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1 *autocmd.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2010 Jul 22
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Automatic commands *autocommand*
9 For a basic explanation, see section |40.3| in the user manual.
11 1. Introduction |autocmd-intro|
12 2. Defining autocommands |autocmd-define|
13 3. Removing autocommands |autocmd-remove|
14 4. Listing autocommands |autocmd-list|
15 5. Events |autocmd-events|
16 6. Patterns |autocmd-patterns|
17 7. Buffer-local autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|
18 8. Groups |autocmd-groups|
19 9. Executing autocommands |autocmd-execute|
20 10. Using autocommands |autocmd-use|
21 11. Disabling autocommands |autocmd-disable|
23 {Vi does not have any of these commands}
24 {only when the |+autocmd| feature has not been disabled at compile time}
26 ==============================================================================
27 1. Introduction *autocmd-intro*
29 You can specify commands to be executed automatically when reading or writing
30 a file, when entering or leaving a buffer or window, and when exiting Vim.
31 For example, you can create an autocommand to set the 'cindent' option for
32 files matching *.c. You can also use autocommands to implement advanced
33 features, such as editing compressed files (see |gzip-example|). The usual
34 place to put autocommands is in your .vimrc or .exrc file.
36 *E203* *E204* *E143*
37 WARNING: Using autocommands is very powerful, and may lead to unexpected side
38 effects. Be careful not to destroy your text.
39 - It's a good idea to do some testing on an expendable copy of a file first.
40 For example: If you use autocommands to decompress a file when starting to
41 edit it, make sure that the autocommands for compressing when writing work
42 correctly.
43 - Be prepared for an error halfway through (e.g., disk full). Vim will mostly
44 be able to undo the changes to the buffer, but you may have to clean up the
45 changes to other files by hand (e.g., compress a file that has been
46 decompressed).
47 - If the BufRead* events allow you to edit a compressed file, the FileRead*
48 events should do the same (this makes recovery possible in some rare cases).
49 It's a good idea to use the same autocommands for the File* and Buf* events
50 when possible.
52 ==============================================================================
53 2. Defining autocommands *autocmd-define*
55 Note: The ":autocmd" command cannot be followed by another command, since any
56 '|' is considered part of the command.
58 *:au* *:autocmd*
59 :au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
60 Add {cmd} to the list of commands that Vim will
61 execute automatically on {event} for a file matching
62 {pat} |autocmd-patterns|.
63 Vim always adds the {cmd} after existing autocommands,
64 so that the autocommands execute in the order in which
65 they were given. See |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
67 The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> defines a buffer-local autocommand.
68 See |autocmd-buflocal|.
70 Note that special characters (e.g., "%", "<cword>") in the ":autocmd"
71 arguments are not expanded when the autocommand is defined. These will be
72 expanded when the Event is recognized, and the {cmd} is executed. The only
73 exception is that "<sfile>" is expanded when the autocmd is defined. Example:
74 >
75 :au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html so <sfile>:h/html.vim
77 Here Vim expands <sfile> to the name of the file containing this line.
79 When your .vimrc file is sourced twice, the autocommands will appear twice.
80 To avoid this, put this command in your .vimrc file, before defining
81 autocommands: >
83 :autocmd! " Remove ALL autocommands for the current group.
85 If you don't want to remove all autocommands, you can instead use a variable
86 to ensure that Vim includes the autocommands only once: >
88 :if !exists("autocommands_loaded")
89 : let autocommands_loaded = 1
90 : au ...
91 :endif
93 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
94 with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group]. Note
95 that [group] must have been defined before. You cannot define a new group
96 with ":au group ..."; use ":augroup" for that.
98 While testing autocommands, you might find the 'verbose' option to be useful: >
99 :set verbose=9
100 This setting makes Vim echo the autocommands as it executes them.
102 When defining an autocommand in a script, it will be able to call functions
103 local to the script and use mappings local to the script. When the event is
104 triggered and the command executed, it will run in the context of the script
105 it was defined in. This matters if |<SID>| is used in a command.
107 When executing the commands, the message from one command overwrites a
108 previous message. This is different from when executing the commands
109 manually. Mostly the screen will not scroll up, thus there is no hit-enter
110 prompt. When one command outputs two messages this can happen anyway.
112 ==============================================================================
113 3. Removing autocommands *autocmd-remove*
115 :au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat} [nested] {cmd}
116 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
117 {pat}, and add the command {cmd}. See
118 |autocmd-nested| for [nested].
120 :au[tocmd]! [group] {event} {pat}
121 Remove all autocommands associated with {event} and
122 {pat}.
124 :au[tocmd]! [group] * {pat}
125 Remove all autocommands associated with {pat} for all
126 events.
128 :au[tocmd]! [group] {event}
129 Remove ALL autocommands for {event}.
131 :au[tocmd]! [group] Remove ALL autocommands.
133 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim uses the current group (as defined
134 with ":augroup"); otherwise, Vim uses the group defined with [group].
136 ==============================================================================
137 4. Listing autocommands *autocmd-list*
139 :au[tocmd] [group] {event} {pat}
140 Show the autocommands associated with {event} and
141 {pat}.
143 :au[tocmd] [group] * {pat}
144 Show the autocommands associated with {pat} for all
145 events.
147 :au[tocmd] [group] {event}
148 Show all autocommands for {event}.
150 :au[tocmd] [group] Show all autocommands.
152 If you provide the [group] argument, Vim lists only the autocommands for
153 [group]; otherwise, Vim lists the autocommands for ALL groups. Note that this
154 argument behavior differs from that for defining and removing autocommands.
156 In order to list buffer-local autocommands, use a pattern in the form <buffer>
157 or <buffer=N>. See |autocmd-buflocal|.
159 *:autocmd-verbose*
160 When 'verbose' is non-zero, listing an autocommand will also display where it
161 was last defined. Example: >
163 :verbose autocmd BufEnter
164 FileExplorer BufEnter
165 * call s:LocalBrowse(expand("<amatch>"))
166 Last set from /usr/share/vim/vim-7.0/plugin/NetrwPlugin.vim
167 <
168 See |:verbose-cmd| for more information.
170 ==============================================================================
171 5. Events *autocmd-events* *E215* *E216*
173 You can specify a comma-separated list of event names. No white space can be
174 used in this list. The command applies to all the events in the list.
176 For READING FILES there are four kinds of events possible:
177 BufNewFile starting to edit a non-existent file
178 BufReadPre BufReadPost starting to edit an existing file
179 FilterReadPre FilterReadPost read the temp file with filter output
180 FileReadPre FileReadPost any other file read
181 Vim uses only one of these four kinds when reading a file. The "Pre" and
182 "Post" events are both triggered, before and after reading the file.
184 Note that the autocommands for the *ReadPre events and all the Filter events
185 are not allowed to change the current buffer (you will get an error message if
186 this happens). This is to prevent the file to be read into the wrong buffer.
188 Note that the 'modified' flag is reset AFTER executing the BufReadPost
189 and BufNewFile autocommands. But when the 'modified' option was set by the
190 autocommands, this doesn't happen.
192 You can use the 'eventignore' option to ignore a number of events or all
193 events.
194 *autocommand-events* *{event}*
195 Vim recognizes the following events. Vim ignores the case of event names
196 (e.g., you can use "BUFread" or "bufread" instead of "BufRead").
198 First an overview by function with a short explanation. Then the list
199 alphabetically with full explanations |autocmd-events-abc|.
201 Name triggered by ~
203 Reading
204 |BufNewFile| starting to edit a file that doesn't exist
205 |BufReadPre| starting to edit a new buffer, before reading the file
206 |BufRead| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
207 |BufReadPost| starting to edit a new buffer, after reading the file
208 |BufReadCmd| before starting to edit a new buffer |Cmd-event|
210 |FileReadPre| before reading a file with a ":read" command
211 |FileReadPost| after reading a file with a ":read" command
212 |FileReadCmd| before reading a file with a ":read" command |Cmd-event|
214 |FilterReadPre| before reading a file from a filter command
215 |FilterReadPost| after reading a file from a filter command
217 |StdinReadPre| before reading from stdin into the buffer
218 |StdinReadPost| After reading from the stdin into the buffer
220 Writing
221 |BufWrite| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
222 |BufWritePre| starting to write the whole buffer to a file
223 |BufWritePost| after writing the whole buffer to a file
224 |BufWriteCmd| before writing the whole buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
226 |FileWritePre| starting to write part of a buffer to a file
227 |FileWritePost| after writing part of a buffer to a file
228 |FileWriteCmd| before writing part of a buffer to a file |Cmd-event|
230 |FileAppendPre| starting to append to a file
231 |FileAppendPost| after appending to a file
232 |FileAppendCmd| before appending to a file |Cmd-event|
234 |FilterWritePre| starting to write a file for a filter command or diff
235 |FilterWritePost| after writing a file for a filter command or diff
237 Buffers
238 |BufAdd| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
239 |BufCreate| just after adding a buffer to the buffer list
240 |BufDelete| before deleting a buffer from the buffer list
241 |BufWipeout| before completely deleting a buffer
243 |BufFilePre| before changing the name of the current buffer
244 |BufFilePost| after changing the name of the current buffer
246 |BufEnter| after entering a buffer
247 |BufLeave| before leaving to another buffer
248 |BufWinEnter| after a buffer is displayed in a window
249 |BufWinLeave| before a buffer is removed from a window
251 |BufUnload| before unloading a buffer
252 |BufHidden| just after a buffer has become hidden
253 |BufNew| just after creating a new buffer
255 |SwapExists| detected an existing swap file
257 Options
258 |FileType| when the 'filetype' option has been set
259 |Syntax| when the 'syntax' option has been set
260 |EncodingChanged| after the 'encoding' option has been changed
261 |TermChanged| after the value of 'term' has changed
263 Startup and exit
264 |VimEnter| after doing all the startup stuff
265 |GUIEnter| after starting the GUI successfully
266 |TermResponse| after the terminal response to |t_RV| is received
268 |VimLeavePre| before exiting Vim, before writing the viminfo file
269 |VimLeave| before exiting Vim, after writing the viminfo file
271 Various
272 |FileChangedShell| Vim notices that a file changed since editing started
273 |FileChangedShellPost| After handling a file changed since editing started
274 |FileChangedRO| before making the first change to a read-only file
276 |ShellCmdPost| after executing a shell command
277 |ShellFilterPost| after filtering with a shell command
279 |FuncUndefined| a user function is used but it isn't defined
280 |SpellFileMissing| a spell file is used but it can't be found
281 |SourcePre| before sourcing a Vim script
282 |SourceCmd| before sourcing a Vim script |Cmd-event|
284 |VimResized| after the Vim window size changed
285 |FocusGained| Vim got input focus
286 |FocusLost| Vim lost input focus
287 |CursorHold| the user doesn't press a key for a while
288 |CursorHoldI| the user doesn't press a key for a while in Insert mode
289 |CursorMoved| the cursor was moved in Normal mode
290 |CursorMovedI| the cursor was moved in Insert mode
292 |WinEnter| after entering another window
293 |WinLeave| before leaving a window
294 |TabEnter| after entering another tab page
295 |TabLeave| before leaving a tab page
296 |CmdwinEnter| after entering the command-line window
297 |CmdwinLeave| before leaving the command-line window
299 |InsertEnter| starting Insert mode
300 |InsertChange| when typing <Insert> while in Insert or Replace mode
301 |InsertLeave| when leaving Insert mode
303 |ColorScheme| after loading a color scheme
305 |RemoteReply| a reply from a server Vim was received
307 |QuickFixCmdPre| before a quickfix command is run
308 |QuickFixCmdPost| after a quickfix command is run
310 |SessionLoadPost| after loading a session file
312 |MenuPopup| just before showing the popup menu
314 |User| to be used in combination with ":doautocmd"
317 The alphabetical list of autocommand events: *autocmd-events-abc*
319 *BufCreate* *BufAdd*
320 BufAdd or BufCreate Just after creating a new buffer which is
321 added to the buffer list, or adding a buffer
322 to the buffer list.
323 Also used just after a buffer in the buffer
324 list has been renamed.
325 The BufCreate event is for historic reasons.
326 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
327 current buffer "%" may be different from the
328 buffer being created "<afile>".
329 *BufDelete*
330 BufDelete Before deleting a buffer from the buffer list.
331 The BufUnload may be called first (if the
332 buffer was loaded).
333 Also used just before a buffer in the buffer
334 list is renamed.
335 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
336 current buffer "%" may be different from the
337 buffer being deleted "<afile>" and "<abuf>".
338 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
339 problems.
340 *BufEnter*
341 BufEnter After entering a buffer. Useful for setting
342 options for a file type. Also executed when
343 starting to edit a buffer, after the
344 BufReadPost autocommands.
345 *BufFilePost*
346 BufFilePost After changing the name of the current buffer
347 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
348 *BufFilePre*
349 BufFilePre Before changing the name of the current buffer
350 with the ":file" or ":saveas" command.
351 *BufHidden*
352 BufHidden Just after a buffer has become hidden. That
353 is, when there are no longer windows that show
354 the buffer, but the buffer is not unloaded or
355 deleted. Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when
356 exiting Vim.
357 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
358 current buffer "%" may be different from the
359 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
360 *BufLeave*
361 BufLeave Before leaving to another buffer. Also when
362 leaving or closing the current window and the
363 new current window is not for the same buffer.
364 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
365 *BufNew*
366 BufNew Just after creating a new buffer. Also used
367 just after a buffer has been renamed. When
368 the buffer is added to the buffer list BufAdd
369 will be triggered too.
370 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
371 current buffer "%" may be different from the
372 buffer being created "<afile>".
373 *BufNewFile*
374 BufNewFile When starting to edit a file that doesn't
375 exist. Can be used to read in a skeleton
376 file.
377 *BufRead* *BufReadPost*
378 BufRead or BufReadPost When starting to edit a new buffer, after
379 reading the file into the buffer, before
380 executing the modelines. See |BufWinEnter|
381 for when you need to do something after
382 processing the modelines.
383 This does NOT work for ":r file". Not used
384 when the file doesn't exist. Also used after
385 successfully recovering a file.
386 *BufReadCmd*
387 BufReadCmd Before starting to edit a new buffer. Should
388 read the file into the buffer. |Cmd-event|
389 *BufReadPre* *E200* *E201*
390 BufReadPre When starting to edit a new buffer, before
391 reading the file into the buffer. Not used
392 if the file doesn't exist.
393 *BufUnload*
394 BufUnload Before unloading a buffer. This is when the
395 text in the buffer is going to be freed. This
396 may be after a BufWritePost and before a
397 BufDelete. Also used for all buffers that are
398 loaded when Vim is going to exit.
399 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
400 current buffer "%" may be different from the
401 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
402 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
403 problems.
404 When exiting and v:dying is 2 or more this
405 event is not triggered.
406 *BufWinEnter*
407 BufWinEnter After a buffer is displayed in a window. This
408 can be when the buffer is loaded (after
409 processing the modelines) or when a hidden
410 buffer is displayed in a window (and is no
411 longer hidden).
412 Does not happen for |:split| without
413 arguments, since you keep editing the same
414 buffer, or ":split" with a file that's already
415 open in a window, because it re-uses an
416 existing buffer. But it does happen for a
417 ":split" with the name of the current buffer,
418 since it reloads that buffer.
419 *BufWinLeave*
420 BufWinLeave Before a buffer is removed from a window.
421 Not when it's still visible in another window.
422 Also triggered when exiting. It's triggered
423 before BufUnload or BufHidden.
424 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
425 current buffer "%" may be different from the
426 buffer being unloaded "<afile>".
427 When exiting and v:dying is 2 or more this
428 event is not triggered.
429 *BufWipeout*
430 BufWipeout Before completely deleting a buffer. The
431 BufUnload and BufDelete events may be called
432 first (if the buffer was loaded and was in the
433 buffer list). Also used just before a buffer
434 is renamed (also when it's not in the buffer
435 list).
436 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
437 current buffer "%" may be different from the
438 buffer being deleted "<afile>".
439 Don't change to another buffer, it will cause
440 problems.
441 *BufWrite* *BufWritePre*
442 BufWrite or BufWritePre Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
443 *BufWriteCmd*
444 BufWriteCmd Before writing the whole buffer to a file.
445 Should do the writing of the file and reset
446 'modified' if successful, unless '+' is in
447 'cpo' and writing to another file |cpo-+|.
448 The buffer contents should not be changed.
449 |Cmd-event|
450 *BufWritePost*
451 BufWritePost After writing the whole buffer to a file
452 (should undo the commands for BufWritePre).
453 *CmdwinEnter*
454 CmdwinEnter After entering the command-line window.
455 Useful for setting options specifically for
456 this special type of window. This is
457 triggered _instead_ of BufEnter and WinEnter.
458 <afile> is set to a single character,
459 indicating the type of command-line.
460 |cmdwin-char|
461 *CmdwinLeave*
462 CmdwinLeave Before leaving the command-line window.
463 Useful to clean up any global setting done
464 with CmdwinEnter. This is triggered _instead_
465 of BufLeave and WinLeave.
466 <afile> is set to a single character,
467 indicating the type of command-line.
468 |cmdwin-char|
469 *ColorScheme*
470 ColorScheme After loading a color scheme. |:colorscheme|
472 *CursorHold*
473 CursorHold When the user doesn't press a key for the time
474 specified with 'updatetime'. Not re-triggered
475 until the user has pressed a key (i.e. doesn't
476 fire every 'updatetime' ms if you leave Vim to
477 make some coffee. :) See |CursorHold-example|
478 for previewing tags.
479 This event is only triggered in Normal mode.
480 It is not triggered when waiting for a command
481 argument to be typed, or a movement after an
482 operator.
483 While recording the CursorHold event is not
484 triggered. |q|
485 Note: Interactive commands cannot be used for
486 this event. There is no hit-enter prompt,
487 the screen is updated directly (when needed).
488 Note: In the future there will probably be
489 another option to set the time.
490 Hint: to force an update of the status lines
491 use: >
492 :let &ro = &ro
493 < {only on Amiga, Unix, Win32, MSDOS and all GUI
494 versions}
495 *CursorHoldI*
496 CursorHoldI Just like CursorHold, but in Insert mode.
498 *CursorMoved*
499 CursorMoved After the cursor was moved in Normal mode.
500 Also when the text of the cursor line has been
501 changed, e.g., with "x", "rx" or "p".
502 Not triggered when there is typeahead or when
503 an operator is pending.
504 For an example see |match-parens|.
505 Careful: Don't do anything that the user does
506 not expect or that is slow.
507 *CursorMovedI*
508 CursorMovedI After the cursor was moved in Insert mode.
509 Otherwise the same as CursorMoved.
510 *EncodingChanged*
511 EncodingChanged Fires off after the 'encoding' option has been
512 changed. Useful to set up fonts, for example.
513 *FileAppendCmd*
514 FileAppendCmd Before appending to a file. Should do the
515 appending to the file. Use the '[ and ']
516 marks for the range of lines.|Cmd-event|
517 *FileAppendPost*
518 FileAppendPost After appending to a file.
519 *FileAppendPre*
520 FileAppendPre Before appending to a file. Use the '[ and ']
521 marks for the range of lines.
522 *FileChangedRO*
523 FileChangedRO Before making the first change to a read-only
524 file. Can be used to check-out the file from
525 a source control system. Not triggered when
526 the change was caused by an autocommand.
527 This event is triggered when making the first
528 change in a buffer or the first change after
529 'readonly' was set, just before the change is
530 applied to the text.
531 WARNING: If the autocommand moves the cursor
532 the effect of the change is undefined.
533 *E788*
534 It is not allowed to change to another buffer
535 here. You can reload the buffer but not edit
536 another one.
537 *FileChangedShell*
538 FileChangedShell When Vim notices that the modification time of
539 a file has changed since editing started.
540 Also when the file attributes of the file
541 change. |timestamp|
542 Mostly triggered after executing a shell
543 command, but also with a |:checktime| command
544 or when Gvim regains input focus.
545 This autocommand is triggered for each changed
546 file. It is not used when 'autoread' is set
547 and the buffer was not changed. If a
548 FileChangedShell autocommand is present the
549 warning message and prompt is not given.
550 The |v:fcs_reason| variable is set to indicate
551 what happened and |v:fcs_choice| can be used
552 to tell Vim what to do next.
553 NOTE: When this autocommand is executed, the
554 current buffer "%" may be different from the
555 buffer that was changed "<afile>".
556 NOTE: The commands must not change the current
557 buffer, jump to another buffer or delete a
558 buffer. *E246* *E811*
559 NOTE: This event never nests, to avoid an
560 endless loop. This means that while executing
561 commands for the FileChangedShell event no
562 other FileChangedShell event will be
563 triggered.
564 *FileChangedShellPost*
565 FileChangedShellPost After handling a file that was changed outside
566 of Vim. Can be used to update the statusline.
567 *FileEncoding*
568 FileEncoding Obsolete. It still works and is equivalent
569 to |EncodingChanged|.
570 *FileReadCmd*
571 FileReadCmd Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
572 Should do the reading of the file. |Cmd-event|
573 *FileReadPost*
574 FileReadPost After reading a file with a ":read" command.
575 Note that Vim sets the '[ and '] marks to the
576 first and last line of the read. This can be
577 used to operate on the lines just read.
578 *FileReadPre*
579 FileReadPre Before reading a file with a ":read" command.
580 *FileType*
581 FileType When the 'filetype' option has been set. The
582 pattern is matched against the filetype.
583 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
584 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
585 the new value of 'filetype'.
586 See |filetypes|.
587 *FileWriteCmd*
588 FileWriteCmd Before writing to a file, when not writing the
589 whole buffer. Should do the writing to the
590 file. Should not change the buffer. Use the
591 '[ and '] marks for the range of lines.
592 |Cmd-event|
593 *FileWritePost*
594 FileWritePost After writing to a file, when not writing the
595 whole buffer.
596 *FileWritePre*
597 FileWritePre Before writing to a file, when not writing the
598 whole buffer. Use the '[ and '] marks for the
599 range of lines.
600 *FilterReadPost*
601 FilterReadPost After reading a file from a filter command.
602 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
603 the current buffer as with FilterReadPre.
604 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
605 *FilterReadPre* *E135*
606 FilterReadPre Before reading a file from a filter command.
607 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
608 the current buffer, not the name of the
609 temporary file that is the output of the
610 filter command.
611 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
612 *FilterWritePost*
613 FilterWritePost After writing a file for a filter command or
614 making a diff.
615 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
616 the current buffer as with FilterWritePre.
617 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
618 *FilterWritePre*
619 FilterWritePre Before writing a file for a filter command or
620 making a diff.
621 Vim checks the pattern against the name of
622 the current buffer, not the name of the
623 temporary file that is the output of the
624 filter command.
625 Not triggered when 'shelltemp' is off.
626 *FocusGained*
627 FocusGained When Vim got input focus. Only for the GUI
628 version and a few console versions where this
629 can be detected.
630 *FocusLost*
631 FocusLost When Vim lost input focus. Only for the GUI
632 version and a few console versions where this
633 can be detected. May also happen when a
634 dialog pops up.
635 *FuncUndefined*
636 FuncUndefined When a user function is used but it isn't
637 defined. Useful for defining a function only
638 when it's used. The pattern is matched
639 against the function name. Both <amatch> and
640 <afile> are set to the name of the function.
641 See |autoload-functions|.
642 *GUIEnter*
643 GUIEnter After starting the GUI successfully, and after
644 opening the window. It is triggered before
645 VimEnter when using gvim. Can be used to
646 position the window from a .gvimrc file: >
647 :autocmd GUIEnter * winpos 100 50
648 < *GUIFailed*
649 GUIFailed After starting the GUI failed. Vim may
650 continue to run in the terminal, if possible
651 (only on Unix and alikes, when connecting the
652 X server fails). You may want to quit Vim: >
653 :autocmd GUIFailed * qall
654 < *InsertChange*
655 InsertChange When typing <Insert> while in Insert or
656 Replace mode. The |v:insertmode| variable
657 indicates the new mode.
658 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
659 anything else that the user does not expect.
660 *InsertEnter*
661 InsertEnter Just before starting Insert mode. Also for
662 Replace mode and Virtual Replace mode. The
663 |v:insertmode| variable indicates the mode.
664 Be careful not to move the cursor or do
665 anything else that the user does not expect.
666 *InsertLeave*
667 InsertLeave When leaving Insert mode. Also when using
668 CTRL-O |i_CTRL-O|. But not for |i_CTRL-C|.
669 *MenuPopup*
670 MenuPopup Just before showing the popup menu (under the
671 right mouse button). Useful for adjusting the
672 menu for what is under the cursor or mouse
673 pointer.
674 The pattern is matched against a single
675 character representing the mode:
676 n Normal
677 v Visual
678 o Operator-pending
679 i Insert
680 c Command line
681 *QuickFixCmdPre*
682 QuickFixCmdPre Before a quickfix command is run (|:make|,
683 |:lmake|, |:grep|, |:lgrep|, |:grepadd|,
684 |:lgrepadd|, |:vimgrep|, |:lvimgrep|,
685 |:vimgrepadd|, |:lvimgrepadd|, |:cscope|).
686 The pattern is matched against the command
687 being run. When |:grep| is used but 'grepprg'
688 is set to "internal" it still matches "grep".
689 This command cannot be used to set the
690 'makeprg' and 'grepprg' variables.
691 If this command causes an error, the quickfix
692 command is not executed.
693 *QuickFixCmdPost*
694 QuickFixCmdPost Like QuickFixCmdPre, but after a quickfix
695 command is run, before jumping to the first
696 location. See |QuickFixCmdPost-example|.
697 *RemoteReply*
698 RemoteReply When a reply from a Vim that functions as
699 server was received |server2client()|. The
700 pattern is matched against the {serverid}.
701 <amatch> is equal to the {serverid} from which
702 the reply was sent, and <afile> is the actual
703 reply string.
704 Note that even if an autocommand is defined,
705 the reply should be read with |remote_read()|
706 to consume it.
707 *SessionLoadPost*
708 SessionLoadPost After loading the session file created using
709 the |:mksession| command.
710 *ShellCmdPost*
711 ShellCmdPost After executing a shell command with |:!cmd|,
712 |:shell|, |:make| and |:grep|. Can be used to
713 check for any changed files.
714 *ShellFilterPost*
715 ShellFilterPost After executing a shell command with
716 ":{range}!cmd", ":w !cmd" or ":r !cmd".
717 Can be used to check for any changed files.
718 *SourcePre*
719 SourcePre Before sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
720 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
721 *SourceCmd*
722 SourceCmd When sourcing a Vim script. |:source|
723 <afile> is the name of the file being sourced.
724 The autocommand must source this file.
725 |Cmd-event|
726 *SpellFileMissing*
727 SpellFileMissing When trying to load a spell checking file and
728 it can't be found. The pattern is matched
729 against the language. <amatch> is the
730 language, 'encoding' also matters. See
731 |spell-SpellFileMissing|.
732 *StdinReadPost*
733 StdinReadPost After reading from the stdin into the buffer,
734 before executing the modelines. Only used
735 when the "-" argument was used when Vim was
736 started |--|.
737 *StdinReadPre*
738 StdinReadPre Before reading from stdin into the buffer.
739 Only used when the "-" argument was used when
740 Vim was started |--|.
741 *SwapExists*
742 SwapExists Detected an existing swap file when starting
743 to edit a file. Only when it is possible to
744 select a way to handle the situation, when Vim
745 would ask the user what to do.
746 The |v:swapname| variable holds the name of
747 the swap file found, <afile> the file being
748 edited. |v:swapcommand| may contain a command
749 to be executed in the opened file.
750 The commands should set the |v:swapchoice|
751 variable to a string with one character to
752 tell Vim what should be done next:
753 'o' open read-only
754 'e' edit the file anyway
755 'r' recover
756 'd' delete the swap file
757 'q' quit, don't edit the file
758 'a' abort, like hitting CTRL-C
759 When set to an empty string the user will be
760 asked, as if there was no SwapExists autocmd.
761 *E812*
762 It is not allowed to change to another buffer,
763 change a buffer name or change directory
764 here.
765 *Syntax*
766 Syntax When the 'syntax' option has been set. The
767 pattern is matched against the syntax name.
768 <afile> can be used for the name of the file
769 where this option was set, and <amatch> for
770 the new value of 'syntax'.
771 See |:syn-on|.
772 *TabEnter*
773 TabEnter Just after entering a tab page. |tab-page|
774 After triggering the WinEnter and before
775 triggering the BufEnter event.
776 *TabLeave*
777 TabLeave Just before leaving a tab page. |tab-page|
778 A WinLeave event will have been triggered
779 first.
780 *TermChanged*
781 TermChanged After the value of 'term' has changed. Useful
782 for re-loading the syntax file to update the
783 colors, fonts and other terminal-dependent
784 settings. Executed for all loaded buffers.
785 *TermResponse*
786 TermResponse After the response to |t_RV| is received from
787 the terminal. The value of |v:termresponse|
788 can be used to do things depending on the
789 terminal version.
790 *User*
791 User Never executed automatically. To be used for
792 autocommands that are only executed with
793 ":doautocmd".
794 *UserGettingBored*
795 UserGettingBored When the user hits CTRL-C. Just kidding! :-)
796 *VimEnter*
797 VimEnter After doing all the startup stuff, including
798 loading .vimrc files, executing the "-c cmd"
799 arguments, creating all windows and loading
800 the buffers in them.
801 *VimLeave*
802 VimLeave Before exiting Vim, just after writing the
803 .viminfo file. Executed only once, like
804 VimLeavePre.
805 To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
806 When v:dying is 2 or more this event is not
807 triggered.
808 *VimLeavePre*
809 VimLeavePre Before exiting Vim, just before writing the
810 .viminfo file. This is executed only once,
811 if there is a match with the name of what
812 happens to be the current buffer when exiting.
813 Mostly useful with a "*" pattern. >
814 :autocmd VimLeavePre * call CleanupStuff()
815 < To detect an abnormal exit use |v:dying|.
816 When v:dying is 2 or more this event is not
817 triggered.
818 *VimResized*
819 VimResized After the Vim window was resized, thus 'lines'
820 and/or 'columns' changed. Not when starting
821 up though.
822 *WinEnter*
823 WinEnter After entering another window. Not done for
824 the first window, when Vim has just started.
825 Useful for setting the window height.
826 If the window is for another buffer, Vim
827 executes the BufEnter autocommands after the
828 WinEnter autocommands.
829 Note: When using ":split fname" the WinEnter
830 event is triggered after the split but before
831 the file "fname" is loaded.
832 *WinLeave*
833 WinLeave Before leaving a window. If the window to be
834 entered next is for a different buffer, Vim
835 executes the BufLeave autocommands before the
836 WinLeave autocommands (but not for ":new").
837 Not used for ":qa" or ":q" when exiting Vim.
839 ==============================================================================
840 6. Patterns *autocmd-patterns* *{pat}*
842 The file pattern {pat} is tested for a match against the file name in one of
843 two ways:
844 1. When there is no '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against only
845 the tail part of the file name (without its leading directory path).
846 2. When there is a '/' in the pattern, Vim checks for a match against both the
847 short file name (as you typed it) and the full file name (after expanding
848 it to a full path and resolving symbolic links).
850 The special pattern <buffer> or <buffer=N> is used for buffer-local
851 autocommands |autocmd-buflocal|. This pattern is not matched against the name
852 of a buffer.
854 Examples: >
855 :autocmd BufRead *.txt set et
856 Set the 'et' option for all text files. >
858 :autocmd BufRead /vim/src/*.c set cindent
859 Set the 'cindent' option for C files in the /vim/src directory. >
861 :autocmd BufRead /tmp/*.c set ts=5
862 If you have a link from "/tmp/test.c" to "/home/nobody/vim/src/test.c", and
863 you start editing "/tmp/test.c", this autocommand will match.
865 Note: To match part of a path, but not from the root directory, use a '*' as
866 the first character. Example: >
867 :autocmd BufRead */doc/*.txt set tw=78
868 This autocommand will for example be executed for "/tmp/doc/xx.txt" and
869 "/usr/home/piet/doc/yy.txt". The number of directories does not matter here.
872 The file name that the pattern is matched against is after expanding
873 wildcards. Thus if you issue this command: >
874 :e $ROOTDIR/main.$EXT
875 The argument is first expanded to: >
876 /usr/root/main.py
877 Before it's matched with the pattern of the autocommand. Careful with this
878 when using events like FileReadCmd, the value of <amatch> may not be what you
879 expect.
882 Environment variables can be used in a pattern: >
883 :autocmd BufRead $VIMRUNTIME/doc/*.txt set expandtab
884 And ~ can be used for the home directory (if $HOME is defined): >
885 :autocmd BufWritePost ~/.vimrc so ~/.vimrc
886 :autocmd BufRead ~archive/* set readonly
887 The environment variable is expanded when the autocommand is defined, not when
888 the autocommand is executed. This is different from the command!
890 *file-pattern*
891 The pattern is interpreted like mostly used in file names:
892 * matches any sequence of characters
893 ? matches any single character
894 \? matches a '?'
895 . matches a '.'
896 ~ matches a '~'
897 , separates patterns
898 \, matches a ','
899 { } like \( \) in a |pattern|
900 , inside { }: like \| in a |pattern|
901 \ special meaning like in a |pattern|
902 [ch] matches 'c' or 'h'
903 [^ch] match any character but 'c' and 'h'
905 Note that for all systems the '/' character is used for path separator (even
906 MS-DOS and OS/2). This was done because the backslash is difficult to use
907 in a pattern and to make the autocommands portable across different systems.
909 *autocmd-changes*
910 Matching with the pattern is done when an event is triggered. Changing the
911 buffer name in one of the autocommands, or even deleting the buffer, does not
912 change which autocommands will be executed. Example: >
914 au BufEnter *.foo bdel
915 au BufEnter *.foo set modified
917 This will delete the current buffer and then set 'modified' in what has become
918 the current buffer instead. Vim doesn't take into account that "*.foo"
919 doesn't match with that buffer name. It matches "*.foo" with the name of the
920 buffer at the moment the event was triggered.
922 However, buffer-local autocommands will not be executed for a buffer that has
923 been wiped out with |:bwipe|. After deleting the buffer with |:bdel| the
924 buffer actually still exists (it becomes unlisted), thus the autocommands are
925 still executed.
927 ==============================================================================
928 7. Buffer-local autocommands *autocmd-buflocal* *autocmd-buffer-local*
929 *<buffer=N>* *<buffer=abuf>* *E680*
931 Buffer-local autocommands are attached to a specific buffer. They are useful
932 if the buffer does not have a name and when the name does not match a specific
933 pattern. But it also means they must be explicitly added to each buffer.
935 Instead of a pattern buffer-local autocommands use one of these forms:
936 <buffer> current buffer
937 <buffer=99> buffer number 99
938 <buffer=abuf> using <abuf> (only when executing autocommands)
939 |<abuf>|
941 Examples: >
942 :au CursorHold <buffer> echo 'hold'
943 :au CursorHold <buffer=33> echo 'hold'
944 :au CursorHold <buffer=abuf> echo 'hold'
946 All the commands for autocommands also work with buffer-local autocommands,
947 simply use the special string instead of the pattern. Examples: >
948 :au! * <buffer> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
949 " current buffer
950 :au! * <buffer=33> " remove buffer-local autocommands for
951 " buffer #33
952 :bufdo :au! CursorHold <buffer> " remove autocmd for given event for all
953 " buffers
954 :au * <buffer> " list buffer-local autocommands for
955 " current buffer
957 Note that when an autocommand is defined for the current buffer, it is stored
958 with the buffer number. Thus it uses the form "<buffer=12>", where 12 is the
959 number of the current buffer. You will see this when listing autocommands,
960 for example.
962 To test for presence of buffer-local autocommands use the |exists()| function
963 as follows: >
964 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer=12>") | ... | endif
965 :if exists("#CursorHold#<buffer>") | ... | endif " for current buffer
967 When a buffer is wiped out its buffer-local autocommands are also gone, of
968 course. Note that when deleting a buffer, e.g., with ":bdel", it is only
969 unlisted, the autocommands are still present. In order to see the removal of
970 buffer-local autocommands: >
971 :set verbose=6
973 It is not possible to define buffer-local autocommands for a non-existent
974 buffer.
976 ==============================================================================
977 8. Groups *autocmd-groups*
979 Autocommands can be put together in a group. This is useful for removing or
980 executing a group of autocommands. For example, all the autocommands for
981 syntax highlighting are put in the "highlight" group, to be able to execute
982 ":doautoall highlight BufRead" when the GUI starts.
984 When no specific group is selected, Vim uses the default group. The default
985 group does not have a name. You cannot execute the autocommands from the
986 default group separately; you can execute them only by executing autocommands
987 for all groups.
989 Normally, when executing autocommands automatically, Vim uses the autocommands
990 for all groups. The group only matters when executing autocommands with
991 ":doautocmd" or ":doautoall", or when defining or deleting autocommands.
993 The group name can contain any characters except white space. The group name
994 "end" is reserved (also in uppercase).
996 The group name is case sensitive. Note that this is different from the event
997 name!
999 *:aug* *:augroup*
1000 :aug[roup] {name} Define the autocmd group name for the
1001 following ":autocmd" commands. The name "end"
1002 or "END" selects the default group.
1004 *:augroup-delete* *E367*
1005 :aug[roup]! {name} Delete the autocmd group {name}. Don't use
1006 this if there is still an autocommand using
1007 this group! This is not checked.
1009 To enter autocommands for a specific group, use this method:
1010 1. Select the group with ":augroup {name}".
1011 2. Delete any old autocommands with ":au!".
1012 3. Define the autocommands.
1013 4. Go back to the default group with "augroup END".
1015 Example: >
1016 :augroup uncompress
1017 : au!
1018 : au BufEnter *.gz %!gunzip
1019 :augroup END
1021 This prevents having the autocommands defined twice (e.g., after sourcing the
1022 .vimrc file again).
1024 ==============================================================================
1025 9. Executing autocommands *autocmd-execute*
1027 Vim can also execute Autocommands non-automatically. This is useful if you
1028 have changed autocommands, or when Vim has executed the wrong autocommands
1029 (e.g., the file pattern match was wrong).
1031 Note that the 'eventignore' option applies here too. Events listed in this
1032 option will not cause any commands to be executed.
1034 *:do* *:doau* *:doautocmd* *E217*
1035 :do[autocmd] [group] {event} [fname]
1036 Apply the autocommands matching [fname] (default:
1037 current file name) for {event} to the current buffer.
1038 You can use this when the current file name does not
1039 match the right pattern, after changing settings, or
1040 to execute autocommands for a certain event.
1041 It's possible to use this inside an autocommand too,
1042 so you can base the autocommands for one extension on
1043 another extension. Example: >
1044 :au Bufenter *.cpp so ~/.vimrc_cpp
1045 :au Bufenter *.cpp doau BufEnter x.c
1046 < Be careful to avoid endless loops. See
1047 |autocmd-nested|.
1049 When the [group] argument is not given, Vim executes
1050 the autocommands for all groups. When the [group]
1051 argument is included, Vim executes only the matching
1052 autocommands for that group. Note: if you use an
1053 undefined group name, Vim gives you an error message.
1055 After applying the autocommands the modelines are
1056 processed, so that their settings overrule the
1057 settings from autocommands, like what happens when
1058 editing a file.
1060 *:doautoa* *:doautoall*
1061 :doautoa[ll] [group] {event} [fname]
1062 Like ":doautocmd", but apply the autocommands to each
1063 loaded buffer. Note that [fname] is used to select
1064 the autocommands, not the buffers to which they are
1065 applied.
1066 Careful: Don't use this for autocommands that delete a
1067 buffer, change to another buffer or change the
1068 contents of a buffer; the result is unpredictable.
1069 This command is intended for autocommands that set
1070 options, change highlighting, and things like that.
1072 ==============================================================================
1073 10. Using autocommands *autocmd-use*
1075 For WRITING FILES there are four possible sets of events. Vim uses only one
1076 of these sets for a write command:
1078 BufWriteCmd BufWritePre BufWritePost writing the whole buffer
1079 FilterWritePre FilterWritePost writing to filter temp file
1080 FileAppendCmd FileAppendPre FileAppendPost appending to a file
1081 FileWriteCmd FileWritePre FileWritePost any other file write
1083 When there is a matching "*Cmd" autocommand, it is assumed it will do the
1084 writing. No further writing is done and the other events are not triggered.
1085 |Cmd-event|
1087 Note that the *WritePost commands should undo any changes to the buffer that
1088 were caused by the *WritePre commands; otherwise, writing the file will have
1089 the side effect of changing the buffer.
1091 Before executing the autocommands, the buffer from which the lines are to be
1092 written temporarily becomes the current buffer. Unless the autocommands
1093 change the current buffer or delete the previously current buffer, the
1094 previously current buffer is made the current buffer again.
1096 The *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands must not delete the buffer from
1097 which the lines are to be written.
1099 The '[ and '] marks have a special position:
1100 - Before the *ReadPre event the '[ mark is set to the line just above where
1101 the new lines will be inserted.
1102 - Before the *ReadPost event the '[ mark is set to the first line that was
1103 just read, the '] mark to the last line.
1104 - Before executing the *WriteCmd, *WritePre and *AppendPre autocommands the '[
1105 mark is set to the first line that will be written, the '] mark to the last
1106 line.
1107 Careful: '[ and '] change when using commands that change the buffer.
1109 In commands which expect a file name, you can use "<afile>" for the file name
1110 that is being read |:<afile>| (you can also use "%" for the current file
1111 name). "<abuf>" can be used for the buffer number of the currently effective
1112 buffer. This also works for buffers that doesn't have a name. But it doesn't
1113 work for files without a buffer (e.g., with ":r file").
1115 *gzip-example*
1116 Examples for reading and writing compressed files: >
1117 :augroup gzip
1118 : autocmd!
1119 : autocmd BufReadPre,FileReadPre *.gz set bin
1120 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz '[,']!gunzip
1121 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz set nobin
1122 : autocmd BufReadPost,FileReadPost *.gz execute ":doautocmd BufReadPost " . expand("%:r")
1123 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1124 : autocmd BufWritePost,FileWritePost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1126 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !gunzip <afile>
1127 : autocmd FileAppendPre *.gz !mv <afile>:r <afile>
1128 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !mv <afile> <afile>:r
1129 : autocmd FileAppendPost *.gz !gzip <afile>:r
1130 :augroup END
1132 The "gzip" group is used to be able to delete any existing autocommands with
1133 ":autocmd!", for when the file is sourced twice.
1135 ("<afile>:r" is the file name without the extension, see |:_%:|)
1137 The commands executed for the BufNewFile, BufRead/BufReadPost, BufWritePost,
1138 FileAppendPost and VimLeave events do not set or reset the changed flag of the
1139 buffer. When you decompress the buffer with the BufReadPost autocommands, you
1140 can still exit with ":q". When you use ":undo" in BufWritePost to undo the
1141 changes made by BufWritePre commands, you can still do ":q" (this also makes
1142 "ZZ" work). If you do want the buffer to be marked as modified, set the
1143 'modified' option.
1145 To execute Normal mode commands from an autocommand, use the ":normal"
1146 command. Use with care! If the Normal mode command is not finished, the user
1147 needs to type characters (e.g., after ":normal m" you need to type a mark
1148 name).
1150 If you want the buffer to be unmodified after changing it, reset the
1151 'modified' option. This makes it possible to exit the buffer with ":q"
1152 instead of ":q!".
1154 *autocmd-nested* *E218*
1155 By default, autocommands do not nest. If you use ":e" or ":w" in an
1156 autocommand, Vim does not execute the BufRead and BufWrite autocommands for
1157 those commands. If you do want this, use the "nested" flag for those commands
1158 in which you want nesting. For example: >
1159 :autocmd FileChangedShell *.c nested e!
1160 The nesting is limited to 10 levels to get out of recursive loops.
1162 It's possible to use the ":au" command in an autocommand. This can be a
1163 self-modifying command! This can be useful for an autocommand that should
1164 execute only once.
1166 If you want to skip autocommands for one command, use the |:noautocmd| command
1167 modifier or the 'eventignore' option.
1169 Note: When reading a file (with ":read file" or with a filter command) and the
1170 last line in the file does not have an <EOL>, Vim remembers this. At the next
1171 write (with ":write file" or with a filter command), if the same line is
1172 written again as the last line in a file AND 'binary' is set, Vim does not
1173 supply an <EOL>. This makes a filter command on the just read lines write the
1174 same file as was read, and makes a write command on just filtered lines write
1175 the same file as was read from the filter. For example, another way to write
1176 a compressed file: >
1178 :autocmd FileWritePre *.gz set bin|'[,']!gzip
1179 :autocmd FileWritePost *.gz undo|set nobin
1180 <
1181 *autocommand-pattern*
1182 You can specify multiple patterns, separated by commas. Here are some
1183 examples: >
1185 :autocmd BufRead * set tw=79 nocin ic infercase fo=2croq
1186 :autocmd BufRead .letter set tw=72 fo=2tcrq
1187 :autocmd BufEnter .letter set dict=/usr/lib/dict/words
1188 :autocmd BufLeave .letter set dict=
1189 :autocmd BufRead,BufNewFile *.c,*.h set tw=0 cin noic
1190 :autocmd BufEnter *.c,*.h abbr FOR for (i = 0; i < 3; ++i)<CR>{<CR>}<Esc>O
1191 :autocmd BufLeave *.c,*.h unabbr FOR
1193 For makefiles (makefile, Makefile, imakefile, makefile.unix, etc.): >
1195 :autocmd BufEnter ?akefile* set include=^s\=include
1196 :autocmd BufLeave ?akefile* set include&
1198 To always start editing C files at the first function: >
1200 :autocmd BufRead *.c,*.h 1;/^{
1202 Without the "1;" above, the search would start from wherever the file was
1203 entered, rather than from the start of the file.
1205 *skeleton* *template*
1206 To read a skeleton (template) file when opening a new file: >
1208 :autocmd BufNewFile *.c 0r ~/vim/skeleton.c
1209 :autocmd BufNewFile *.h 0r ~/vim/skeleton.h
1210 :autocmd BufNewFile *.java 0r ~/vim/skeleton.java
1212 To insert the current date and time in a *.html file when writing it: >
1214 :autocmd BufWritePre,FileWritePre *.html ks|call LastMod()|'s
1215 :fun LastMod()
1216 : if line("$") > 20
1217 : let l = 20
1218 : else
1219 : let l = line("$")
1220 : endif
1221 : exe "1," . l . "g/Last modified: /s/Last modified: .*/Last modified: " .
1222 : \ strftime("%Y %b %d")
1223 :endfun
1225 You need to have a line "Last modified: <date time>" in the first 20 lines
1226 of the file for this to work. Vim replaces <date time> (and anything in the
1227 same line after it) with the current date and time. Explanation:
1228 ks mark current position with mark 's'
1229 call LastMod() call the LastMod() function to do the work
1230 's return the cursor to the old position
1231 The LastMod() function checks if the file is shorter than 20 lines, and then
1232 uses the ":g" command to find lines that contain "Last modified: ". For those
1233 lines the ":s" command is executed to replace the existing date with the
1234 current one. The ":execute" command is used to be able to use an expression
1235 for the ":g" and ":s" commands. The date is obtained with the strftime()
1236 function. You can change its argument to get another date string.
1238 When entering :autocmd on the command-line, completion of events and command
1239 names may be done (with <Tab>, CTRL-D, etc.) where appropriate.
1241 Vim executes all matching autocommands in the order that you specify them.
1242 It is recommended that your first autocommand be used for all files by using
1243 "*" as the file pattern. This means that you can define defaults you like
1244 here for any settings, and if there is another matching autocommand it will
1245 override these. But if there is no other matching autocommand, then at least
1246 your default settings are recovered (if entering this file from another for
1247 which autocommands did match). Note that "*" will also match files starting
1248 with ".", unlike Unix shells.
1250 *autocmd-searchpat*
1251 Autocommands do not change the current search patterns. Vim saves the current
1252 search patterns before executing autocommands then restores them after the
1253 autocommands finish. This means that autocommands do not affect the strings
1254 highlighted with the 'hlsearch' option. Within autocommands, you can still
1255 use search patterns normally, e.g., with the "n" command.
1256 If you want an autocommand to set the search pattern, such that it is used
1257 after the autocommand finishes, use the ":let @/ =" command.
1258 The search-highlighting cannot be switched off with ":nohlsearch" in an
1259 autocommand. Use the 'h' flag in the 'viminfo' option to disable search-
1260 highlighting when starting Vim.
1262 *Cmd-event*
1263 When using one of the "*Cmd" events, the matching autocommands are expected to
1264 do the file reading, writing or sourcing. This can be used when working with
1265 a special kind of file, for example on a remote system.
1266 CAREFUL: If you use these events in a wrong way, it may have the effect of
1267 making it impossible to read or write the matching files! Make sure you test
1268 your autocommands properly. Best is to use a pattern that will never match a
1269 normal file name, for example "ftp://*".
1271 When defining a BufReadCmd it will be difficult for Vim to recover a crashed
1272 editing session. When recovering from the original file, Vim reads only those
1273 parts of a file that are not found in the swap file. Since that is not
1274 possible with a BufReadCmd, use the |:preserve| command to make sure the
1275 original file isn't needed for recovery. You might want to do this only when
1276 you expect the file to be modified.
1278 For file read and write commands the |v:cmdarg| variable holds the "++enc="
1279 and "++ff=" argument that are effective. These should be used for the command
1280 that reads/writes the file. The |v:cmdbang| variable is one when "!" was
1281 used, zero otherwise.
1283 See the $VIMRUNTIME/plugin/netrwPlugin.vim for examples.
1285 ==============================================================================
1286 11. Disabling autocommands *autocmd-disable*
1288 To disable autocommands for some time use the 'eventignore' option. Note that
1289 this may cause unexpected behavior, make sure you restore 'eventignore'
1290 afterwards, using a |:try| block with |:finally|.
1292 *:noautocmd* *:noa*
1293 To disable autocommands for just one command use the ":noautocmd" command
1294 modifier. This will set 'eventignore' to "all" for the duration of the
1295 following command. Example: >
1297 :noautocmd w fname.gz
1299 This will write the file without triggering the autocommands defined by the
1300 gzip plugin.
1303 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: