expand| feature}
1658 {not in Vi}
1659 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1660 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1662 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1663 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1664 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1666 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1667 Useful when there is additional information about the
1668 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1670 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1671 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1672 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1673 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1674 used.
1676 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1677 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1678 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1681 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1682 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1683 global
1684 {not in Vi}
1685 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1686 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1687 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1688 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1689 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1690 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1691 command.
1692 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1694 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1695 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1696 global
1697 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1698 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1699 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1700 three methods of console input are available:
1701 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1702 on on or off direct console input
1703 off on BIOS
1704 off off STDIN
1706 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1707 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1708 local to buffer
1709 {not in Vi}
1710 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1711 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1712 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1713 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1714 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1715 existing line. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1716 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1717 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1718 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1720 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1721 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1722 Vi default: all flags)
1723 global
1724 {not in Vi}
1725 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1726 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1727 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1728 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1729 Commas can be added for readability.
1730 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1731 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1732 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1733 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1734 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1735 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1736 variable exists |posix|. This means tries to behave like the POSIX
1737 specification.
1739 contains behavior ~
1740 *cpo-a*
1741 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1742 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1743 current window.
1744 *cpo-A*
1745 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1746 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1747 current window.
1748 *cpo-b*
1749 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1750 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1751 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1752 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1753 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1754 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1755 See also |map_bar|.
1756 *cpo-B*
1757 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1758 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1759 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1760 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1761 results in X being mapped to:
1762 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1763 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1764 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1765 *cpo-c*
1766 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1767 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1768 next line. When not present searching continues
1769 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1770 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1771 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1772 *cpo-C*
1773 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1774 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1775 *cpo-d*
1776 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1777 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1778 tags file in the current directory.
1779 *cpo-D*
1780 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1781 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1782 |t|.
1783 *cpo-e*
1784 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1785 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1786 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1787 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1788 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1789 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1790 *cpo-E*
1791 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1792 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1793 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1794 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1795 *cpo-f*
1796 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1797 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1798 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1799 *cpo-F*
1800 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1801 argument will set the file name for the current
1802 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1803 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1804 *cpo-g*
1805 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1806 *cpo-H*
1807 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1808 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1809 the last blank.
1810 *cpo-i*
1811 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1812 leave it modified.
1813 *cpo-I*
1814 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1815 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1816 *cpo-j*
1817 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1818 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1819 *cpo-J*
1820 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1821 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1822 white space.
1823 *cpo-k*
1824 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1825 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1826 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1827 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1828 being mapped to:
1829 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1830 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1831 Also see the '<' flag below.
1832 *cpo-K*
1833 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1834 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1835 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1836 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1837 *cpo-l*
1838 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1839 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1840 See |/[]|
1841 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1842 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1843 Also see |cpo-\|.
1844 *cpo-L*
1845 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1846 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1847 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1848 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1849 *cpo-m*
1850 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1851 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1852 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1853 *cpo-M*
1854 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1855 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1856 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1857 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1858 *cpo-n*
1859 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1860 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1861 *cpo-o*
1862 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1863 next search.
1864 *cpo-O*
1865 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1866 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1867 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1868 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1869 *cpo-p*
1870 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1871 slightly better algorithm is used.
1872 *cpo-P*
1873 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1874 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1875 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1876 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1877 *cpo-q*
1878 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1879 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1880 *cpo-r*
1881 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1882 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1883 *cpo-R*
1884 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1885 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1886 *cpo-s*
1887 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1888 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1889 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1890 set when the buffer is created.
1891 *cpo-S*
1892 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1893 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1894 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1895 The options are set to the values in the current
1896 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1897 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1898 buffer options global to all buffers.
1900 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1901 no no when buffer created
1902 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1903 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1904 *cpo-t*
1905 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1906 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1907 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1908 last used search pattern.
1909 *cpo-u*
1910 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1911 *cpo-v*
1912 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1913 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1914 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1915 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1916 characters.
1917 *cpo-w*
1918 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1919 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1920 next word.
1921 *cpo-W*
1922 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1923 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1924 *cpo-x*
1925 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1926 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1927 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1928 *cpo-X*
1929 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1930 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1931 and a count.
1932 *cpo-y*
1933 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1934 *cpo-Z*
1935 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1936 don't reset 'readonly'.
1937 *cpo-!*
1938 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1939 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1940 used -filter- command is used.
1941 *cpo-$*
1942 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1943 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1944 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1945 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1946 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1947 point.
1948 *cpo-%*
1949 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1950 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1951 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1952 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1953 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1954 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1955 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1956 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1957 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1958 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1959 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1960 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1961 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
1962 This flag is also used for other features, such as
1963 C-indenting.
1964 *cpo--*
1965 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
1966 it would go above the first line or below the last
1967 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
1968 last line, unless it already was in that line.
1969 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
1970 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
1971 *cpo-+*
1972 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
1973 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
1974 itself may still be different from its file.
1975 *cpo-star*
1976 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
1977 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
1978 *cpo-<*
1979 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
1980 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
1981 menu commands. For example, the command
1982 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
1983 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
1984 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
1985 Also see the 'k' flag above.
1986 *cpo->*
1987 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
1988 the appended text.
1990 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
1991 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
1993 contains behavior ~
1994 *cpo-#*
1995 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
1996 *cpo-&*
1997 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
1998 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
1999 This flag is tested when exiting.
2000 *cpo-\*
2001 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2002 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2003 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2004 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2005 Also see |cpo-l|.
2006 *cpo-/*
2007 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2008 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2009 *cpo-{*
2010 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2011 at the start of a line.
2012 *cpo-.*
2013 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2014 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2015 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2016 opened file.
2017 *cpo-bar*
2018 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2019 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2020 with system specific functions.
2023 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2024 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2025 global
2026 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2027 feature}
2028 {not in Vi}
2029 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2030 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2032 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2033 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2034 global
2035 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2036 feature}
2037 {not in Vi}
2038 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2039 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2040 security reasons.
2042 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2043 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2044 global
2045 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2046 or |+quickfix| features}
2047 {not in Vi}
2048 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2049 See |cscopequickfix|.
2051 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2052 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2053 global
2054 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2055 feature}
2056 {not in Vi}
2057 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2058 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2060 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2061 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2062 global
2063 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2064 feature}
2065 {not in Vi}
2066 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2067 |cscopetagorder|.
2068 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2070 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2071 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2072 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2073 global
2074 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2075 feature}
2076 {not in Vi}
2077 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2078 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2081 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2082 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2083 local to window
2084 {not in Vi}
2085 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2086 feature}
2087 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2088 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2089 slower.
2090 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2091 these autocommands: >
2092 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2093 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2094 <
2096 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2097 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2098 local to window
2099 {not in Vi}
2100 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2101 feature}
2102 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2103 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2104 redrawing slower.
2105 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2106 easier to see the selected text.
2109 *'debug'*
2110 'debug' string (default "")
2111 global
2112 {not in Vi}
2113 These values can be used:
2114 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2115 anyway.
2116 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2117 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2118 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2119 produced.
2120 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2121 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2122 'indentexpr'.
2124 *'define'* *'def'*
2125 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2126 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2127 {not in Vi}
2128 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2129 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2130 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2131 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2132 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2133 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2134 or backslash.
2135 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2136 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2137 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2138 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2140 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2141 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2142 global
2143 {not in Vi}
2144 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2145 feature}
2146 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2147 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2148 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2149 deleted.
2150 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2152 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2153 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2154 to remove only the combining ones.
2156 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2157 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2158 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2159 {not in Vi}
2160 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2161 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2162 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2163 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2164 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2165 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2166 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2167 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2168 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2169 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2170 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2171 Where to find a list of words?
2172 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2173 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2174 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2175 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2176 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2177 uses another default.
2178 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2180 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2181 'diff' boolean (default off)
2182 local to window
2183 {not in Vi}
2184 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2185 feature}
2186 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2187 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2189 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2190 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2191 global
2192 {not in Vi}
2193 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2194 feature}
2195 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2196 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2197 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2198 security reasons.
2200 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2201 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2202 global
2203 {not in Vi}
2204 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2205 feature}
2206 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2207 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2209 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2210 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2211 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2212 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2213 is set.
2215 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2216 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2217 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2218 See |fold-diff|.
2220 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2221 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2222 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2224 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2225 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2226 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2227 of the "diff" command for what this does
2228 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2229 white space, but not leading white space.
2231 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2232 explicitly specified otherwise).
2234 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2235 explicitly specified otherwise).
2237 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2238 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2240 Examples: >
2242 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2243 :set diffopt=
2244 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2245 <
2246 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2247 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2248 global
2249 {not in Vi}
2250 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2251 feature}
2252 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2253 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2254 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2256 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2257 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2258 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2259 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2260 global
2261 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2262 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2263 possible.
2264 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2265 impossible!).
2266 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2267 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2268 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2269 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2270 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2271 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2272 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2273 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2274 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2275 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2276 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2277 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2278 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2279 name, precede it with a backslash.
2280 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2281 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2282 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2283 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2284 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2285 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2286 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2287 of the option is removed.
2288 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2289 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2290 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2291 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2292 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2293 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2294 home directory is tried first.
2295 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2296 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2297 uses another default.
2298 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2299 security reasons.
2300 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2302 *'display'* *'dy'*
2303 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2304 global
2305 {not in Vi}
2306 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2307 flags:
2308 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2309 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2310 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2311 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2312 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2314 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2315 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2316 global
2317 {not in Vi}
2318 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2319 feature}
2320 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2321 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2322 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2323 both width and height of windows is affected
2325 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2326 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2327 global
2328 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2329 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2330 also 'gdefault' option.
2331 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2333 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2334 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2335 global
2336 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2337 feature}
2338 {not in Vi}
2339 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2340 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2341 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2342 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2344 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2345 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2346 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2347 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2349 NOTE: For MacVim and GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding'
2350 to "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2351 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2352 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2353 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2354 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2355 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2357 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2358 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2359 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2361 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2362 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2363 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2364 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2366 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2367 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2369 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2370 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2371 to '-' signs.
2372 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2373 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2374 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2376 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2377 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2378 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2379 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2380 utf-8.
2382 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2383 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2384 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2385 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2386 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2388 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2389 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2391 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2392 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2393 local to buffer
2394 {not in Vi}
2395 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2396 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2397 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2398 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2399 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2400 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2401 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2402 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2403 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2404 it if you want to.
2406 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2407 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2408 global
2409 {not in Vi}
2410 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2411 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2412 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2413 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2414 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2415 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2416 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2417 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2418 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2419 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2420 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2422 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2423 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2424 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2425 {not in Vi}
2426 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2427 the internal formatting functions are used ('lisp', 'cindent' or
2428 'indentexpr').
2429 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2430 about including spaces and backslashes.
2431 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2432 security reasons.
2434 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2435 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2436 global
2437 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2438 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2439 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2440 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2441 screen flash or do nothing.
2443 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2444 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2445 others: "errors.err")
2446 global
2447 {not in Vi}
2448 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2449 feature}
2450 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2451 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2452 following argument. See |-q|.
2453 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2454 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2455 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2456 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2457 security reasons.
2459 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2460 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2461 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2462 {not in Vi}
2463 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2464 feature}
2465 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2466 (see |errorformat|).
2468 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2469 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2470 global
2471 {not in Vi}
2472 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2473 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2474 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2475 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2476 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2477 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2478 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2479 won't work by default.
2480 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2481 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2483 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2484 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2485 global
2486 {not in Vi}
2487 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2488 feature}
2489 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2490 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2491 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2492 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2493 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2494 <
2495 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2496 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2497 local to buffer
2498 {not in Vi}
2499 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2500 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2501 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2502 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2503 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2505 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2506 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2507 global
2508 {not in Vi}
2509 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2510 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2511 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2512 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2513 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2514 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2515 security reasons.
2517 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2518 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2519 local to buffer
2520 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2521 feature}
2522 {not in Vi}
2523 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2524 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2525 done when reading and writing the file.
2526 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2527 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2528 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2529 'encoding' is "utf-8" conversion is most likely done in a way
2530 that the reverse conversion results in the same text. When
2531 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some characters may be lost!
2532 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2533 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2534 |mbyte-conversion|.
2535 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2536 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2537 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2538 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2539 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2540 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2541 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2542 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2543 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2544 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2545 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2546 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2547 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2548 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2549 avoid this.
2550 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2552 *'fe'*
2553 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2554 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2555 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2557 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2558 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2559 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2560 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2561 global
2562 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2563 feature}
2564 {not in Vi}
2565 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2566 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2567 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2568 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2569 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2570 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2571 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2572 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2573 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2574 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2575 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2576 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2577 that can't be converted.
2578 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2579 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2580 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2581 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2582 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2583 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2584 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2585 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2586 non-blank characters.
2587 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2588 not used.
2589 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2590 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2591 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2592 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2593 an empty file.
2594 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2595 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2596 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2597 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2598 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2599 accepted.
2600 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2601 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2602 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2603 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2604 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2605 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2606 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2607 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2608 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2609 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2610 file
2611 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2612 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2613 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2614 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2615 is read.
2617 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2618 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2619 Unix default: "unix",
2620 Macintosh default: "mac")
2621 local to buffer
2622 {not in Vi}
2623 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2624 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2625 dos <CR> <NL>
2626 unix <NL>
2627 mac <CR>
2628 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2629 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2630 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2631 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2632 works like it was set to "unix'.
2633 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2634 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2635 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2636 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2637 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2638 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2639 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2641 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2642 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2643 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2644 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2645 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2646 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2647 Vi others: "")
2648 global
2649 {not in Vi}
2650 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2651 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2652 buffer:
2653 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2654 always. It is not set automatically.
2655 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2656 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2657 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2658 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2659 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2660 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2661 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2662 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2663 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2664 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2665 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2666 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2667 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2668 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2669 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2670 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2671 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2672 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2673 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2674 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2675 'fileformats' is used.
2676 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2677 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2678 file only, the option is not changed.
2679 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2681 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2682 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2683 done:
2684 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2685 format will be used.
2686 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2687 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2688 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2689 used.
2690 Also see |file-formats|.
2691 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2692 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2693 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2694 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2695 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2697 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2698 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2699 local to buffer
2700 {not in Vi}
2701 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2702 feature}
2703 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2704 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2705 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2706 name.
2707 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2708 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2709 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2710 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2711 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2712 Example, for in an IDL file:
2713 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2714 |FileType| |filetypes|
2715 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2716 names. Example:
2717 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2718 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2719 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2720 one dot may appear.
2721 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2722 type that is actually stored with the file.
2723 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2724 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2725 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2727 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2728 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2729 global
2730 {not in Vi}
2731 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2732 and |+folding| features}
2733 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2734 It is a comma separated list of items:
2736 item default Used for ~
2737 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2738 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2739 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2740 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2741 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2743 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2744 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2745 otherwise.
2747 Example: >
2748 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2749 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2750 be used when there is highlighting.
2752 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2754 The highlighting used for these items:
2755 item highlight group ~
2756 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2757 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2758 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2759 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2760 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2762 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2763 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2764 global
2765 {not in Vi}
2766 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2767 feature}
2768 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2769 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2770 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2772 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2773 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2774 global
2775 {not in Vi}
2776 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2777 feature}
2778 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2779 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2780 automatically close when moving out of them.
2782 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2783 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2784 local to window
2785 {not in Vi}
2786 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2787 feature}
2788 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2789 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2790 value is 12.
2791 See |folding|.
2793 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2794 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2795 local to window
2796 {not in Vi}
2797 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2798 feature}
2799 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2800 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2801 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2802 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2803 'foldenable' is off.
2804 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2805 See |folding|.
2807 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2808 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2809 local to window
2810 {not in Vi}
2811 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2812 or |+eval| feature}
2813 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2814 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2816 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2817 |sandbox-option|.
2819 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2820 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2822 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2823 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2824 local to window
2825 {not in Vi}
2826 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2827 feature}
2828 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2829 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2830 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2831 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2833 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2834 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2835 local to window
2836 {not in Vi}
2837 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2838 feature}
2839 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2840 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2841 close fewer folds.
2842 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2843 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2845 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2846 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2847 global
2848 {not in Vi}
2849 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2850 feature}
2851 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2852 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2853 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2854 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2855 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2856 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2857 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2858 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2859 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2861 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2862 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2863 local to window
2864 {not in Vi}
2865 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2866 feature}
2867 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2868 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2869 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2870 See |fold-marker|.
2872 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2873 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2874 local to window
2875 {not in Vi}
2876 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2877 feature}
2878 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2879 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2880 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2881 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2882 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2883 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2884 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2886 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2887 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2888 local to window
2889 {not in Vi}
2890 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2891 feature}
2892 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2893 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2894 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2895 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2896 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2898 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2899 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2900 local to window
2901 {not in Vi}
2902 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2903 feature}
2904 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2905 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2906 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2908 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2909 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2910 search,tag,undo")
2911 global
2912 {not in Vi}
2913 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2914 feature}
2915 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2916 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2917 list of items.
2918 item commands ~
2919 all any
2920 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2921 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2922 insert any command in Insert mode
2923 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2924 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2925 percent "%"
2926 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2927 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2928 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2929 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2930 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2931 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2932 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2933 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2934 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2935 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2936 whole closed fold.
2937 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2938 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2939 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2940 when text is inserted.
2941 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2942 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2944 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2945 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
2946 local to window
2947 {not in Vi}
2948 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2949 feature}
2950 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
2951 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
2953 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2954 |sandbox-option|.
2956 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2957 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
2959 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
2960 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
2961 local to buffer
2962 {not in Vi}
2963 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
2964 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
2965 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
2966 be inserted for readability.
2967 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
2968 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
2969 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2970 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2972 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
2973 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
2974 local to buffer
2975 {not in Vi}
2976 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
2977 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
2978 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
2979 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
2980 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
2981 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
2982 like there is no match.
2983 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
2984 character and white space.
2986 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
2987 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
2988 global
2989 {not in Vi}
2990 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
2991 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
2992 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
2993 such a program.
2994 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
2995 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
2996 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
2997 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2998 about including spaces and backslashes.
2999 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3000 |sandbox-option|.
3002 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3003 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3004 local to buffer
3005 {not in Vi}
3006 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3007 feature}
3008 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3009 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3011 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3012 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3013 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3014 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3016 Example: >
3017 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3018 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3019 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3021 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3022 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3023 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3024 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3025 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3026 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3028 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3029 |sandbox-option|.
3031 *'fsync'* *'fs'* *'nofsync'* *'nofs'*
3032 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3033 global
3034 {not in Vi}
3035 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3036 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3037 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3038 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3039 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3040 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3041 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3042 off.
3043 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3045 *'fullscreen'* *'fu'* *'nofullscreen'* *'nofu'*
3046 'fullscreen' 'fu' boolean (default off)
3047 global
3048 {not in Vi}
3049 {only available in the MacVim GUI}
3050 When this option is set, the whole screen is covered by vim. Screen
3051 decorations drawn by the operating system (such as the dock or the
3052 menu bar) are hidden. Most of vim's window chrome is hidden as well
3053 (e.g. toolbar, title bar). The tab bar and scroll bars remains visible.
3055 Most of the screen is black, only a 'columns' x 'lines' part of the
3056 screen is covered by the actual vim control. The control is centered.
3057 Updates to the window position are ignored in fullscreen mode.
3059 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3060 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3061 global
3062 {not in Vi}
3063 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3064 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3065 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3066 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3068 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3069 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3070 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3071 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3073 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3075 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3076 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3077 global
3078 {not in Vi}
3079 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3080 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3081 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3083 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3084 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3085 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3086 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3087 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3088 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3089 {not in Vi}
3090 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3091 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3092 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3093 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3094 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3095 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3096 also work well with a single file: >
3097 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3098 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3099 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3100 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3101 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3102 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3103 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3104 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3105 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3106 security reasons.
3108 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3109 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3110 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3111 o:hor50-Cursor,
3112 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3113 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3114 sm:block-Cursor
3115 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3116 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3117 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3118 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3119 global
3120 {not in Vi}
3121 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3122 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3123 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3124 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3125 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3126 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3127 horizontal cursor.
3128 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3130 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3131 mode-list and an argument-list:
3132 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3133 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3134 n Normal mode
3135 v Visual mode
3136 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3137 if not specified)
3138 o Operator-pending mode
3139 i Insert mode
3140 r Replace mode
3141 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3142 ci Command-line Insert mode
3143 cr Command-line Replace mode
3144 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3145 a all modes
3146 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3147 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3148 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3149 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3150 [only one of the above three should be present]
3151 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3152 blinkon{N}
3153 blinkoff{N}
3154 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3155 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3156 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3157 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3158 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3159 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3160 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3161 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3162 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3163 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3164 executing a command.
3165 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3166 |xterm-blink|.
3167 {group-name}
3168 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3169 for the cursor
3170 {group-name}/{group-name}
3171 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3172 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3173 are. |language-mapping|
3175 Examples of parts:
3176 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3177 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3178 highlight group
3179 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3180 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3181 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3182 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3183 faster.
3185 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3186 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3187 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3188 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3190 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3191 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3192 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3193 <
3194 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3195 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3196 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3197 global
3198 {not in Vi}
3199 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3200 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3201 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3202 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3203 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3204 The first valid font is used.
3206 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3207 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3209 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3210 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3211 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3212 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3213 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3214 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3215 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3217 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3218 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3219 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3220 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3221 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3222 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3224 For Win32, GTK, Mac OS and Photon: >
3225 :set guifont=*
3226 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3227 In MacVim ":set guifont=*" calls: >
3228 :macaction orderFrontFontPanel:
3229 < which is the same as choosing "Show Fonts..." from the main menu.
3231 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3232 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3234 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3235 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3236 < That's all. XLFDs are no longer accepted.
3238 For Mac OS X you can use something like this: >
3239 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3240 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems {not in MacVim}.
3241 In MacVim, fonts with spaces are set like this: >
3242 :set guifont=DejaVu\ Sans\ Mono:h13
3243 <
3244 *E236*
3245 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3246 width). An exception is MacVim and GTK 2: all fonts are accepted, but
3247 mono-spaced fonts look best.
3249 To preview a font on X11, you might be able to use the "xfontsel"
3250 program. The "xlsfonts" program gives a list of all available fonts.
3252 For the Win32 GUI *E244* *E245*
3253 - takes these options in the font name:
3254 hXX - height is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3255 wXX - width is XX (points, can be floating-point)
3256 b - bold
3257 i - italic
3258 u - underline
3259 s - strikeout
3260 cXX - character set XX. Valid charsets are: ANSI, ARABIC,
3261 BALTIC, CHINESEBIG5, DEFAULT, EASTEUROPE, GB2312, GREEK,
3262 HANGEUL, HEBREW, JOHAB, MAC, OEM, RUSSIAN, SHIFTJIS,
3263 SYMBOL, THAI, TURKISH, VIETNAMESE ANSI and BALTIC.
3264 Normally you would use "cDEFAULT".
3266 Use a ':' to separate the options.
3267 - A '_' can be used in the place of a space, so you don't need to use
3268 backslashes to escape the spaces.
3269 - Examples: >
3270 :set guifont=courier_new:h12:w5:b:cRUSSIAN
3271 :set guifont=Andale_Mono:h7.5:w4.5
3272 < See also |font-sizes|.
3274 *'guifontset'* *'gfs'*
3275 *E250* *E252* *E234* *E597* *E598*
3276 'guifontset' 'gfs' string (default "")
3277 global
3278 {not in Vi}
3279 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3280 with the |+xfontset| feature}
3281 {not available in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
3282 When not empty, specifies two (or more) fonts to be used. The first
3283 one for normal English, the second one for your special language. See
3284 |xfontset|.
3285 Setting this option also means that all font names will be handled as
3286 a fontset name. Also the ones used for the "font" argument of the
3287 |:highlight| command.
3288 The fonts must match with the current locale. If fonts for the
3289 character sets that the current locale uses are not included, setting
3290 'guifontset' will fail.
3291 Note the difference between 'guifont' and 'guifontset': In 'guifont'
3292 the comma-separated names are alternative names, one of which will be
3293 used. In 'guifontset' the whole string is one fontset name,
3294 including the commas. It is not possible to specify alternative
3295 fontset names.
3296 This example works on many X11 systems: >
3297 :set guifontset=-*-*-medium-r-normal--16-*-*-*-c-*-*-*
3298 <
3299 *'guifontwide'* *'gfw'* *E231* *E533* *E534*
3300 'guifontwide' 'gfw' string (default "")
3301 global
3302 {not in Vi}
3303 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3304 When not empty, specifies a comma-separated list of fonts to be used
3305 for double-width characters. The first font that can be loaded is
3306 used.
3307 Note: The size of these fonts must be exactly twice as wide as the one
3308 specified with 'guifont' and the same height.
3310 All GUI versions but MacVim and GTK+ 2:
3312 'guifontwide' is only used when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and
3313 'guifontset' is empty or invalid.
3314 When 'guifont' is set and a valid font is found in it and
3315 'guifontwide' is empty Vim will attempt to find a matching
3316 double-width font and set 'guifontwide' to it.
3318 MacVim only: *guifontwide_macvim*
3320 MacVim performs automatic font substitution. If 'guifontwide' is set,
3321 that font will be used for all wide fonts. However, if a glyph is
3322 not available in the wide font, then font substitution is still used.
3324 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3326 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3327 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3328 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3329 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3330 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3331 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3332 made by Pango/Xft.
3334 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3335 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3336 global
3337 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3338 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3339 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3340 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3341 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3342 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3343 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3344 screen.
3346 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3347 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3348 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3349 global
3350 {not in Vi}
3351 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3352 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3353 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3354 GUI should be used.
3355 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3356 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3358 Valid letters are as follows:
3359 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3360 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3361 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3362 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3363 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3364 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3365 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3366 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3367 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3368 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3369 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3370 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3371 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3372 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3373 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3374 *'go-A'*
3375 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3376 applies to the modeless selection.
3378 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3379 "" - -
3380 "a" yes yes
3381 "A" - yes
3382 "aA" yes yes
3384 *'go-c'*
3385 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3386 choices.
3387 *'go-e'*
3388 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3389 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3390 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3391 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3392 GTK, Motif and MS-Windows.
3393 *'go-f'*
3394 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3395 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3396 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3397 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3398 foreground. |gui-fork|
3399 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3400 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3401 *'go-i'*
3402 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3403 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3404 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3405 *'go-m'*
3406 'm' Menu bar is present.
3407 *'go-M'*
3408 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3409 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3410 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3411 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3412 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3413 *'go-g'*
3414 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3415 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3416 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3417 *'go-t'*
3418 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3419 GTK+, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3420 *'go-T'*
3421 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3422 and Athena GUIs.
3423 *'go-r'*
3424 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3425 *'go-R'*
3426 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3427 split window.
3428 *'go-l'*
3429 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3430 *'go-L'*
3431 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3432 split window.
3433 *'go-b'*
3434 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3435 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3436 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3437 *'go-h'*
3438 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3439 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3441 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3442 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3444 *'go-v'*
3445 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3446 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3447 vertical layout is used anyway.
3448 *'go-p'*
3449 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3450 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3451 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3452 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3453 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3454 *'go-F'*
3455 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3458 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3459 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3460 global
3461 {not in Vi}
3462 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3463 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3464 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3466 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3467 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3468 global
3469 {not in Vi}
3470 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3471 with the +windows feature}
3472 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3473 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3474 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3476 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3477 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3479 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3480 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3481 used.
3483 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3484 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3485 global
3486 {not in Vi}
3487 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3488 with the +windows feature}
3489 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3490 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3491 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3494 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3495 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3496 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3497 global
3498 {not in Vi}
3499 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3500 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3501 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3502 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3503 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3504 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3505 spaces and backslashes.
3506 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3507 security reasons.
3509 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3510 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3511 global
3512 {not in Vi}
3513 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3514 feature}
3515 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3516 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3517 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3518 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3519 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3521 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3522 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3523 global
3524 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3525 feature}
3526 {not in Vi}
3527 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3528 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3529 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3530 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3531 language and not in the English help.
3532 Example: >
3533 :set helplang=de,it
3534 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3535 files.
3536 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3537 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3538 See |help-translated|.
3540 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3541 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3542 global
3543 {not in Vi}
3544 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3545 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3546 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3547 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3548 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3549 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3550 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3551 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3552 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3553 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3554 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3556 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3557 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3558 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3559 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3560 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3561 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3562 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3563 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3564 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3565 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3566 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3567 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3568 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3569 global
3570 {not in Vi}
3571 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3572 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3573 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3574 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3575 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3576 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3577 characters from 'showbreak'
3578 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3579 things in listings
3580 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3581 h (obsolete, ignored)
3582 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3583 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3584 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3585 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3586 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3587 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3588 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3589 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3590 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3591 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3592 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3593 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3594 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3595 |xterm-clipboard|.
3596 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3597 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3598 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3599 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3600 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3601 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3602 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3603 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3604 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3605 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3606 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3607 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3608 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3609 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3610 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3611 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3612 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3614 The display modes are:
3615 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3616 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3617 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3618 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3619 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3620 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3621 n no highlighting
3622 - no highlighting
3623 : use a highlight group
3624 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3625 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3626 for an example.
3627 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3628 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3629 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3630 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3631 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3633 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3634 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3635 global
3636 {not in Vi}
3637 {not available when compiled without the
3638 |+extra_search| feature}
3639 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3640 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3641 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3642 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3643 are not applied.
3644 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3645 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3646 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3647 highlighting comes back.
3648 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spend on finding matches.
3649 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3650 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3651 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3652 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3653 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3654 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3656 *'history'* *'hi'*
3657 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3658 global
3659 {not in Vi}
3660 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3661 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3662 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3663 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3664 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3666 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3667 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3668 global
3669 {not in Vi}
3670 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3671 feature}
3672 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3673 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3674 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3675 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3677 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3678 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3679 global
3680 {not in Vi}
3681 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3682 feature}
3683 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3684 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3685 See |rileft.txt|.
3686 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3688 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3689 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3690 global
3691 {not in Vi}
3692 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3693 feature}
3694 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3695 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3696 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3697 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3698 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3699 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3700 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3701 builtin termcap).
3702 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3703 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3704 X11.
3706 *'iconstring'*
3707 'iconstring' string (default "")
3708 global
3709 {not in Vi}
3710 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3711 feature}
3712 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3713 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3714 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3715 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3716 Does not work for MS Windows.
3717 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3718 restored if possible |X11|.
3719 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3720 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3721 'titlestring' for example settings.
3722 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3724 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3725 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3726 global
3727 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3728 file.
3729 Also see 'smartcase'.
3730 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3731 |/ignorecase|.
3733 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3734 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3735 global
3736 {not in Vi}
3737 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3738 |+GUI_GTK|}
3739 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3740 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3741 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3742 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3743 tells Vim what the key is.
3744 Format:
3745 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3747 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3748 S Shift key
3749 L Lock key
3750 C Control key
3751 1 Mod1 key
3752 2 Mod2 key
3753 3 Mod3 key
3754 4 Mod4 key
3755 5 Mod5 key
3756 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3757 both shift+ctrl+space.
3758 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3760 Example: >
3761 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3762 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3763 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3765 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3766 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3767 global
3768 {not in Vi}
3769 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3770 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3771 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3772 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3773 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3774 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3775 characters with dead keys.
3777 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'nodisable'* *'noimd'*
3778 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for some systems (SGI))
3779 global
3780 {not in Vi}
3781 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3782 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3783 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3784 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3785 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX machines. This
3786 may change in later releases.
3788 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3789 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3790 local to buffer
3791 {not in Vi}
3792 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3793 Insert mode. Valid values:
3794 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3795 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3796 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3797 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3798 or |global-ime|.
3799 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3800 this can be used: >
3801 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3802 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3803 mode.
3804 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3805 |i_CTRL-^|.
3806 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3807 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3808 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3809 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3811 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3812 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3813 local to buffer
3814 {not in Vi}
3815 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3816 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3817 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3818 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3819 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3820 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3821 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3822 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3823 |c_CTRL-^|.
3824 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3825 option to a valid keymap name.
3826 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3827 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3829 *'include'* *'inc'*
3830 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3831 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3832 {not in Vi}
3833 {not available when compiled without the
3834 |+find_in_path| feature}
3835 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3836 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3837 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3838 "]I", "[d", etc.
3839 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3840 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3841 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3842 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3843 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3844 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3845 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3847 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3848 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3849 local to buffer
3850 {not in Vi}
3851 {not available when compiled without the
3852 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3853 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3854 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3855 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3856 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3858 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3859 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3860 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3862 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3863 |sandbox-option|.
3865 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3866 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
3868 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
3869 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
3870 global
3871 {not in Vi}
3872 {not available when compiled without the
3873 |+extra_search| feature}
3874 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
3875 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
3876 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
3877 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
3878 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
3879 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
3880 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
3881 cursor to the match.
3882 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
3883 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
3884 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
3885 are typing the pattern.
3886 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
3887 See also: 'hlsearch'.
3888 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
3889 to the command line.
3890 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
3891 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
3892 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3894 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
3895 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
3896 local to buffer
3897 {not in Vi}
3898 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3899 or |+eval| features}
3900 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
3901 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
3902 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
3903 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
3904 'smartindent' indenting.
3905 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
3906 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
3907 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
3908 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
3909 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
3910 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
3911 used for the indent).
3912 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
3913 and |lispindent()|.
3914 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
3915 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
3916 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
3917 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
3918 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
3919 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
3920 "msg".
3921 See |indent-expression|.
3922 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
3924 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3925 |sandbox-option|.
3927 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3928 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
3931 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
3932 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
3933 local to buffer
3934 {not in Vi}
3935 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3936 feature}
3937 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
3938 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
3939 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
3940 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
3942 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
3943 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
3944 local to buffer
3945 {not in Vi}
3946 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
3947 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted. If the
3948 typed text contains a lowercase letter where the match has an upper
3949 case letter, the completed part is made lowercase. If the typed text
3950 has no lowercase letters and the match has a lowercase letter where
3951 the typed text has an uppercase letter, and there is a letter before
3952 it, the completed part is made uppercase.
3954 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
3955 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
3956 global
3957 {not in Vi}
3958 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
3959 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
3960 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
3961 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
3962 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
3963 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
3964 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
3965 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
3966 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
3967 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
3969 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
3970 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
3971 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
3972 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
3973 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
3974 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
3975 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
3976 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
3977 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
3978 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
3980 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3982 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
3983 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
3984 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
3985 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
3986 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
3987 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
3988 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
3989 global
3990 {not in Vi}
3991 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
3992 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
3993 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
3994 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
3995 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
3996 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
3998 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
3999 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
4000 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4001 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4002 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4003 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4004 cmd.exe.
4006 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4007 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4008 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4009 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4010 not work for digits). Example:
4011 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4012 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4013 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4014 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4015 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4016 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4017 option or the end of a range. Example:
4018 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4019 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4020 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4021 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4022 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4023 case letters.
4024 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4025 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4026 expected. Example:
4027 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4028 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4029 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4030 comma, plus <Tab>.
4031 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4033 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4034 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4035 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4036 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4037 global
4038 {not in Vi}
4039 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4040 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4041 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4042 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4043 option.
4044 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4045 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4046 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4048 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4049 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4050 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4051 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4052 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4053 local to buffer
4054 {not in Vi}
4055 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4056 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4057 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4058 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4059 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4060 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4061 command).
4062 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4063 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4064 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4066 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4067 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4068 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4069 global
4070 {not in Vi}
4071 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4072 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4073 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4074 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4075 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4077 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4078 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4079 32 - 126 always single characters
4080 127 "^?"
4081 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4082 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4083 255 "~?"
4084 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4085 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4086 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4087 displayed as <xx>.
4088 The NonText highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4089 |hl-NonText|
4091 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4092 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4093 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4094 replacement character will be shown.
4095 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4096 There is no option to specify these characters.
4098 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4099 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4100 global
4101 {not in Vi}
4102 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4103 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4104 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4105 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4107 *'key'*
4108 'key' string (default "")
4109 local to buffer
4110 {not in Vi}
4111 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4112 See |encryption|.
4113 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4114 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4115 :set key=
4116 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4117 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4118 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4119 be careful not to make a typing error!
4121 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4122 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4123 local to buffer
4124 {not in Vi}
4125 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4126 feature}
4127 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4128 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4129 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4130 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4131 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4133 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4134 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4135 global
4136 {not in Vi}
4137 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4138 can do. These values can be used:
4139 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4140 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4141 present in 'selectmode').
4142 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4143 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4144 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4145 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4147 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4148 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4149 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4150 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4151 {not in Vi}
4152 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4153 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4154 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4155 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4156 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4157 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4158 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4159 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4160 Example: >
4161 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4162 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4163 security reasons.
4165 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4166 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4167 global
4168 {not in Vi}
4169 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4170 feature}
4171 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4172 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4173 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4174 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4175 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4176 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4177 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4178 mapped in Insert mode.
4179 This only works for 8-bit characters. The value of 'langmap' may be
4180 specified with multi-byte characters (e.g., UTF-8), but only the lower
4181 8 bits of each character will be used.
4183 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4184 :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
4185 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4186 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4187 <
4188 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4189 part can be in one of two forms:
4190 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4191 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4192 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4193 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4194 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4195 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4196 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4198 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4199 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4200 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4201 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4202 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4203 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4204 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4205 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4206 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4207 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4208 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4210 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4211 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4212 global
4213 {not in Vi}
4214 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4215 |+multi_lang| features}
4216 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4217 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4218 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4219 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4220 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4221 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4222 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4223 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4224 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4225 the English menus: >
4226 :set langmenu=none
4227 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4228 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4229 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4230 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4231 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4232 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4233 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4235 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4236 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4237 global
4238 {not in Vi}
4239 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4240 status line:
4241 0: never
4242 1: only if there are at least two windows
4243 2: always
4244 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4245 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4247 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4248 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4249 global
4250 {not in Vi}
4251 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4252 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4253 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4254 update use |:redraw|.
4256 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4257 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4258 local to window
4259 {not in Vi}
4260 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4261 feature}
4262 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4263 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4264 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4265 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4266 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4267 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4268 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4269 with the right amount of white space.
4271 *'lines'* *E593*
4272 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4273 global
4274 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4275 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4276 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4277 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4278 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4279 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4280 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4281 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4282 :set lines=999
4283 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4284 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4285 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4286 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4288 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4289 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4290 global
4291 {not in Vi}
4292 {only in the GUI}
4293 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4294 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4295 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4296 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4297 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4298 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4299 though!
4301 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4302 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4303 local to buffer
4304 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4305 feature}
4306 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4307 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4308 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4309 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4310 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4311 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4312 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4313 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4314 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4315 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4317 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4318 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4319 global
4320 {not in Vi}
4321 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4322 feature}
4323 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4324 |'lisp'|
4326 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4327 'list' boolean (default off)
4328 local to window
4329 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I, show end of line with $. Useful to
4330 see the difference between tabs and spaces and for trailing blanks.
4331 Note that this will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth' or
4332 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4333 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4335 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4336 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4337 global
4338 {not in Vi}
4339 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4340 settings.
4341 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4342 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4343 line.
4344 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4345 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4346 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4347 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4348 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4349 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4350 trailing spaces are blank.
4351 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4352 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4353 screen.
4354 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4355 is off and there is text preceding the character
4356 visible in the first column.
4357 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4358 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4360 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4361 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4362 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4364 Examples: >
4365 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4366 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4367 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4368 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4369 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4370 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4372 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4373 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4374 global
4375 {not in Vi}
4376 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4377 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4378 of plugins.
4379 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4380 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4382 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4383 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4384 global
4385 {only available in Mac Carbon GUI version}
4386 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4387 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4388 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4389 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4390 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4391 to unset it: >
4392 if exists('&macatsui')
4393 set nomacatsui
4394 endif
4395 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4396 'termencoding'.
4397 Note: MacVim does not use this option.
4399 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4400 'magic' boolean (default on)
4401 global
4402 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4403 See |pattern|.
4404 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4405 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4406 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4407 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4409 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4410 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4411 global
4412 {not in Vi}
4413 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4414 feature}
4415 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4416 and the |:grep| command.
4417 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4418 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4419 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4420 existing file.
4421 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4422 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4423 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4424 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4425 security reasons.
4427 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4428 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4429 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4430 {not in Vi}
4431 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4432 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4433 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4434 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4435 about including spaces and backslashes.
4436 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4437 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4438 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4439 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4440 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4441 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4442 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4443 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4444 security reasons.
4446 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4447 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4448 local to buffer
4449 {not in Vi}
4450 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4451 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4452 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4453 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4454 '>' (HTML): >
4455 :set mps+=<:>
4457 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4458 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4459 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4461 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4462 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4464 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4465 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4466 global
4467 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4468 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4469 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4470 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4472 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4473 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4474 global
4475 {not in Vi}
4476 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4477 feature}
4478 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4479 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4480 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4481 Maximum value is 6.
4482 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4483 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4484 See |mbyte-combining|.
4486 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4487 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4488 global
4489 {not in Vi}
4490 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4491 feature}
4492 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4493 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4494 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4495 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4496 See also |:function|.
4498 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4499 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4500 global
4501 {not in Vi}
4502 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4503 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4504 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4505 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4506 |key-mapping|.
4508 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4509 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4510 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4511 available)
4512 global
4513 {not in Vi}
4514 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4515 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4516 other memory to be freed. Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work
4517 without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4519 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4520 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4521 global
4522 {not in Vi}
4523 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4524 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4525 *E363*
4526 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4527 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4528 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4529 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4530 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4531 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4533 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4534 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4535 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4536 available)
4537 global
4538 {not in Vi}
4539 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for all buffers together.
4540 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit. Also see
4541 'maxmem'.
4543 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4544 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4545 global
4546 {not in Vi}
4547 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4548 feature}
4549 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4550 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4551 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4553 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4554 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4555 global
4556 {not in Vi}
4557 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4558 feature}
4559 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4560 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4561 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4562 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4563 this tuning is complicated.
4565 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4566 {start},{inc},{added}
4568 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4569 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4570 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4571 memory that is available to Vim.
4573 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4574 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4575 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4576 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4577 will be allocated.
4579 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4580 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4581 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4582 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4583 slower.
4585 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4586 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4587 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4588 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4589 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4590 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4592 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4593 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4594 Vi default: off)
4595 local to buffer
4596 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4597 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4598 global
4599 {not in Vi}
4600 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4601 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4602 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4603 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4604 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4606 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4607 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4608 local to buffer
4609 {not in Vi} *E21*
4610 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4611 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4612 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4614 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4615 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4616 local to buffer
4617 {not in Vi}
4618 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4619 when:
4620 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4621 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4622 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4623 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4624 when it was written.
4625 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4626 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4627 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4628 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4629 reset.
4630 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4631 will be ignored.
4633 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4634 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4635 global
4636 {not in Vi}
4637 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4638 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4639 listing continues until finished.
4640 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4641 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4643 *'mouse'* *E538*
4644 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4645 global
4646 {not in Vi}
4647 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4648 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, and Linux console
4649 with gpm). For using the mouse in the GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4650 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4651 n Normal mode
4652 v Visual mode
4653 i Insert mode
4654 c Command-line mode
4655 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4656 a all previous modes
4657 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4658 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4659 :set mouse=a
4660 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4661 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4663 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4665 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4666 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4667 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4668 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4670 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4671 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4672 global
4673 {not in Vi}
4674 {only works in the GUI}
4675 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4676 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4677 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4678 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4679 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4681 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4682 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4683 global
4684 {not in Vi}
4685 {only works in the GUI}
4686 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4687 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4689 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4690 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4691 global
4692 {not in Vi}
4693 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4694 the right mouse button is used for:
4695 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4696 like in an xterm.
4697 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4698 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4699 with Microsoft Windows.
4700 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4701 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4702 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4703 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4704 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4705 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4706 end Visual mode.
4707 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4708 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4709 left click place cursor place cursor
4710 left drag start selection start selection
4711 shift-left search word extend selection
4712 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4713 right drag extend selection -
4714 middle click paste paste
4716 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4717 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4719 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4720 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4721 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4723 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4725 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4726 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4727 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4728 global
4729 {not in Vi}
4730 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4731 feature}
4732 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4733 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4734 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4735 and an argument-list:
4736 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4737 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4738 In a normal window: ~
4739 n Normal mode
4740 v Visual mode
4741 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4742 if not specified)
4743 o Operator-pending mode
4744 i Insert mode
4745 r Replace mode
4747 Others: ~
4748 c appending to the command-line
4749 ci inserting in the command-line
4750 cr replacing in the command-line
4751 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4752 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4753 e any mode, pointer below last window
4754 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4755 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4756 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4757 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4758 a everywhere
4760 The shape is one of the following:
4761 avail name looks like ~
4762 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4763 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4764 w x beam I-beam
4765 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4766 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4767 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4768 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4769 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4770 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4771 x crosshair like a big thin +
4772 x hand1 black hand
4773 x hand2 white hand
4774 x pencil what you write with
4775 x question big ?
4776 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4777 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4778 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4780 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4781 x for X11.
4782 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4783 pointer.
4785 Example: >
4786 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4787 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4788 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4789 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4791 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4792 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4793 global
4794 {not in Vi}
4795 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4796 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4797 recognized as a multi click.
4799 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4800 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4801 global
4802 {not in Vi}
4803 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4804 feature}
4805 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4806 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4808 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4809 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4810 local to buffer
4811 {not in Vi}
4812 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4813 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4814 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4815 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4816 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4817 letter index a), b), etc.
4818 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4819 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4820 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4821 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4822 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4823 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4824 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4825 recognized as octal or hex.
4827 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4828 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4829 local to window
4830 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4831 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4832 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4833 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4834 number.
4835 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4836 characters are put before the number.
4837 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4839 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4840 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4841 local to window
4842 {not in Vi}
4843 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
4844 feature}
4845 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
4846 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
4847 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
4848 one less character for the number itself.
4849 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
4850 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
4851 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
4852 1000 lines five columns will be used.
4853 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
4854 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
4856 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
4857 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
4858 local to buffer
4859 {not in Vi}
4860 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4861 or +insert_expand feature}
4862 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
4863 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
4864 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
4865 invoked and what it should return.
4866 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
4867 |:filetype-plugin-on|
4870 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
4871 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
4872 global
4873 {not in Vi}
4874 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
4875 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
4876 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
4877 it is off by default.
4878 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
4879 result in editing a device.
4882 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
4883 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
4884 global
4885 {not in Vi}
4886 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
4887 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
4889 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4890 security reasons.
4893 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
4894 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
4895 others default: "")
4896 local to buffer
4897 {not in Vi}
4898 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
4899 feature}
4900 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
4901 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
4902 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
4903 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
4904 use to set the file type when file is written.
4905 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
4906 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
4908 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
4909 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP LIpplpipbp")
4910 global
4911 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
4912 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
4914 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
4915 'paste' boolean (default off)
4916 global
4917 {not in Vi}
4918 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
4919 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
4920 unexpected effects.
4921 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
4922 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
4923 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
4924 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
4925 mouse clicks itself.
4926 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
4927 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
4928 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
4929 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
4930 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
4931 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
4932 - abbreviations are disabled
4933 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
4934 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
4935 - 'autoindent' is reset
4936 - 'smartindent' is reset
4937 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
4938 - 'revins' is reset
4939 - 'ruler' is reset
4940 - 'showmatch' is reset
4941 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
4942 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
4943 - 'lisp'
4944 - 'indentexpr'
4945 - 'cindent'
4946 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
4947 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
4948 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
4949 set the 'paste' option again.
4950 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
4951 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
4952 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
4953 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
4954 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
4956 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
4957 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
4958 global
4959 {not in Vi}
4960 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
4961 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
4962 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
4963 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
4964 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
4965 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
4966 Command-line mode.
4967 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
4968 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
4969 this: >
4970 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
4971 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
4972 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
4973 :imap <F11> <nop>
4974 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
4975 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
4976 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
4977 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
4978 sequence.
4980 *'pex'* *'patchexpr'*
4981 'patchexpr' 'pex' string (default "")
4982 global
4983 {not in Vi}
4984 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
4985 feature}
4986 Expression which is evaluated to apply a patch to a file and generate
4987 the resulting new version of the file. See |diff-patchexpr|.
4989 *'patchmode'* *'pm'* *E206*
4990 'patchmode' 'pm' string (default "")
4991 global
4992 {not in Vi}
4993 When non-empty the oldest version of a file is kept. This can be used
4994 to keep the original version of a file if you are changing files in a
4995 source distribution. Only the first time that a file is written a
4996 copy of the original file will be kept. The name of the copy is the
4997 name of the original file with the string in the 'patchmode' option
4998 appended. This option should start with a dot. Use a string like
4999 ".org". 'backupdir' must not be empty for this to work (Detail: The
5000 backup file is renamed to the patchmode file after the new file has
5001 been successfully written, that's why it must be possible to write a
5002 backup file). If there was no file to be backed up, an empty file is
5003 created.
5004 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a patchmode file is not made.
5005 Using 'patchmode' for compressed files appends the extension at the
5006 end (e.g., "file.gz.orig"), thus the resulting name isn't always
5007 recognized as a compressed file.
5008 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
5010 *'path'* *'pa'* *E343* *E345* *E347*
5011 'path' 'pa' string (default on Unix: ".,/usr/include,,"
5012 on OS/2: ".,/emx/include,,"
5013 other systems: ".,,")
5014 global or local to buffer |global-local|
5015 {not in Vi}
5016 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
5017 |gf|, [f, ]f, ^Wf, |:find| and other commands, provided that the file
5018 being searched for has a relative path (not starting with '/'). The
5019 directories in the 'path' option may be relative or absolute.
5020 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5021 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5022 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5023 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5024 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5025 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5026 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5027 backslash: >
5028 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5029 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5030 :set path=.
5031 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5032 commas: >
5033 :set path=,,
5034 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5035 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5036 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5037 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5038 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree:
5039 1) "*" matches a sequence of characters, e.g.: >
5040 :set path=/usr/include/*
5041 < means all subdirectories in /usr/include (but not /usr/include
5042 itself). >
5043 :set path=/usr/*c
5044 < matches /usr/doc and /usr/src.
5045 2) "**" matches a subtree, up to 100 directories deep. Example: >
5046 :set path=/home/user_x/src/**
5047 < means search in the whole subtree under "/home/usr_x/src".
5048 3) If the path ends with a ';', this path is the startpoint
5049 for upward search.
5050 See |file-searching| for more info and exact syntax.
5051 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5052 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5053 :set path=.,c:\\include
5054 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5055 :set path=.,c:/include
5056 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5057 the file!
5058 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5059 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5060 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5061 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5062 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5063 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5064 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5065 :set path-=
5066 < To add the current directory use: >
5067 :set path+=
5068 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5069 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5070 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5071 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5072 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5073 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5075 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5076 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5077 local to buffer
5078 {not in Vi}
5079 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5080 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5081 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5082 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5083 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5084 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5085 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5086 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5087 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5088 Also see 'copyindent'.
5089 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5091 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5092 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5093 global
5094 {not in Vi}
5095 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5096 |+quickfix| feature}
5097 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5098 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5100 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5101 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5102 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5103 local to window
5104 {not in Vi}
5105 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5106 |+quickfix| feature}
5107 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5108 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5109 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5111 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5112 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5113 global
5114 {not in Vi}
5115 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5116 feature}
5117 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5118 See |pdev-option|.
5119 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5120 security reasons.
5122 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5123 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5124 global
5125 {not in Vi}
5126 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5127 and |+postscript| features}
5128 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5129 See |penc-option|.
5131 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5132 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5133 global
5134 {not in Vi}
5135 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5136 and |+postscript| features}
5137 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5138 See |pexpr-option|.
5140 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5141 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5142 global
5143 {not in Vi}
5144 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5145 feature}
5146 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5147 See |pfn-option|.
5149 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5150 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5151 global
5152 {not in Vi}
5153 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5154 feature}
5155 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5156 See |pheader-option|.
5158 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5159 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5160 global
5161 {not in Vi}
5162 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5163 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5164 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5165 See |pmbcs-option|.
5167 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5168 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5169 global
5170 {not in Vi}
5171 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5172 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5173 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5174 See |pmbfn-option|.
5176 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5177 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5178 global
5179 {not in Vi}
5180 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5181 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5182 See |popt-option|.
5184 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5185 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5186 global
5187 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5189 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5190 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5191 global
5192 {not available when compiled without the
5193 |+insert_expand| feature}
5194 {not in Vi}
5195 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5196 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5197 |ins-completion-menu|.
5200 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5201 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5202 local to buffer
5203 {not in Vi}
5204 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5205 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5206 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5207 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5208 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5210 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5211 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5212 local to buffer
5213 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5214 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5215 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5216 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5217 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5218 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5219 set for the newly edited buffer.
5221 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5222 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5223 global
5224 {not in Vi}
5225 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5226 feature}
5227 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5228 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5229 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5230 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5231 when using a very complicated pattern.
5233 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5234 'remap' boolean (default on)
5235 global
5236 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5237 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5238 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5239 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5240 old Vi scripts.
5242 *'report'*
5243 'report' number (default 2)
5244 global
5245 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5246 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5247 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5248 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5249 instead of the number of lines.
5251 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5252 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5253 global
5254 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5255 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5256 happens when executing external commands.
5258 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5259 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5260 set t_ti= t_te=
5261 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5262 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5263 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5265 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5266 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5267 global
5268 {not in Vi}
5269 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5270 feature}
5271 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5272 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5273 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5274 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5276 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5277 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5278 local to window
5279 {not in Vi}
5280 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5281 feature}
5282 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5283 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5284 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5285 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5286 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5287 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5288 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5289 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5290 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5292 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5293 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5294 local to window
5295 {not in Vi}
5296 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5297 feature}
5298 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5299 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5301 search "/" and "?" commands
5303 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5304 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5306 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5307 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5308 global
5309 {not in Vi}
5310 {not available when compiled without the
5311 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5312 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5313 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5314 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5315 Top first line is visible
5316 Bot last line is visible
5317 All first and last line are visible
5318 45% relative position in the file
5319 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5320 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5321 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5322 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5323 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5324 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5325 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5326 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5327 separated with a dash.
5328 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5329 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5330 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5331 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5332 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5333 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5335 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5336 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5337 global
5338 {not in Vi}
5339 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5340 feature}
5341 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5342 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5343 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5344 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5345 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5346 Example: >
5347 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5348 <
5349 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5350 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5351 Unix: "$HOME/.vim,
5352 $VIM/vimfiles,
5353 $VIMRUNTIME,
5354 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5355 $HOME/.vim/after"
5356 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5357 $VIM/vimfiles,
5358 $VIMRUNTIME,
5359 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5360 home:vimfiles/after"
5361 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5362 $VIM/vimfiles,
5363 $VIMRUNTIME,
5364 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5365 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5366 Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles,
5367 $VIMRUNTIME,
5368 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5369 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5370 $VIMRUNTIME,
5371 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5372 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5373 $VIM/vimfiles,
5374 $VIMRUNTIME,
5375 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5376 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5377 global
5378 {not in Vi}
5379 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5380 files:
5381 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5382 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5383 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5384 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5385 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5386 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5387 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5388 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5389 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5390 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5391 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5392 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5393 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5394 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5395 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5396 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5398 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5400 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5401 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5402 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5403 administrator.
5404 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5405 *after-directory*
5406 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5407 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5408 defaults (rarely needed)
5409 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5410 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5411 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5413 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5414 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5415 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5416 wildcards.
5417 See |:runtime|.
5418 Example: >
5419 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5420 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5421 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5422 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5423 files).
5424 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5425 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5426 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5427 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5428 runtime files.
5429 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5430 security reasons.
5432 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5433 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5434 local to window
5435 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5436 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5437 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5438 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5439 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5440 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5441 when lines wrap}
5443 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5444 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5445 local to window
5446 {not in Vi}
5447 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5448 feature}
5449 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5450 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5451 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5452 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5453 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5454 interpreted.
5455 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5456 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5457 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5459 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5460 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5461 global
5462 {not in Vi}
5463 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5464 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5465 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5466 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5467 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5468 height.
5469 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5471 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5472 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5473 global
5474 {not in Vi}
5475 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5476 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5477 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5478 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5479 when long lines wrap).
5480 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5481 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5483 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5484 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5485 global
5486 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5487 feature}
5488 {not in Vi}
5489 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5490 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5491 Options.
5492 The following words are available:
5493 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5494 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5495 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5496 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5497 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5498 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5499 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5500 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5501 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5502 to the desired position when possible.
5503 When now making that window the current one, two
5504 things can be done with the relative offset:
5505 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5506 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5507 window. When going back to the other window, the
5508 new relative offset will be used.
5509 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5510 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5511 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5512 same relative offset.
5513 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5514 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5515 even when "ver" isn't there.
5517 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5518 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5519 global
5520 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5521 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5522 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5524 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5525 'secure' boolean (default off)
5526 global
5527 {not in Vi}
5528 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5529 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5530 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5531 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5532 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5533 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5534 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5535 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5536 security reasons.
5538 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5539 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5540 global
5541 {not in Vi}
5542 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5543 in Visual and Select mode.
5544 Possible values:
5545 value past line inclusive ~
5546 old no yes
5547 inclusive yes yes
5548 exclusive yes no
5549 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5550 character past the line.
5551 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5552 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5553 selection.
5554 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5555 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5556 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5558 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5560 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5561 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5562 global
5563 {not in Vi}
5564 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5565 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5566 Possible values:
5567 mouse when using the mouse
5568 key when using shifted special keys
5569 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5570 See |Select-mode|.
5571 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5573 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5574 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5575 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5576 global
5577 {not in Vi}
5578 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5579 feature}
5580 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5581 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5582 something:
5583 word save and restore ~
5584 blank empty windows
5585 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5586 curdir the current directory
5587 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5588 fold options
5589 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5590 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5591 String and Number types are stored.
5592 help the help window
5593 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5594 global values for local options)
5595 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5596 options)
5597 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5598 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5599 will become the current directory (useful with
5600 projects accessed over a network from different
5601 systems)
5602 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5603 slashes
5604 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5605 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5606 tab page separately
5607 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5608 on Windows or DOS
5609 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5610 winsize window sizes
5612 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5613 When "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored with
5614 absolute paths.
5615 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5616 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5617 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5619 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5620 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5621 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5622 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5623 global
5624 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5625 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5626 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5627 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5628 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5629 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5630 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5631 it in quotes. Example: >
5632 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5633 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5634 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5635 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5636 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5637 separators.
5638 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5639 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5640 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5641 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5642 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5643 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5644 filtering).
5645 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5646 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5647 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5648 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5649 security reasons.
5651 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5652 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5653 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5654 global
5655 {not in Vi}
5656 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5657 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5658 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5659 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5660 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5661 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5662 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5663 security reasons.
5665 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5666 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5667 global
5668 {not in Vi}
5669 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5670 feature}
5671 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5672 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5673 including spaces and backslashes.
5674 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5675 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5676 of this option).
5677 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5678 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5679 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5680 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5681 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5682 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5683 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5684 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5685 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5686 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5687 explicitly set before.
5688 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5689 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5690 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5691 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5692 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5693 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5694 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5695 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5696 security reasons.
5698 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5699 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5700 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5701 global
5702 {not in Vi}
5703 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5704 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5705 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5706 probably not useful to set both options.
5707 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5708 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5709 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5710 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5711 user. See |dos-shell|.
5712 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5713 security reasons.
5715 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5716 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5717 global
5718 {not in Vi}
5719 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5720 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5721 and backslashes.
5722 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5723 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5724 of this option).
5725 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5726 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5727 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5728 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5729 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5730 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5731 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5732 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5733 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5734 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5735 explicitly set before.
5736 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5737 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5738 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5739 security reasons.
5741 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5742 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5743 global
5744 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5745 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5746 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5747 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5748 forward slashes by Vim.
5749 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5750 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5751 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5752 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5753 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5754 if exists('+shellslash')
5755 <
5756 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5757 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5758 global
5759 {not in Vi}
5760 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5761 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5762 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5763 :if has("filterpipe")
5764 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5765 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5766 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5767 can be detected.
5768 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5769 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5770 'shelltemp' is off.
5772 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5773 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5774 global
5775 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5776 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5777 which use a shell.
5778 0 and 1: always use the shell
5779 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5780 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5781 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5783 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5784 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5786 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5787 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5788 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5789 somewhere: "\""
5790 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5791 global
5792 {not in Vi}
5793 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5794 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5795 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5796 to set both options.
5797 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5798 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5799 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5800 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5801 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5802 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5803 security reasons.
5805 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5806 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5807 global
5808 {not in Vi}
5809 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5810 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5811 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5812 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5814 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5815 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5816 local to buffer
5817 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5818 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5820 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5821 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5822 POSIX default: "A")
5823 global
5824 {not in Vi}
5825 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5826 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5827 It is a list of flags:
5828 flag meaning when present ~
5829 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5830 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5831 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5832 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5833 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5834 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5835 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5836 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5837 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5838 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5839 a all of the above abbreviations
5841 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5842 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5843 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5844 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5845 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5846 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5847 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5848 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
5849 Ignored in Ex mode.
5850 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
5851 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
5852 Ignored in Ex mode.
5853 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
5854 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
5855 is found.
5856 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
5858 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
5859 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
5860 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
5861 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
5862 Useful values:
5863 shm= No abbreviation of message.
5864 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
5865 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
5867 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5868 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5870 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
5871 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
5872 local to buffer
5873 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
5874 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
5875 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
5876 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
5877 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
5878 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
5879 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
5880 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
5881 option is always on by default.
5883 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
5884 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
5885 global
5886 {not in Vi}
5887 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
5888 feature}
5889 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
5890 values are "> " or "+++ ".
5891 Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
5892 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
5893 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
5894 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
5895 'highlight'.
5896 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
5897 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
5898 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
5900 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
5901 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
5902 off)
5903 global
5904 {not in Vi}
5905 {not available when compiled without the
5906 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5907 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
5908 option off if your terminal is slow.
5909 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
5910 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
5911 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
5912 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters: linesxcolumns.
5913 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5914 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5916 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
5917 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
5918 global
5919 {not in Vi}
5920 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
5921 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
5922 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
5923 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
5924 required (coding style permitting).
5926 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
5927 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
5928 global
5929 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
5930 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
5931 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
5932 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
5933 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5934 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
5935 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
5936 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
5937 blinking when showing the match.
5938 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
5939 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
5940 matches.
5941 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
5942 around |pi_paren.txt|.
5943 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
5945 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
5946 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
5947 global
5948 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
5949 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
5950 this message.
5951 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
5952 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
5953 not set.
5954 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5955 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5957 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
5958 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
5959 global
5960 {not in Vi}
5961 {not available when compiled without the +windows
5962 feature}
5963 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
5964 will be displayed:
5965 0: never
5966 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
5967 2: always
5968 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
5969 line.
5970 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
5972 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
5973 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
5974 global
5975 {not in Vi}
5976 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
5977 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
5978 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
5979 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
5980 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
5981 commands.
5983 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
5984 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
5985 global
5986 {not in Vi}
5987 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
5988 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
5989 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
5990 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
5991 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
5992 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
5993 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
5994 close to the beginning of the line.
5995 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5997 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
5998 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
5999 onto the "extends" character:
6001 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
6002 :set sidescrolloff=1
6005 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6006 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6007 global
6008 {not in Vi}
6009 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6010 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6011 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6012 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6013 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6014 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6015 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6017 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6018 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6019 local to buffer
6020 {not in Vi}
6021 {not available when compiled without the
6022 |+smartindent| feature}
6023 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6024 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6025 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6026 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6027 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6028 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6029 An indent is automatically inserted:
6030 - After a line ending in '{'.
6031 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6032 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6033 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6034 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6035 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6036 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6037 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6038 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6039 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6040 right.
6041 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6042 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6044 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6045 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6046 global
6047 {not in Vi}
6048 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6049 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6050 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6051 line.
6052 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6053 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6054 right |shift-left-right|.
6055 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6056 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6057 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6058 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6060 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6061 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6062 local to buffer
6063 {not in Vi}
6064 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6065 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6066 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6067 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6068 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6069 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6070 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6071 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6072 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6073 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6074 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6075 set.
6076 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6078 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6079 'spell' boolean (default off)
6080 local to window
6081 {not in Vi}
6082 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6083 feature}
6084 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6085 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6087 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6088 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6089 local to buffer
6090 {not in Vi}
6091 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6092 feature}
6093 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6094 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6095 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6096 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6097 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6098 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6099 including spaces and backslashes.
6100 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6101 |set-spc-auto|.
6103 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6104 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6105 local to buffer
6106 {not in Vi}
6107 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6108 feature}
6109 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6110 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6111 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6112 *E765*
6113 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6114 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6115 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6116 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6117 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6118 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6119 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6120 ignoring the region.
6121 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6122 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6123 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6124 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6125 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6126 without region name will be found.
6127 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6128 security reasons.
6130 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6131 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6132 local to buffer
6133 {not in Vi}
6134 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6135 feature}
6136 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6137 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6138 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6139 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6140 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6141 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6142 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6143 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6144 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6145 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6146 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6147 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6148 Britain.
6149 *E757*
6150 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6151 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6152 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6153 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6154 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6155 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6156 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6157 files twice.
6158 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6160 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6161 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6162 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6164 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6165 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6166 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6167 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6170 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6171 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6172 global
6173 {not in Vi}
6174 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6175 feature}
6176 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6177 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6178 items:
6180 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6181 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6182 scoring to improve the ordering.
6184 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6185 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6186 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6187 word. That only works when the language specifies
6188 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6189 better results.
6191 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6192 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6193 simple typing mistakes.
6195 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6196 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6197 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6198 minus two.
6200 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6201 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6202 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6203 Example:
6204 theribal/terrible ~
6205 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6206 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6207 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6208 comments.
6209 The file is used for all languages.
6211 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6212 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6213 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6214 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6215 Example:
6216 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6217 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6218 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6219 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6220 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6221 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6222 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6224 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6225 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6226 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6227 <
6228 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6229 security reasons.
6232 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6233 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6234 global
6235 {not in Vi}
6236 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6237 feature}
6238 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6239 one. |:split|
6241 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6242 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6243 global
6244 {not in Vi}
6245 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6246 feature}
6247 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6248 current one. |:vsplit|
6250 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6251 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6252 global
6253 {not in Vi}
6254 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6255 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6256 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6257 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6258 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6259 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6260 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6261 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6262 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6263 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6265 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6266 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6267 global or local to window |global-local|
6268 {not in Vi}
6269 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6270 feature}
6271 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6272 Also see |status-line|.
6274 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6275 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6276 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6277 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6278 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6280 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6281 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6282 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6283 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6285 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6286 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6288 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6289 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6291 field meaning ~
6292 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6293 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6294 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6295 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6296 Value must be 50 or less.
6297 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6298 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6299 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6300 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6301 an exponential notation.
6302 item A one letter code as described below.
6304 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6305 second character in "item" is the type:
6306 N for number
6307 S for string
6308 F for flags as described below
6309 - not applicable
6311 item meaning ~
6312 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6313 directory.
6314 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6315 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6316 m F Modified flag, text is " [+]"; " [-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6317 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6318 r F Readonly flag, text is " [RO]".
6319 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6320 h F Help buffer flag, text is " [help]".
6321 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6322 w F Preview window flag, text is " [Preview]".
6323 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6324 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., " [vim]". See 'filetype'.
6325 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6326 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6327 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6328 being used: "<keymap>"
6329 n N Buffer number.
6330 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6331 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6332 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6333 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6334 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6335 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6336 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6337 l N Line number.
6338 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6339 c N Column number.
6340 v N Virtual column number.
6341 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6342 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6343 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6344 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6345 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6346 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6347 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6348 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6349 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6350 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6351 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6352 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6353 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6354 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6355 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6356 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6357 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6358 No width fields allowed.
6359 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6360 No width fields allowed.
6361 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6362 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6363 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6364 windows.
6365 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6366 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6367 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6368 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6369 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6371 Display of flags are controlled by the following heuristic:
6372 If a flag text starts with comma it is assumed that it wants to
6373 separate itself from anything but preceding plaintext. If it starts
6374 with a space it is assumed that it wants to separate itself from
6375 anything but other flags. That is: A leading comma is removed if the
6376 preceding character stems from plaintext. A leading space is removed
6377 if the preceding character stems from another active flag. This will
6378 make a nice display when flags are used like in the examples below.
6380 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6381 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6382 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6383 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6384 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6385 <
6386 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6387 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6388 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6389 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6390 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6391 real current buffer.
6393 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6394 |sandbox-option|.
6396 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6397 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6399 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6400 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6401 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6402 :let &ro = &ro
6404 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6405 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6406 described above.
6408 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6409 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6410 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6412 Examples:
6413 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6414 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6415 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6416 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6417 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6418 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6419 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6420 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6421 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6422 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6423 :let b:gzflag = 1
6424 < And: >
6425 :unlet b:gzflag
6426 < And define this function: >
6427 :function VarExists(var, val)
6428 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6429 :endfunction
6430 <
6431 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6432 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6433 global
6434 {not in Vi}
6435 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6436 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6437 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6438 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6439 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6440 including spaces and backslashes).
6441 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6442 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6443 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6444 uses another default.
6446 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6447 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6448 local to buffer
6449 {not in Vi}
6450 {not available when compiled without the
6451 |+file_in_path| feature}
6452 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6453 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6454 :set suffixesadd=.java
6455 <
6456 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6457 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6458 local to buffer
6459 {not in Vi}
6460 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6461 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6462 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6463 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6464 - Don't use this for big files.
6465 - Recovery will be impossible!
6466 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6467 'swapfile' is set.
6468 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6469 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6470 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6471 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6473 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6474 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6476 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6477 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6478 global
6479 {not in Vi}
6480 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6481 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6482 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6483 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6484 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6485 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6486 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6487 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6488 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6489 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6491 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6492 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6493 global
6494 {not in Vi}
6495 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6496 Possible values (comma separated list):
6497 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6498 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6499 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6500 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6501 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6502 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6503 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6504 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6505 pages.
6506 split If included, split the current window before loading
6507 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6508 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6510 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6511 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6512 local to buffer
6513 {not in Vi}
6514 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6515 feature}
6516 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6517 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6518 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6519 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6520 long line.
6521 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6523 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6524 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6525 local to buffer
6526 {not in Vi}
6527 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6528 feature}
6529 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6530 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6531 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6532 b:current_syntax variable does).
6533 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6534 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6535 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6536 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6537 names. Example:
6538 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6539 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6540 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6541 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6542 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6543 :set syntax=OFF
6544 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6545 'filetype' option: >
6546 :set syntax=ON
6547 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6548 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6549 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6550 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6551 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6553 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6554 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6555 global
6556 {not in Vi}
6557 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6558 feature}
6559 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6560 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6561 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6563 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6564 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6565 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6566 instead.
6568 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6569 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6570 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6571 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6573 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6574 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6577 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6578 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6579 global
6580 {not in Vi}
6581 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6582 feature}
6583 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6584 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6587 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6588 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6589 local to buffer
6590 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6591 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6593 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6594 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6596 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6597 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6598 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6599 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6600 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6601 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6602 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6603 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6604 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6605 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6606 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6607 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6608 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6609 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6610 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6611 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6612 changed.
6614 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6615 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6616 global
6617 {not in Vi}
6618 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6619 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6620 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6621 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6622 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6623 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6624 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6626 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6627 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6628 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6629 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6631 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6632 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6633 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some command/
6634 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6636 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6637 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6638 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6639 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6640 be found in the retry.
6642 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6643 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6644 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6645 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6646 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6647 5.3 or higher the -f or --fold-case-sort switch can be used for this
6648 as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this to work.
6650 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6651 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6652 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6653 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6654 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6655 must be included in the tags file.
6656 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6657 command-line completion and ":help").
6658 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6660 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6661 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6662 global
6663 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6665 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6666 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6667 global
6668 {not in Vi}
6669 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6670 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6671 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6672 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6674 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6675 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6676 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6677 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6678 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6679 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6680 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6681 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6682 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6683 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6684 |tags-option|.
6685 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6686 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6687 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6688 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6689 actually used.
6690 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6691 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6692 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6693 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6694 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6695 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6696 uses another default.
6697 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6699 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6700 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6701 global
6702 {not in all versions of Vi}
6703 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6704 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6705 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6706 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6707 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6708 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6709 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6711 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6712 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6713 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6714 on Amiga: "amiga"
6715 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6716 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6717 on MiNT: "vt52"
6718 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6719 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6720 on Unix: "ansi"
6721 on VMS: "ansi"
6722 on Win 32: "win32")
6723 global
6724 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6725 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6726 For example: >
6727 :set term=$TERM
6728 < See |termcap|.
6730 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6731 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6732 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6733 global
6734 {not in Vi}
6735 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6736 feature}
6737 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6738 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6739 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6740 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6741 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6742 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6743 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6744 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6745 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6747 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6748 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""
6749 with GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs: "utf-8"
6750 with Macintosh (Carbon) GUI: "macroman")
6751 global
6752 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6753 feature}
6754 {not in Vi}
6755 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6756 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6757 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6758 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6759 'termencoding' should be "macroman" (for the Carbon GUI).
6760 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6761 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6762 *E617*
6763 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs. After the
6764 GUI has been successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set
6765 to "utf-8". Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected,
6766 and an error message is shown.
6767 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6768 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6769 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6770 This is the normal value.
6771 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6772 |encoding-table|.
6773 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6774 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6775 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6776 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6777 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6778 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6779 :set encoding=utf-8
6780 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6782 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6783 'terse' boolean (default off)
6784 global
6785 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6786 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6787 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6788 shortens a lot of messages}
6790 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6791 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6792 global
6793 {not in Vi}
6794 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6795 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6796 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6797 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6798 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6799 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6801 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6802 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6803 others: default off)
6804 local to buffer
6805 {not in Vi}
6806 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6807 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6808 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6809 "unix".
6811 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6812 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6813 local to buffer
6814 {not in Vi}
6815 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6816 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6817 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6818 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6819 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6820 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6821 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6823 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6824 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6825 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6826 {not in Vi}
6827 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6828 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6829 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6830 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6831 length is 510 bytes.
6832 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6833 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6834 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6835 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6836 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6837 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6838 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6839 uses another default.
6840 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6842 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
6843 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
6844 global
6845 {not in Vi}
6846 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
6847 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6849 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
6850 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
6851 global
6852 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
6853 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
6854 global
6855 {not in Vi}
6856 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
6857 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
6859 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
6860 off off do not time out
6861 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
6862 off on time out on key codes
6864 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
6865 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
6866 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
6867 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
6868 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
6869 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
6870 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
6871 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
6872 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
6873 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
6874 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
6875 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
6876 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
6877 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
6878 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
6879 reset the 'timeout' option.
6881 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6883 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
6884 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
6885 global
6886 {not in all versions of Vi}
6887 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
6888 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
6889 global
6890 {not in Vi}
6891 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
6892 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
6893 when part of a command has been typed.
6894 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
6895 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
6896 a non-negative number.
6898 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
6899 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
6900 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
6902 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
6903 tell so. A useful setting would be >
6904 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
6905 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
6906 a tenth of a second).
6908 *'title'* *'notitle'*
6909 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
6910 global
6911 {not in Vi}
6912 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6913 feature}
6914 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
6915 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
6916 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
6917 Where:
6918 filename the name of the file being edited
6919 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
6920 + indicates the file was modified
6921 = indicates the file is read-only
6922 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
6923 (path) is the path of the file being edited
6924 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
6925 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
6926 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
6927 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
6928 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
6929 *X11*
6930 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6931 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
6932 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
6933 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
6934 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
6935 will not work (except in the GUI).
6936 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
6937 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
6938 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
6939 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
6940 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
6941 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
6942 exiting Vim.
6944 *'titlelen'*
6945 'titlelen' number (default 85)
6946 global
6947 {not in Vi}
6948 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6949 feature}
6950 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
6951 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
6952 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
6953 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
6954 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
6955 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
6956 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
6957 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
6958 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
6960 *'titleold'*
6961 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
6962 global
6963 {not in Vi}
6964 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
6965 feature}
6966 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
6967 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
6968 'titlestring' is not empty.
6969 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6970 security reasons.
6971 *'titlestring'*
6972 'titlestring' string (default "")
6973 global
6974 {not in Vi}
6975 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6976 feature}
6977 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
6978 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
6979 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
6980 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
6981 non-empty 't_ts' option).
6982 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6983 be restored if possible |X11|.
6984 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
6985 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
6986 Example: >
6987 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
6988 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
6989 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
6990 of the available space.
6991 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
6992 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
6993 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
6994 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
6995 separating space only when needed.
6996 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
6997 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
6998 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
7000 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
7001 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
7002 global
7003 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif|,
7004 |+GUI_Photon| and |gui_macvim|}
7005 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
7006 possible values are:
7007 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
7008 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7009 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7010 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7011 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7012 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7013 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7014 Note: Tooltips are always enabled in MacVim.
7016 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7017 following: >
7018 :set tb=icons,text
7019 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7020 will show icons if both are requested.
7022 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7023 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7024 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7025 :set guioptions-=T
7026 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7028 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7029 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7030 global
7031 {not in Vi}
7032 {only in the GTK+ 2 and MacVim GUIs}
7033 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7034 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7035 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7036 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7037 large Use large toolbar icons.
7038 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7039 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7040 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16. In MacVim, both tiny and small equal
7041 24x24, whereas medium and large equal 32x32.
7043 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7044 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7046 *'transparency'* *'transp'*
7047 'transparency' 'transp' number (default 0)
7048 global
7049 {not in Vi}
7050 {only in MacVim GUI}
7051 Transparency of the window background as a percent, with 0 meaning
7052 opaque and 100 meaning completely transparent. Trying to set a value
7053 outside the range 0-100 results in an error.
7055 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7056 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7057 global
7058 {not in Vi}
7059 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7060 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7061 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7062 the change to take effect, for example: >
7063 :set notbi term=$TERM
7064 < See also |termcap|.
7065 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7066 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7067 xterm entries...).
7069 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7070 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7071 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7072 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7073 a DOS console)
7074 global
7075 {not in Vi}
7076 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7077 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7078 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7079 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7080 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7081 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7082 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7084 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7085 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7086 global
7087 {not in Vi}
7088 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7089 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7090 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7091 Currently these strings are valid:
7092 *xterm-mouse*
7093 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7094 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7095 "s" = button state
7096 "c" = column plus 33
7097 "r" = row plus 33
7098 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7099 solution.
7100 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7101 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7102 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7103 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7104 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7105 automatically.
7106 *netterm-mouse*
7107 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7108 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7109 for the row and column.
7110 *dec-mouse*
7111 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7112 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7113 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7114 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7115 *jsbterm-mouse*
7116 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7117 *pterm-mouse*
7118 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7120 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7121 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7122 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7123 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7124 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7125 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7126 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7127 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7128 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7129 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7130 handle xterm mouse codes.
7131 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7132 95 of higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7133 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7134 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7135 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7136 t_RV to an empty string: >
7137 :set t_RV=
7138 <
7139 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7140 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7141 global
7142 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7143 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7144 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7145 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7147 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7148 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7149 global
7150 Alias for 'term', see above.
7152 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7153 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7154 Win32 and OS/2)
7155 global
7156 {not in Vi}
7157 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7158 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7159 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7160 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7161 itself: >
7162 set ul=0
7163 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7164 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7165 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7166 set ul=-1
7167 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7168 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7170 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7171 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7172 global
7173 {not in Vi}
7174 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7175 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7176 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7177 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7178 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7179 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7180 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7181 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7182 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7183 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7184 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7185 or "nowrite".
7187 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7188 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7189 global
7190 {not in Vi}
7191 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7192 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7193 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7195 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7196 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7197 global
7198 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7199 verbose option}
7200 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7201 Currently, these messages are given:
7202 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7203 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7204 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7205 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7206 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7207 >= 12 Every executed function.
7208 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7209 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7210 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7212 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7213 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7215 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7216 displayed.
7218 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7219 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7220 global
7221 {not in Vi}
7222 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7223 When the file exists messages are appended.
7224 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7225 empty.
7226 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7227 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7228 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7230 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7231 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7232 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7233 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7234 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7235 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7236 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7237 global
7238 {not in Vi}
7239 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7240 feature}
7241 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7242 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7243 security reasons.
7245 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7246 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7247 global
7248 {not in Vi}
7249 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7250 feature}
7251 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7252 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7253 word save and restore ~
7254 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7255 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7256 fold options
7257 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7258 global values for local options)
7259 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7260 slashes
7261 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7262 on Windows or DOS
7264 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7265 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7266 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7268 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7269 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7270 Windows and OS/2: '20,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7271 for Amiga: '20,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7272 for others: '20,<50,s10,h)
7273 global
7274 {not in Vi}
7275 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7276 feature}
7277 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7278 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7279 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7280 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7281 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7282 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7283 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7284 the effect of their value.
7285 CHAR VALUE ~
7286 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7287 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7288 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7289 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7290 stored.
7291 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7292 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7293 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7294 start of a comment!
7295 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7296 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7297 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7298 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7299 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7300 to the viminfo file.
7301 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7302 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7303 buffers are stored.
7304 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7305 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7306 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7307 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7308 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7309 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7310 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7311 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7312 'history' is used.
7313 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7314 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7315 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7316 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7317 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7318 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7319 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7320 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7321 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7322 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7323 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7324 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7325 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7326 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7327 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7328 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7329 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7330 has been used since the last search command.
7331 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7332 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7333 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7334 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7335 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7336 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7337 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7338 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7339 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7340 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7341 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7342 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7343 characters.
7344 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7345 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7346 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7347 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7349 Example: >
7350 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7351 <
7352 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7353 edited.
7354 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7355 remembered.
7356 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7357 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7358 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7359 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7360 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7361 previous search and substitute patterns.
7362 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7363 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7365 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7366 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7368 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7369 security reasons.
7371 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7372 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7373 global
7374 {not in Vi}
7375 {not available when compiled without the
7376 |+virtualedit| feature}
7377 A comma separated list of these words:
7378 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7379 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7380 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7381 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7383 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7384 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7385 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7386 editing a table.
7387 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7388 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7389 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7390 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7391 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7392 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7393 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7394 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7395 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7396 not get a warning for it.
7398 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7399 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7400 global
7401 {not in Vi}
7402 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7403 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7404 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7405 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7406 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7407 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7408 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7409 where 40 is the time in msec.
7410 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7411 Also see 'errorbells'.
7413 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7414 'warn' boolean (default on)
7415 global
7416 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7417 has been changed.
7419 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7420 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7421 global
7422 {not in Vi}
7423 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7424 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7425 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7426 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7428 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7429 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7430 global
7431 {not in Vi}
7432 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7433 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7434 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7435 char key mode ~
7436 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7437 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7438 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7439 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7440 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7441 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7442 ~ "~" Normal
7443 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7444 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7445 For example: >
7446 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7447 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7448 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7449 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7450 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7451 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7452 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7453 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7454 cursor.
7455 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7456 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7457 "yl" etc. work normally.
7458 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7459 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7461 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7462 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7463 global
7464 {not in Vi}
7465 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7466 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7467 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7468 'wildcharm' for that.
7469 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7470 :set wc=<Esc>
7471 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7472 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7474 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7475 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7476 global
7477 {not in Vi}
7478 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7479 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7480 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7481 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7482 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7483 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7484 :cmap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7485 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7487 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7488 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7489 global
7490 {not in Vi}
7491 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7492 feature}
7493 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7494 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names.
7495 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7496 Also see 'suffixes'.
7497 Example: >
7498 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7499 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7500 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7501 uses another default.
7503 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7504 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7505 global
7506 {not in Vi}
7507 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7508 feature}
7509 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7510 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7511 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7512 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7513 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7514 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7515 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7516 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7517 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7518 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7519 as needed.
7520 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7521 for selecting a completion.
7522 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7523 meanings:
7525 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7526 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7527 subdirectory or submenu.
7528 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7529 dot: move into a submenu.
7530 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7531 parent directory or parent menu.
7533 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7535 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7536 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7537 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7538 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7539 <
7540 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7541 |hl-WildMenu|.
7543 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7544 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7545 global
7546 {not in Vi}
7547 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7548 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7549 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7550 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7551 The second part for the second use, etc.
7552 These are the possible values for each part:
7553 "" Complete only the first match.
7554 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7555 the original string is used and then the first match
7556 again.
7557 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7558 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7559 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7560 enabled.
7561 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7562 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7563 complete first match.
7564 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7565 complete till longest common string.
7566 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7568 Examples: >
7569 :set wildmode=full
7570 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7571 :set wildmode=longest,full
7572 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7573 :set wildmode=list:full
7574 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7575 :set wildmode=list,full
7576 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7577 :set wildmode=longest,list
7578 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7580 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7581 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7582 global
7583 {not in Vi}
7584 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7585 feature}
7586 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7587 Currently only one word is allowed:
7588 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7589 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7590 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7591 d #define
7592 f function
7593 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7595 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7596 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7597 global
7598 {not in Vi}
7599 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7600 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7601 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7602 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7603 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7604 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7605 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7606 done with the |:simalt| command.
7607 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7608 combinations cannot be mapped.
7609 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7610 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7611 keys can be mapped.
7612 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7613 key is never used for the menu.
7614 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7615 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7617 *'window'* *'wi'*
7618 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7619 global
7620 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7621 use 'lines' for that.
7622 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7623 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7624 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7625 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7626 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7627 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7628 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7629 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7631 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7632 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7633 global
7634 {not in Vi}
7635 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7636 feature}
7637 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7638 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7639 current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of the
7640 height of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7641 always fill the screen (although this has the drawback that ":all"
7642 will create only two windows). Set it to a small number for normal
7643 editing.
7644 Minimum value is 1.
7645 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7646 height of the current window.
7647 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7648 the minimal height for other windows.
7650 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7651 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7652 local to window
7653 {not in Vi}
7654 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7655 feature}
7656 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7657 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7658 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7659 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7661 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7662 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7663 local to window
7664 {not in Vi}
7665 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7666 feature}
7667 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7668 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7669 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7671 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7672 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7673 global
7674 {not in Vi}
7675 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7676 feature}
7677 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7678 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7679 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7680 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7681 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7682 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7683 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7684 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7685 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7687 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7688 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7689 global
7690 {not in Vi}
7691 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7692 feature}
7693 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7694 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7695 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7696 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7697 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7698 to go.)
7699 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7700 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7701 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7702 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7704 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7705 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7706 global
7707 {not in Vi}
7708 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7709 feature}
7710 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7711 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7712 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7713 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7714 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7715 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7716 width of the current window.
7717 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7718 the minimal width for other windows.
7720 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7721 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7722 local to window
7723 {not in Vi}
7724 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7725 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7726 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7727 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7728 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7729 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7730 horizontally.
7731 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7732 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7733 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7734 :set sidescroll=5
7735 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7736 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7738 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7739 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7740 local to buffer
7741 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7742 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7743 and inserting continues on the next line.
7744 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7745 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7746 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7747 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7748 and less usefully}
7750 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7751 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7752 global
7753 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7754 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7756 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7757 'write' boolean (default on)
7758 global
7759 {not in Vi}
7760 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7761 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7762 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7763 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7764 writing a temporary file.
7766 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7767 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7768 global
7769 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7771 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7772 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7773 otherwise)
7774 global
7775 {not in Vi}
7776 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7777 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7778 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7779 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7780 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7781 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7782 set.
7784 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7785 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7786 global
7787 {not in Vi}
7788 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7789 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7790 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7792 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: