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1 *options.txt* For Vim version 7.2. Last change: 2008 Aug 06
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Options *options*
9 1. Setting options |set-option|
10 2. Automatically setting options |auto-setting|
11 3. Options summary |option-summary|
13 For an overview of options see help.txt |option-list|.
15 Vim has a number of internal variables and switches which can be set to
16 achieve special effects. These options come in three forms:
17 boolean can only be on or off *boolean* *toggle*
18 number has a numeric value
19 string has a string value
21 ==============================================================================
22 1. Setting options *set-option* *E764*
24 *:se* *:set*
25 :se[t] Show all options that differ from their default value.
27 :se[t] all Show all but terminal options.
29 :se[t] termcap Show all terminal options. Note that in the GUI the
30 key codes are not shown, because they are generated
31 internally and can't be changed. Changing the terminal
32 codes in the GUI is not useful either...
34 *E518* *E519*
35 :se[t] {option}? Show value of {option}.
37 :se[t] {option} Toggle option: set, switch it on.
38 Number option: show value.
39 String option: show value.
41 :se[t] no{option} Toggle option: Reset, switch it off.
43 :se[t] {option}! or
44 :se[t] inv{option} Toggle option: Invert value. {not in Vi}
46 *:set-default* *:set-&* *:set-&vi* *:set-&vim*
47 :se[t] {option}& Reset option to its default value. May depend on the
48 current value of 'compatible'. {not in Vi}
49 :se[t] {option}&vi Reset option to its Vi default value. {not in Vi}
50 :se[t] {option}&vim Reset option to its Vim default value. {not in Vi}
52 :se[t] all& Set all options, except terminal options, to their
53 default value. The values of 'term', 'lines' and
54 'columns' are not changed. {not in Vi}
56 *:set-args* *E487* *E521*
57 :se[t] {option}={value} or
58 :se[t] {option}:{value}
59 Set string or number option to {value}.
60 For numeric options the value can be given in decimal,
61 hex (preceded with 0x) or octal (preceded with '0')
62 (hex and octal are only available for machines which
63 have the strtol() function).
64 The old value can be inserted by typing 'wildchar' (by
65 default this is a <Tab> or CTRL-E if 'compatible' is
66 set). See |cmdline-completion|.
67 White space between {option} and '=' is allowed and
68 will be ignored. White space between '=' and {value}
69 is not allowed.
70 See |option-backslash| for using white space and
71 backslashes in {value}.
73 :se[t] {option}+={value} *:set+=*
74 Add the {value} to a number option, or append the
75 {value} to a string option. When the option is a
76 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
77 value was empty.
78 If the option is a list of flags, superfluous flags
79 are removed. When adding a flag that was already
80 present the option value doesn't change.
81 Also see |:set-args| above.
82 {not in Vi}
84 :se[t] {option}^={value} *:set^=*
85 Multiply the {value} to a number option, or prepend
86 the {value} to a string option. When the option is a
87 comma separated list, a comma is added, unless the
88 value was empty.
89 Also see |:set-args| above.
90 {not in Vi}
92 :se[t] {option}-={value} *:set-=*
93 Subtract the {value} from a number option, or remove
94 the {value} from a string option, if it is there.
95 If the {value} is not found in a string option, there
96 is no error or warning. When the option is a comma
97 separated list, a comma is deleted, unless the option
98 becomes empty.
99 When the option is a list of flags, {value} must be
100 exactly as they appear in the option. Remove flags
101 one by one to avoid problems.
102 Also see |:set-args| above.
103 {not in Vi}
105 The {option} arguments to ":set" may be repeated. For example: >
106 :set ai nosi sw=3 ts=3
107 If you make an error in one of the arguments, an error message will be given
108 and the following arguments will be ignored.
110 *:set-verbose*
111 When 'verbose' is non-zero, displaying an option value will also tell where it
112 was last set. Example: >
113 :verbose set shiftwidth cindent?
114 < shiftwidth=4 ~
115 Last set from modeline ~
116 cindent ~
117 Last set from /usr/local/share/vim/vim60/ftplugin/c.vim ~
118 This is only done when specific option values are requested, not for ":verbose
119 set all" or ":verbose set" without an argument.
120 When the option was set by hand there is no "Last set" message.
121 When the option was set while executing a function, user command or
122 autocommand, the script in which it was defined is reported.
123 Note that an option may also have been set as a side effect of setting
124 'compatible'.
125 A few special texts:
126 Last set from modeline ~
127 Option was set in a |modeline|.
128 Last set from --cmd argument ~
129 Option was set with command line argument |--cmd| or +.
130 Last set from -c argument ~
131 Option was set with command line argument |-c|, +, |-S| or
132 |-q|.
133 Last set from environment variable ~
134 Option was set from an environment variable, $VIMINIT,
135 $GVIMINIT or $EXINIT.
136 Last set from error handler ~
137 Option was cleared when evaluating it resulted in an error.
139 {not available when compiled without the +eval feature}
141 *:set-termcap* *E522*
142 For {option} the form "t_xx" may be used to set a terminal option. This will
143 override the value from the termcap. You can then use it in a mapping. If
144 the "xx" part contains special characters, use the <t_xx> form: >
145 :set <t_#4>=^[Ot
146 This can also be used to translate a special code for a normal key. For
147 example, if Alt-b produces <Esc>b, use this: >
148 :set <M-b>=^[b
149 (the ^[ is a real <Esc> here, use CTRL-V <Esc> to enter it)
150 The advantage over a mapping is that it works in all situations.
152 The t_xx options cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
153 security reasons.
155 The listing from ":set" looks different from Vi. Long string options are put
156 at the end of the list. The number of options is quite large. The output of
157 "set all" probably does not fit on the screen, causing Vim to give the
158 |more-prompt|.
160 *option-backslash*
161 To include white space in a string option value it has to be preceded with a
162 backslash. To include a backslash you have to use two. Effectively this
163 means that the number of backslashes in an option value is halved (rounded
164 down).
165 A few examples: >
166 :set tags=tags\ /usr/tags results in "tags /usr/tags"
167 :set tags=tags\\,file results in "tags\,file"
168 :set tags=tags\\\ file results in "tags\ file"
170 The "|" character separates a ":set" command from a following command. To
171 include the "|" in the option value, use "\|" instead. This example sets the
172 'titlestring' option to "hi|there": >
173 :set titlestring=hi\|there
174 This sets the 'titlestring' option to "hi" and 'iconstring' to "there": >
175 :set titlestring=hi|set iconstring=there
177 Similarly, the double quote character starts a comment. To include the '"' in
178 the option value, use '\"' instead. This example sets the 'titlestring'
179 option to 'hi "there"': >
180 :set titlestring=hi\ \"there\"
182 For MS-DOS and WIN32 backslashes in file names are mostly not removed. More
183 precise: For options that expect a file name (those where environment
184 variables are expanded) a backslash before a normal file name character is not
185 removed. But a backslash before a special character (space, backslash, comma,
186 etc.) is used like explained above.
187 There is one special situation, when the value starts with "\\": >
188 :set dir=\\machine\path results in "\\machine\path"
189 :set dir=\\\\machine\\path results in "\\machine\path"
190 :set dir=\\path\\file results in "\\path\file" (wrong!)
191 For the first one the start is kept, but for the second one the backslashes
192 are halved. This makes sure it works both when you expect backslashes to be
193 halved and when you expect the backslashes to be kept. The third gives a
194 result which is probably not what you want. Avoid it.
196 *add-option-flags* *remove-option-flags*
197 *E539* *E550* *E551* *E552*
198 Some options are a list of flags. When you want to add a flag to such an
199 option, without changing the existing ones, you can do it like this: >
200 :set guioptions+=a
201 Remove a flag from an option like this: >
202 :set guioptions-=a
203 This removes the 'a' flag from 'guioptions'.
204 Note that you should add or remove one flag at a time. If 'guioptions' has
205 the value "ab", using "set guioptions-=ba" won't work, because the string "ba"
206 doesn't appear.
208 *:set_env* *expand-env* *expand-environment-var*
209 Environment variables in specific string options will be expanded. If the
210 environment variable exists the '$' and the following environment variable
211 name is replaced with its value. If it does not exist the '$' and the name
212 are not modified. Any non-id character (not a letter, digit or '_') may
213 follow the environment variable name. That character and what follows is
214 appended to the value of the environment variable. Examples: >
215 :set term=$TERM.new
216 :set path=/usr/$INCLUDE,$HOME/include,.
217 When adding or removing a string from an option with ":set opt-=val" or ":set
218 opt+=val" the expansion is done before the adding or removing.
221 Handling of local options *local-options*
223 Some of the options only apply to a window or buffer. Each window or buffer
224 has its own copy of this option, thus can each have their own value. This
225 allows you to set 'list' in one window but not in another. And set
226 'shiftwidth' to 3 in one buffer and 4 in another.
228 The following explains what happens to these local options in specific
229 situations. You don't really need to know all of this, since Vim mostly uses
230 the option values you would expect. Unfortunately, doing what the user
231 expects is a bit complicated...
233 When splitting a window, the local options are copied to the new window. Thus
234 right after the split the contents of the two windows look the same.
236 When editing a new buffer, its local option values must be initialized. Since
237 the local options of the current buffer might be specifically for that buffer,
238 these are not used. Instead, for each buffer-local option there also is a
239 global value, which is used for new buffers. With ":set" both the local and
240 global value is changed. With "setlocal" only the local value is changed,
241 thus this value is not used when editing a new buffer.
243 When editing a buffer that has been edited before, the last used window
244 options are used again. If this buffer has been edited in this window, the
245 values from back then are used. Otherwise the values from the window where
246 the buffer was edited last are used.
248 It's possible to set a local window option specifically for a type of buffer.
249 When you edit another buffer in the same window, you don't want to keep
250 using these local window options. Therefore Vim keeps a global value of the
251 local window options, which is used when editing another buffer. Each window
252 has its own copy of these values. Thus these are local to the window, but
253 global to all buffers in the window. With this you can do: >
254 :e one
255 :set list
256 :e two
257 Now the 'list' option will also be set in "two", since with the ":set list"
258 command you have also set the global value. >
259 :set nolist
260 :e one
261 :setlocal list
262 :e two
263 Now the 'list' option is not set, because ":set nolist" resets the global
264 value, ":setlocal list" only changes the local value and ":e two" gets the
265 global value. Note that if you do this next: >
266 :e one
267 You will not get back the 'list' value as it was the last time you edited
268 "one". The options local to a window are not remembered for each buffer.
270 *:setl* *:setlocal*
271 :setl[ocal] ... Like ":set" but set only the value local to the
272 current buffer or window. Not all options have a
273 local value. If the option does not have a local
274 value the global value is set.
275 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
276 local values.
277 Without argument: Display all local option's local
278 values which are different from the default.
279 When displaying a specific local option, show the
280 local value. For a global/local boolean option, when
281 the global value is being used, "--" is displayed
282 before the option name.
283 For a global option the global value is
284 shown (but that might change in the future).
285 {not in Vi}
287 :setl[ocal] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
288 copying the value.
289 {not in Vi}
291 :se[t] {option}< Set the local value of {option} to its global value by
292 making it empty. Only makes sense for |global-local|
293 options.
294 {not in Vi}
296 *:setg* *:setglobal*
297 :setg[lobal] ... Like ":set" but set only the global value for a local
298 option without changing the local value.
299 When displaying an option, the global value is shown.
300 With the "all" argument: display all local option's
301 global values.
302 Without argument: display all local option's global
303 values which are different from the default.
304 {not in Vi}
306 For buffer-local and window-local options:
307 Command global value local value ~
308 :set option=value set set
309 :setlocal option=value - set
310 :setglobal option=value set -
311 :set option? - display
312 :setlocal option? - display
313 :setglobal option? display -
316 Global options with a local value *global-local*
318 Options are global when you mostly use one value for all buffers and windows.
319 For some global options it's useful to sometimes have a different local value.
320 You can set the local value with ":setlocal". That buffer or window will then
321 use the local value, while other buffers and windows continue using the global
322 value.
324 For example, you have two windows, both on C source code. They use the global
325 'makeprg' option. If you do this in one of the two windows: >
326 :set makeprg=gmake
327 then the other window will switch to the same value. There is no need to set
328 the 'makeprg' option in the other C source window too.
329 However, if you start editing a Perl file in a new window, you want to use
330 another 'makeprg' for it, without changing the value used for the C source
331 files. You use this command: >
332 :setlocal makeprg=perlmake
333 You can switch back to using the global value by making the local value empty: >
334 :setlocal makeprg=
335 This only works for a string option. For a boolean option you need to use the
336 "<" flag, like this: >
337 :setlocal autoread<
338 Note that for non-boolean options using "<" copies the global value to the
339 local value, it doesn't switch back to using the global value (that matters
340 when the global value changes later). You can also use: >
341 :set path<
342 This will make the local value of 'path' empty, so that the global value is
343 used. Thus it does the same as: >
344 :setlocal path=
345 Note: In the future more global options can be made global-local. Using
346 ":setlocal" on a global option might work differently then.
349 Setting the filetype
351 :setf[iletype] {filetype} *:setf* *:setfiletype*
352 Set the 'filetype' option to {filetype}, but only if
353 not done yet in a sequence of (nested) autocommands.
354 This is short for: >
355 :if !did_filetype()
356 : setlocal filetype={filetype}
357 :endif
358 < This command is used in a filetype.vim file to avoid
359 setting the 'filetype' option twice, causing different
360 settings and syntax files to be loaded.
361 {not in Vi}
363 :bro[wse] se[t] *:set-browse* *:browse-set* *:opt* *:options*
364 :opt[ions] Open a window for viewing and setting all options.
365 Options are grouped by function.
366 Offers short help for each option. Hit <CR> on the
367 short help to open a help window with more help for
368 the option.
369 Modify the value of the option and hit <CR> on the
370 "set" line to set the new value. For window and
371 buffer specific options, the last accessed window is
372 used to set the option value in, unless this is a help
373 window, in which case the window below help window is
374 used (skipping the option-window).
375 {not available when compiled without the |+eval| or
376 |+autocmd| features}
378 *$HOME*
379 Using "~" is like using "$HOME", but it is only recognized at the start of an
380 option and after a space or comma.
382 On Unix systems "~user" can be used too. It is replaced by the home directory
383 of user "user". Example: >
384 :set path=~mool/include,/usr/include,.
386 On Unix systems the form "${HOME}" can be used too. The name between {} can
387 contain non-id characters then. Note that if you want to use this for the
388 "gf" command, you need to add the '{' and '}' characters to 'isfname'.
390 NOTE: expanding environment variables and "~/" is only done with the ":set"
391 command, not when assigning a value to an option with ":let".
394 Note the maximum length of an expanded option is limited. How much depends on
395 the system, mostly it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
397 *:fix* *:fixdel*
398 :fix[del] Set the value of 't_kD':
399 't_kb' is 't_kD' becomes ~
400 CTRL-? CTRL-H
401 not CTRL-? CTRL-?
403 (CTRL-? is 0177 octal, 0x7f hex) {not in Vi}
405 If your delete key terminal code is wrong, but the
406 code for backspace is alright, you can put this in
407 your .vimrc: >
408 :fixdel
409 < This works no matter what the actual code for
410 backspace is.
412 If the backspace key terminal code is wrong you can
413 use this: >
414 :if &term == "termname"
415 : set t_kb=^V<BS>
416 : fixdel
417 :endif
418 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<BS>" is the backspace key
419 (don't type four characters!). Replace "termname"
420 with your terminal name.
422 If your <Delete> key sends a strange key sequence (not
423 CTRL-? or CTRL-H) you cannot use ":fixdel". Then use: >
424 :if &term == "termname"
425 : set t_kD=^V<Delete>
426 :endif
427 < Where "^V" is CTRL-V and "<Delete>" is the delete key
428 (don't type eight characters!). Replace "termname"
429 with your terminal name.
431 *Linux-backspace*
432 Note about Linux: By default the backspace key
433 produces CTRL-?, which is wrong. You can fix it by
434 putting this line in your rc.local: >
435 echo "keycode 14 = BackSpace" | loadkeys
436 <
437 *NetBSD-backspace*
438 Note about NetBSD: If your backspace doesn't produce
439 the right code, try this: >
440 xmodmap -e "keycode 22 = BackSpace"
441 < If this works, add this in your .Xmodmap file: >
442 keysym 22 = BackSpace
443 < You need to restart for this to take effect.
445 ==============================================================================
446 2. Automatically setting options *auto-setting*
448 Besides changing options with the ":set" command, there are three alternatives
449 to set options automatically for one or more files:
451 1. When starting Vim initializations are read from various places. See
452 |initialization|. Most of them are performed for all editing sessions,
453 and some of them depend on the directory where Vim is started.
454 You can create an initialization file with |:mkvimrc|, |:mkview| and
455 |:mksession|.
456 2. If you start editing a new file, the automatic commands are executed.
457 This can be used to set options for files matching a particular pattern and
458 many other things. See |autocommand|.
459 3. If you start editing a new file, and the 'modeline' option is on, a
460 number of lines at the beginning and end of the file are checked for
461 modelines. This is explained here.
463 *modeline* *vim:* *vi:* *ex:* *E520*
464 There are two forms of modelines. The first form:
465 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]{options}
467 [text] any text or empty
468 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
469 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
470 [white] optional white space
471 {options} a list of option settings, separated with white space or ':',
472 where each part between ':' is the argument for a ":set"
473 command (can be empty)
475 Example:
476 vi:noai:sw=3 ts=6 ~
478 The second form (this is compatible with some versions of Vi):
480 [text]{white}{vi:|vim:|ex:}[white]se[t] {options}:[text]
482 [text] any text or empty
483 {white} at least one blank character (<Space> or <Tab>)
484 {vi:|vim:|ex:} the string "vi:", "vim:" or "ex:"
485 [white] optional white space
486 se[t] the string "set " or "se " (note the space)
487 {options} a list of options, separated with white space, which is the
488 argument for a ":set" command
489 : a colon
490 [text] any text or empty
492 Example:
493 /* vim: set ai tw=75: */ ~
495 The white space before {vi:|vim:|ex:} is required. This minimizes the chance
496 that a normal word like "lex:" is caught. There is one exception: "vi:" and
497 "vim:" can also be at the start of the line (for compatibility with version
498 3.0). Using "ex:" at the start of the line will be ignored (this could be
499 short for "example:").
501 *modeline-local*
502 The options are set like with ":setlocal": The new value only applies to the
503 buffer and window that contain the file. Although it's possible to set global
504 options from a modeline, this is unusual. If you have two windows open and
505 the files in it set the same global option to a different value, the result
506 depends on which one was opened last.
508 When editing a file that was already loaded, only the window-local options
509 from the modeline are used. Thus if you manually changed a buffer-local
510 option after opening the file, it won't be changed if you edit the same buffer
511 in another window. But window-local options will be set.
513 *modeline-version*
514 If the modeline is only to be used for some versions of Vim, the version
515 number can be specified where "vim:" is used:
516 vim{vers}: version {vers} or later
517 vim<{vers}: version before {vers}
518 vim={vers}: version {vers}
519 vim>{vers}: version after {vers}
520 {vers} is 600 for Vim 6.0 (hundred times the major version plus minor).
521 For example, to use a modeline only for Vim 6.0 and later:
522 /* vim600: set foldmethod=marker: */ ~
523 To use a modeline for Vim before version 5.7:
524 /* vim<570: set sw=4: */ ~
525 There can be no blanks between "vim" and the ":".
528 The number of lines that are checked can be set with the 'modelines' option.
529 If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is 0 no lines are checked.
531 Note that for the first form all of the rest of the line is used, thus a line
532 like:
533 /* vi:ts=4: */ ~
534 will give an error message for the trailing "*/". This line is OK:
535 /* vi:set ts=4: */ ~
537 If an error is detected the rest of the line is skipped.
539 If you want to include a ':' in a set command precede it with a '\'. The
540 backslash in front of the ':' will be removed. Example:
541 /* vi:set dir=c\:\tmp: */ ~
542 This sets the 'dir' option to "c:\tmp". Only a single backslash before the
543 ':' is removed. Thus to include "\:" you have to specify "\\:".
545 No other commands than "set" are supported, for security reasons (somebody
546 might create a Trojan horse text file with modelines). And not all options
547 can be set. For some options a flag is set, so that when it's used the
548 |sandbox| is effective. Still, there is always a small risk that a modeline
549 causes trouble. E.g., when some joker sets 'textwidth' to 5 all your lines
550 are wrapped unexpectedly. So disable modelines before editing untrusted text.
551 The mail ftplugin does this, for example.
553 Hint: If you would like to do something else than setting an option, you could
554 define an autocommand that checks the file for a specific string. For
555 example: >
556 au BufReadPost * if getline(1) =~ "VAR" | call SetVar() | endif
557 And define a function SetVar() that does something with the line containing
558 "VAR".
560 ==============================================================================
561 3. Options summary *option-summary*
563 In the list below all the options are mentioned with their full name and with
564 an abbreviation if there is one. Both forms may be used.
566 In this document when a boolean option is "set" that means that ":set option"
567 is entered. When an option is "reset", ":set nooption" is used.
569 For some options there are two default values: The "Vim default", which is
570 used when 'compatible' is not set, and the "Vi default", which is used when
571 'compatible' is set.
573 Most options are the same in all windows and buffers. There are a few that
574 are specific to how the text is presented in a window. These can be set to a
575 different value in each window. For example the 'list' option can be set in
576 one window and reset in another for the same text, giving both types of view
577 at the same time. There are a few options that are specific to a certain
578 file. These can have a different value for each file or buffer. For example
579 the 'textwidth' option can be 78 for a normal text file and 0 for a C
580 program.
582 global one option for all buffers and windows
583 local to window each window has its own copy of this option
584 local to buffer each buffer has its own copy of this option
586 When creating a new window the option values from the currently active window
587 are used as a default value for the window-specific options. For the
588 buffer-specific options this depends on the 's' and 'S' flags in the
589 'cpoptions' option. If 's' is included (which is the default) the values for
590 buffer options are copied from the currently active buffer when a buffer is
591 first entered. If 'S' is present the options are copied each time the buffer
592 is entered, this is almost like having global options. If 's' and 'S' are not
593 present, the options are copied from the currently active buffer when the
594 buffer is created.
596 Hidden options *hidden-options*
598 Not all options are supported in all versions. This depends on the supported
599 features and sometimes on the system. A remark about this is in curly braces
600 below. When an option is not supported it may still be set without getting an
601 error, this is called a hidden option. You can't get the value of a hidden
602 option though, it is not stored.
604 To test if option "foo" can be used with ":set" use something like this: >
605 if exists('&foo')
606 This also returns true for a hidden option. To test if option "foo" is really
607 supported use something like this: >
608 if exists('+foo')
609 <
610 *E355*
611 A jump table for the options with a short description can be found at |Q_op|.
613 *'aleph'* *'al'* *aleph* *Aleph*
614 'aleph' 'al' number (default 128 for MS-DOS, 224 otherwise)
615 global
616 {not in Vi}
617 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
618 feature}
619 The ASCII code for the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The
620 routine that maps the keyboard in Hebrew mode, both in Insert mode
621 (when hkmap is set) and on the command-line (when hitting CTRL-_)
622 outputs the Hebrew characters in the range [aleph..aleph+26].
623 aleph=128 applies to PC code, and aleph=224 applies to ISO 8859-8.
624 See |rileft.txt|.
626 *'allowrevins'* *'ari'* *'noallowrevins'* *'noari'*
627 'allowrevins' 'ari' boolean (default off)
628 global
629 {not in Vi}
630 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
631 feature}
632 Allow CTRL-_ in Insert and Command-line mode. This is default off, to
633 avoid that users that accidentally type CTRL-_ instead of SHIFT-_ get
634 into reverse Insert mode, and don't know how to get out. See
635 'revins'.
636 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
638 *'altkeymap'* *'akm'* *'noaltkeymap'* *'noakm'*
639 'altkeymap' 'akm' boolean (default off)
640 global
641 {not in Vi}
642 {only available when compiled with the |+farsi|
643 feature}
644 When on, the second language is Farsi. In editing mode CTRL-_ toggles
645 the keyboard map between Farsi and English, when 'allowrevins' set.
647 When off, the keyboard map toggles between Hebrew and English. This
648 is useful to start the Vim in native mode i.e. English (left-to-right
649 mode) and have default second language Farsi or Hebrew (right-to-left
650 mode). See |farsi.txt|.
652 *'ambiwidth'* *'ambw'*
653 'ambiwidth' 'ambw' string (default: "single")
654 global
655 {not in Vi}
656 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
657 feature}
658 Only effective when 'encoding' is "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding.
659 Tells Vim what to do with characters with East Asian Width Class
660 Ambiguous (such as Euro, Registered Sign, Copyright Sign, Greek
661 letters, Cyrillic letters).
663 There are currently two possible values:
664 "single": Use the same width as characters in US-ASCII. This is
665 expected by most users.
666 "double": Use twice the width of ASCII characters.
668 There are a number of CJK fonts for which the width of glyphs for
669 those characters are solely based on how many octets they take in
670 legacy/traditional CJK encodings. In those encodings, Euro,
671 Registered sign, Greek/Cyrillic letters are represented by two octets,
672 therefore those fonts have "wide" glyphs for them. This is also
673 true of some line drawing characters used to make tables in text
674 file. Therefore, when a CJK font is used for GUI Vim or
675 Vim is running inside a terminal (emulators) that uses a CJK font
676 (or Vim is run inside an xterm invoked with "-cjkwidth" option.),
677 this option should be set to "double" to match the width perceived
678 by Vim with the width of glyphs in the font. Perhaps it also has
679 to be set to "double" under CJK Windows 9x/ME or Windows 2k/XP
680 when the system locale is set to one of CJK locales. See Unicode
681 Standard Annex #11 (http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11).
683 *'antialias'* *'anti'* *'noantialias'* *'noanti'*
684 'antialias' 'anti' boolean (default: off)
685 global
686 {not in Vi}
687 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled
688 on Mac OS X}
689 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim on Mac OS X
690 v10.2 or later. When on, Vim will use smooth ("antialiased") fonts,
691 which can be easier to read at certain sizes on certain displays.
692 Setting this option can sometimes cause problems if 'guifont' is set
693 to its default (empty string).
695 *'autochdir'* *'acd'* *'noautochdir'* *'noacd'*
696 'autochdir' 'acd' boolean (default off)
697 global
698 {not in Vi}
699 {only available when compiled with the
700 |+netbeans_intg| or |+sun_workshop| feature}
701 When on, Vim will change the current working directory whenever you
702 open a file, switch buffers, delete a buffer or open/close a window.
703 It will change to the directory containing the file which was opened
704 or selected.
705 This option is provided for backward compatibility with the Vim
706 released with Sun ONE Studio 4 Enterprise Edition.
707 Note: When this option is on some plugins may not work.
709 *'arabic'* *'arab'* *'noarabic'* *'noarab'*
710 'arabic' 'arab' boolean (default off)
711 local to window
712 {not in Vi}
713 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
714 feature}
715 This option can be set to start editing Arabic text.
716 Setting this option will:
717 - Set the 'rightleft' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
718 - Set the 'arabicshape' option, unless 'termbidi' is set.
719 - Set the 'keymap' option to "arabic"; in Insert mode CTRL-^ toggles
720 between typing English and Arabic key mapping.
721 - Set the 'delcombine' option
722 Note that 'encoding' must be "utf-8" for working with Arabic text.
724 Resetting this option will:
725 - Reset the 'rightleft' option.
726 - Disable the use of 'keymap' (without changing its value).
727 Note that 'arabicshape' and 'delcombine' are not reset (it is a global
728 option.
729 Also see |arabic.txt|.
731 *'arabicshape'* *'arshape'*
732 *'noarabicshape'* *'noarshape'*
733 'arabicshape' 'arshape' boolean (default on)
734 global
735 {not in Vi}
736 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
737 feature}
738 When on and 'termbidi' is off, the required visual character
739 corrections that need to take place for displaying the Arabic language
740 take affect. Shaping, in essence, gets enabled; the term is a broad
741 one which encompasses:
742 a) the changing/morphing of characters based on their location
743 within a word (initial, medial, final and stand-alone).
744 b) the enabling of the ability to compose characters
745 c) the enabling of the required combining of some characters
746 When disabled the character display reverts back to each character's
747 true stand-alone form.
748 Arabic is a complex language which requires other settings, for
749 further details see |arabic.txt|.
751 *'autoindent'* *'ai'* *'noautoindent'* *'noai'*
752 'autoindent' 'ai' boolean (default off)
753 local to buffer
754 Copy indent from current line when starting a new line (typing <CR>
755 in Insert mode or when using the "o" or "O" command). If you do not
756 type anything on the new line except <BS> or CTRL-D and then type
757 <Esc>, CTRL-O or <CR>, the indent is deleted again. Moving the cursor
758 to another line has the same effect, unless the 'I' flag is included
759 in 'cpoptions'.
760 When autoindent is on, formatting (with the "gq" command or when you
761 reach 'textwidth' in Insert mode) uses the indentation of the first
762 line.
763 When 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is on the indent is changed in
764 a different way.
765 The 'autoindent' option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
766 {small difference from Vi: After the indent is deleted when typing
767 <Esc> or <CR>, the cursor position when moving up or down is after the
768 deleted indent; Vi puts the cursor somewhere in the deleted indent}.
770 *'autoread'* *'ar'* *'noautoread'* *'noar'*
771 'autoread' 'ar' boolean (default off)
772 global or local to buffer |global-local|
773 {not in Vi}
774 When a file has been detected to have been changed outside of Vim and
775 it has not been changed inside of Vim, automatically read it again.
776 When the file has been deleted this is not done. |timestamp|
777 If this option has a local value, use this command to switch back to
778 using the global value: >
779 :set autoread<
780 <
781 *'autowrite'* *'aw'* *'noautowrite'* *'noaw'*
782 'autowrite' 'aw' boolean (default off)
783 global
784 Write the contents of the file, if it has been modified, on each
785 :next, :rewind, :last, :first, :previous, :stop, :suspend, :tag, :!,
786 :make, CTRL-] and CTRL-^ command; and when a :buffer, CTRL-O, CTRL-I,
787 '{A-Z0-9}, or `{A-Z0-9} command takes one to another file.
788 Note that for some commands the 'autowrite' option is not used, see
789 'autowriteall' for that.
791 *'autowriteall'* *'awa'* *'noautowriteall'* *'noawa'*
792 'autowriteall' 'awa' boolean (default off)
793 global
794 {not in Vi}
795 Like 'autowrite', but also used for commands ":edit", ":enew", ":quit",
796 ":qall", ":exit", ":xit", ":recover" and closing the Vim window.
797 Setting this option also implies that Vim behaves like 'autowrite' has
798 been set.
800 *'background'* *'bg'*
801 'background' 'bg' string (default "dark" or "light")
802 global
803 {not in Vi}
804 When set to "dark", Vim will try to use colors that look good on a
805 dark background. When set to "light", Vim will try to use colors that
806 look good on a light background. Any other value is illegal.
807 Vim tries to set the default value according to the terminal used.
808 This will not always be correct.
809 Setting this option does not change the background color, it tells Vim
810 what the background color looks like. For changing the background
811 color, see |:hi-normal|.
813 When 'background' is set Vim will adjust the default color groups for
814 the new value. But the colors used for syntax highlighting will not
815 change. *g:colors_name*
816 When a color scheme is loaded (the "colors_name" variable is set)
817 setting 'background' will cause the color scheme to be reloaded. If
818 the color scheme adjusts to the value of 'background' this will work.
819 However, if the color scheme sets 'background' itself the effect may
820 be undone. First delete the "colors_name" variable when needed.
822 When setting 'background' to the default value with: >
823 :set background&
824 < Vim will guess the value. In the GUI this should work correctly,
825 in other cases Vim might not be able to guess the right value.
827 When starting the GUI, the default value for 'background' will be
828 "light". When the value is not set in the .gvimrc, and Vim detects
829 that the background is actually quite dark, 'background' is set to
830 "dark". But this happens only AFTER the .gvimrc file has been read
831 (because the window needs to be opened to find the actual background
832 color). To get around this, force the GUI window to be opened by
833 putting a ":gui" command in the .gvimrc file, before where the value
834 of 'background' is used (e.g., before ":syntax on").
835 Normally this option would be set in the .vimrc file. Possibly
836 depending on the terminal name. Example: >
837 :if &term == "pcterm"
838 : set background=dark
839 :endif
840 < When this option is set, the default settings for the highlight groups
841 will change. To use other settings, place ":highlight" commands AFTER
842 the setting of the 'background' option.
843 This option is also used in the "$VIMRUNTIME/syntax/syntax.vim" file
844 to select the colors for syntax highlighting. After changing this
845 option, you must load syntax.vim again to see the result. This can be
846 done with ":syntax on".
848 *'backspace'* *'bs'*
849 'backspace' 'bs' string (default "")
850 global
851 {not in Vi}
852 Influences the working of <BS>, <Del>, CTRL-W and CTRL-U in Insert
853 mode. This is a list of items, separated by commas. Each item allows
854 a way to backspace over something:
855 value effect ~
856 indent allow backspacing over autoindent
857 eol allow backspacing over line breaks (join lines)
858 start allow backspacing over the start of insert; CTRL-W and CTRL-U
859 stop once at the start of insert.
861 When the value is empty, Vi compatible backspacing is used.
863 For backwards compatibility with version 5.4 and earlier:
864 value effect ~
865 0 same as ":set backspace=" (Vi compatible)
866 1 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol"
867 2 same as ":set backspace=indent,eol,start"
869 See |:fixdel| if your <BS> or <Del> key does not do what you want.
870 NOTE: This option is set to "" when 'compatible' is set.
872 *'backup'* *'bk'* *'nobackup'* *'nobk'*
873 'backup' 'bk' boolean (default off)
874 global
875 {not in Vi}
876 Make a backup before overwriting a file. Leave it around after the
877 file has been successfully written. If you do not want to keep the
878 backup file, but you do want a backup while the file is being
879 written, reset this option and set the 'writebackup' option (this is
880 the default). If you do not want a backup file at all reset both
881 options (use this if your file system is almost full). See the
882 |backup-table| for more explanations.
883 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
884 When 'patchmode' is set, the backup may be renamed to become the
885 oldest version of a file.
886 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
888 *'backupcopy'* *'bkc'*
889 'backupcopy' 'bkc' string (Vi default for Unix: "yes", otherwise: "auto")
890 global
891 {not in Vi}
892 When writing a file and a backup is made, this option tells how it's
893 done. This is a comma separated list of words.
895 The main values are:
896 "yes" make a copy of the file and overwrite the original one
897 "no" rename the file and write a new one
898 "auto" one of the previous, what works best
900 Extra values that can be combined with the ones above are:
901 "breaksymlink" always break symlinks when writing
902 "breakhardlink" always break hardlinks when writing
904 Making a copy and overwriting the original file:
905 - Takes extra time to copy the file.
906 + When the file has special attributes, is a (hard/symbolic) link or
907 has a resource fork, all this is preserved.
908 - When the file is a link the backup will have the name of the link,
909 not of the real file.
911 Renaming the file and writing a new one:
912 + It's fast.
913 - Sometimes not all attributes of the file can be copied to the new
914 file.
915 - When the file is a link the new file will not be a link.
917 The "auto" value is the middle way: When Vim sees that renaming file
918 is possible without side effects (the attributes can be passed on and
919 the file is not a link) that is used. When problems are expected, a
920 copy will be made.
922 The "breaksymlink" and "breakhardlink" values can be used in
923 combination with any of "yes", "no" and "auto". When included, they
924 force Vim to always break either symbolic or hard links by doing
925 exactly what the "no" option does, renaming the original file to
926 become the backup and writing a new file in its place. This can be
927 useful for example in source trees where all the files are symbolic or
928 hard links and any changes should stay in the local source tree, not
929 be propagated back to the original source.
930 *crontab*
931 One situation where "no" and "auto" will cause problems: A program
932 that opens a file, invokes Vim to edit that file, and then tests if
933 the open file was changed (through the file descriptor) will check the
934 backup file instead of the newly created file. "crontab -e" is an
935 example.
937 When a copy is made, the original file is truncated and then filled
938 with the new text. This means that protection bits, owner and
939 symbolic links of the original file are unmodified. The backup file
940 however, is a new file, owned by the user who edited the file. The
941 group of the backup is set to the group of the original file. If this
942 fails, the protection bits for the group are made the same as for
943 others.
945 When the file is renamed this is the other way around: The backup has
946 the same attributes of the original file, and the newly written file
947 is owned by the current user. When the file was a (hard/symbolic)
948 link, the new file will not! That's why the "auto" value doesn't
949 rename when the file is a link. The owner and group of the newly
950 written file will be set to the same ones as the original file, but
951 the system may refuse to do this. In that case the "auto" value will
952 again not rename the file.
954 *'backupdir'* *'bdir'*
955 'backupdir' 'bdir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
956 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:/tmp,c:/temp"
957 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,~/")
958 global
959 {not in Vi}
960 List of directories for the backup file, separated with commas.
961 - The backup file will be created in the first directory in the list
962 where this is possible.
963 - Empty means that no backup file will be created ('patchmode' is
964 impossible!). Writing may fail because of this.
965 - A directory "." means to put the backup file in the same directory
966 as the edited file.
967 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
968 put the backup file relative to where the edited file is. The
969 leading "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
970 ("." inside a directory name has no special meaning).
971 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
972 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
973 name, precede it with a backslash.
974 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
975 - A directory name may end in an '/'.
976 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
977 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
978 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
979 :set bdir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
980 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
981 of the option is removed.
982 See also 'backup' and 'writebackup' options.
983 If you want to hide your backup files on Unix, consider this value: >
984 :set backupdir=./.backup,~/.backup,.,/tmp
985 < You must create a ".backup" directory in each directory and in your
986 home directory for this to work properly.
987 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
988 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
989 uses another default.
990 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
991 security reasons.
993 *'backupext'* *'bex'* *E589*
994 'backupext' 'bex' string (default "~", for VMS: "_")
995 global
996 {not in Vi}
997 String which is appended to a file name to make the name of the
998 backup file. The default is quite unusual, because this avoids
999 accidentally overwriting existing files with a backup file. You might
1000 prefer using ".bak", but make sure that you don't have files with
1001 ".bak" that you want to keep.
1002 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
1004 If you like to keep a lot of backups, you could use a BufWritePre
1005 autocommand to change 'backupext' just before writing the file to
1006 include a timestamp. >
1007 :au BufWritePre * let &bex = '-' . strftime("%Y%b%d%X") . '~'
1008 < Use 'backupdir' to put the backup in a different directory.
1010 *'backupskip'* *'bsk'*
1011 'backupskip' 'bsk' string (default: "/tmp/*,$TMPDIR/*,$TMP/*,$TEMP/*")
1012 global
1013 {not in Vi}
1014 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
1015 feature}
1016 A list of file patterns. When one of the patterns matches with the
1017 name of the file which is written, no backup file is created. Both
1018 the specified file name and the full path name of the file are used.
1019 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
1020 Watch out for special characters, see |option-backslash|.
1021 When $TMPDIR, $TMP or $TEMP is not defined, it is not used for the
1022 default value. "/tmp/*" is only used for Unix.
1024 Note that environment variables are not expanded. If you want to use
1025 $HOME you must expand it explicitly, e.g.: >
1026 :let backupskip = escape(expand('$HOME'), '\') . '/tmp/*'
1028 < Note that the default also makes sure that "crontab -e" works (when a
1029 backup would be made by renaming the original file crontab won't see
1030 the newly created file). Also see 'backupcopy' and |crontab|.
1032 *'balloondelay'* *'bdlay'*
1033 'balloondelay' 'bdlay' number (default: 600)
1034 global
1035 {not in Vi}
1036 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1037 feature}
1038 Delay in milliseconds before a balloon may pop up. See |balloon-eval|.
1040 *'ballooneval'* *'beval'* *'noballooneval'* *'nobeval'*
1041 'ballooneval' 'beval' boolean (default off)
1042 global
1043 {not in Vi}
1044 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1045 feature}
1046 Switch on the |balloon-eval| functionality.
1048 *'balloonexpr'* *'bexpr'*
1049 'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' string (default "")
1050 global or local to buffer |global-local|
1051 {not in Vi}
1052 {only available when compiled with the |+balloon_eval|
1053 feature}
1054 Expression for text to show in evaluation balloon. It is only used
1055 when 'ballooneval' is on. These variables can be used:
1057 v:beval_bufnr number of the buffer in which balloon is going to show
1058 v:beval_winnr number of the window
1059 v:beval_lnum line number
1060 v:beval_col column number (byte index)
1061 v:beval_text word under or after the mouse pointer
1063 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects!
1064 Example: >
1065 function! MyBalloonExpr()
1066 return 'Cursor is at line ' . v:beval_lnum .
1067 \', column ' . v:beval_col .
1068 \ ' of file ' . bufname(v:beval_bufnr) .
1069 \ ' on word "' . v:beval_text . '"'
1070 endfunction
1071 set bexpr=MyBalloonExpr()
1072 set ballooneval
1073 <
1074 NOTE: The balloon is displayed only if the cursor is on a text
1075 character. If the result of evaluating 'balloonexpr' is not empty,
1076 Vim does not try to send a message to an external debugger (Netbeans
1077 or Sun Workshop).
1079 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
1080 |sandbox-option|.
1082 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
1083 evaluating 'balloonexpr' |textlock|.
1085 To check whether line breaks in the balloon text work use this check: >
1086 if has("balloon_multiline")
1087 < When they are supported "\n" characters will start a new line. If the
1088 expression evaluates to a |List| this is equal to using each List item
1089 as a string and putting "\n" in between them.
1091 *'binary'* *'bin'* *'nobinary'* *'nobin'*
1092 'binary' 'bin' boolean (default off)
1093 local to buffer
1094 {not in Vi}
1095 This option should be set before editing a binary file. You can also
1096 use the |-b| Vim argument. When this option is switched on a few
1097 options will be changed (also when it already was on):
1098 'textwidth' will be set to 0
1099 'wrapmargin' will be set to 0
1100 'modeline' will be off
1101 'expandtab' will be off
1102 Also, 'fileformat' and 'fileformats' options will not be used, the
1103 file is read and written like 'fileformat' was "unix" (a single <NL>
1104 separates lines).
1105 The 'fileencoding' and 'fileencodings' options will not be used, the
1106 file is read without conversion.
1107 NOTE: When you start editing a(nother) file while the 'bin' option is
1108 on, settings from autocommands may change the settings again (e.g.,
1109 'textwidth'), causing trouble when editing. You might want to set
1110 'bin' again when the file has been loaded.
1111 The previous values of these options are remembered and restored when
1112 'bin' is switched from on to off. Each buffer has its own set of
1113 saved option values.
1114 To edit a file with 'binary' set you can use the |++bin| argument.
1115 This avoids you have to do ":set bin", which would have effect for all
1116 files you edit.
1117 When writing a file the <EOL> for the last line is only written if
1118 there was one in the original file (normally Vim appends an <EOL> to
1119 the last line if there is none; this would make the file longer). See
1120 the 'endofline' option.
1122 *'bioskey'* *'biosk'* *'nobioskey'* *'nobiosk'*
1123 'bioskey' 'biosk' boolean (default on)
1124 global
1125 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1126 When on the BIOS is called to obtain a keyboard character. This works
1127 better to detect CTRL-C, but only works for the console. When using a
1128 terminal over a serial port reset this option.
1129 Also see |'conskey'|.
1131 *'bomb'* *'nobomb'*
1132 'bomb' boolean (default off)
1133 local to buffer
1134 {not in Vi}
1135 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1136 feature}
1137 When writing a file and the following conditions are met, a BOM (Byte
1138 Order Mark) is prepended to the file:
1139 - this option is on
1140 - the 'binary' option is off
1141 - 'fileencoding' is "utf-8", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" or one of the little/big
1142 endian variants.
1143 Some applications use the BOM to recognize the encoding of the file.
1144 Often used for UCS-2 files on MS-Windows. For other applications it
1145 causes trouble, for example: "cat file1 file2" makes the BOM of file2
1146 appear halfway the resulting file.
1147 When Vim reads a file and 'fileencodings' starts with "ucs-bom", a
1148 check for the presence of the BOM is done and 'bomb' set accordingly.
1149 Unless 'binary' is set, it is removed from the first line, so that you
1150 don't see it when editing. When you don't change the options, the BOM
1151 will be restored when writing the file.
1153 *'breakat'* *'brk'*
1154 'breakat' 'brk' string (default " ^I!@*-+;:,./?")
1155 global
1156 {not in Vi}
1157 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
1158 feature}
1159 This option lets you choose which characters might cause a line
1160 break if 'linebreak' is on. Only works for ASCII and also for 8-bit
1161 characters when 'encoding' is an 8-bit encoding.
1163 *'browsedir'* *'bsdir'*
1164 'browsedir' 'bsdir' string (default: "last")
1165 global
1166 {not in Vi} {only for Motif, Athena, GTK, Mac and
1167 Win32 GUI}
1168 Which directory to use for the file browser:
1169 last Use same directory as with last file browser, where a
1170 file was opened or saved.
1171 buffer Use the directory of the related buffer.
1172 current Use the current directory.
1173 {path} Use the specified directory
1175 *'bufhidden'* *'bh'*
1176 'bufhidden' 'bh' string (default: "")
1177 local to buffer
1178 {not in Vi}
1179 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1180 feature}
1181 This option specifies what happens when a buffer is no longer
1182 displayed in a window:
1183 <empty> follow the global 'hidden' option
1184 hide hide the buffer (don't unload it), also when 'hidden'
1185 is not set
1186 unload unload the buffer, also when 'hidden' is set or using
1187 |:hide|
1188 delete delete the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1189 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1190 |:bdelete|
1191 wipe wipe out the buffer from the buffer list, also when
1192 'hidden' is set or using |:hide|, like using
1193 |:bwipeout|
1195 CAREFUL: when "unload", "delete" or "wipe" is used changes in a buffer
1196 are lost without a warning.
1197 This option is used together with 'buftype' and 'swapfile' to specify
1198 special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1200 *'buflisted'* *'bl'* *'nobuflisted'* *'nobl'* *E85*
1201 'buflisted' 'bl' boolean (default: on)
1202 local to buffer
1203 {not in Vi}
1204 When this option is set, the buffer shows up in the buffer list. If
1205 it is reset it is not used for ":bnext", "ls", the Buffers menu, etc.
1206 This option is reset by Vim for buffers that are only used to remember
1207 a file name or marks. Vim sets it when starting to edit a buffer.
1208 But not when moving to a buffer with ":buffer".
1210 *'buftype'* *'bt'* *E382*
1211 'buftype' 'bt' string (default: "")
1212 local to buffer
1213 {not in Vi}
1214 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
1215 feature}
1216 The value of this option specifies the type of a buffer:
1217 <empty> normal buffer
1218 nofile buffer which is not related to a file and will not be
1219 written
1220 nowrite buffer which will not be written
1221 acwrite buffer which will always be written with BufWriteCmd
1222 autocommands. {not available when compiled without the
1223 |+autocmd| feature}
1224 quickfix quickfix buffer, contains list of errors |:cwindow|
1225 or list of locations |:lwindow|
1226 help help buffer (you are not supposed to set this
1227 manually)
1229 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'swapfile' to
1230 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
1232 Be careful with changing this option, it can have many side effects!
1234 A "quickfix" buffer is only used for the error list and the location
1235 list. This value is set by the |:cwindow| and |:lwindow| commands and
1236 you are not supposed to change it.
1238 "nofile" and "nowrite" buffers are similar:
1239 both: The buffer is not to be written to disk, ":w" doesn't
1240 work (":w filename" does work though).
1241 both: The buffer is never considered to be |'modified'|.
1242 There is no warning when the changes will be lost, for
1243 example when you quit Vim.
1244 both: A swap file is only created when using too much memory
1245 (when 'swapfile' has been reset there is never a swap
1246 file).
1247 nofile only: The buffer name is fixed, it is not handled like a
1248 file name. It is not modified in response to a |:cd|
1249 command.
1250 *E676*
1251 "acwrite" implies that the buffer name is not related to a file, like
1252 "nofile", but it will be written. Thus, in contrast to "nofile" and
1253 "nowrite", ":w" does work and a modified buffer can't be abandoned
1254 without saving. For writing there must be matching |BufWriteCmd|,
1255 |FileWriteCmd| or |FileAppendCmd| autocommands.
1257 *'casemap'* *'cmp'*
1258 'casemap' 'cmp' string (default: "internal,keepascii")
1259 global
1260 {not in Vi}
1261 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1262 feature}
1263 Specifies details about changing the case of letters. It may contain
1264 these words, separated by a comma:
1265 internal Use internal case mapping functions, the current
1266 locale does not change the case mapping. This only
1267 matters when 'encoding' is a Unicode encoding,
1268 "latin1" or "iso-8859-15". When "internal" is
1269 omitted, the towupper() and towlower() system library
1270 functions are used when available.
1271 keepascii For the ASCII characters (0x00 to 0x7f) use the US
1272 case mapping, the current locale is not effective.
1273 This probably only matters for Turkish.
1275 *'cdpath'* *'cd'* *E344* *E346*
1276 'cdpath' 'cd' string (default: equivalent to $CDPATH or ",,")
1277 global
1278 {not in Vi}
1279 {not available when compiled without the
1280 |+file_in_path| feature}
1281 This is a list of directories which will be searched when using the
1282 |:cd| and |:lcd| commands, provided that the directory being searched
1283 for has a relative path, not an absolute part starting with "/", "./"
1284 or "../", the 'cdpath' option is not used then.
1285 The 'cdpath' option's value has the same form and semantics as
1286 |'path'|. Also see |file-searching|.
1287 The default value is taken from $CDPATH, with a "," prepended to look
1288 in the current directory first.
1289 If the default value taken from $CDPATH is not what you want, include
1290 a modified version of the following command in your vimrc file to
1291 override it: >
1292 :let &cdpath = ',' . substitute(substitute($CDPATH, '[, ]', '\\\0', 'g'), ':', ',', 'g')
1293 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1294 security reasons.
1295 (parts of 'cdpath' can be passed to the shell to expand file names).
1297 *'cedit'*
1298 'cedit' string (Vi default: "", Vim default: CTRL-F)
1299 global
1300 {not in Vi}
1301 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1302 feature}
1303 The key used in Command-line Mode to open the command-line window.
1304 The default is CTRL-F when 'compatible' is off.
1305 Only non-printable keys are allowed.
1306 The key can be specified as a single character, but it is difficult to
1307 type. The preferred way is to use the <> notation. Examples: >
1308 :set cedit=<C-Y>
1309 :set cedit=<Esc>
1310 < |Nvi| also has this option, but it only uses the first character.
1311 See |cmdwin|.
1313 *'charconvert'* *'ccv'* *E202* *E214* *E513*
1314 'charconvert' 'ccv' string (default "")
1315 global
1316 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
1317 feature and the |+eval| feature}
1318 {not in Vi}
1319 An expression that is used for character encoding conversion. It is
1320 evaluated when a file that is to be read or has been written has a
1321 different encoding from what is desired.
1322 'charconvert' is not used when the internal iconv() function is
1323 supported and is able to do the conversion. Using iconv() is
1324 preferred, because it is much faster.
1325 'charconvert' is not used when reading stdin |--|, because there is no
1326 file to convert from. You will have to save the text in a file first.
1327 The expression must return zero or an empty string for success,
1328 non-zero for failure.
1329 The possible encoding names encountered are in 'encoding'.
1330 Additionally, names given in 'fileencodings' and 'fileencoding' are
1331 used.
1332 Conversion between "latin1", "unicode", "ucs-2", "ucs-4" and "utf-8"
1333 is done internally by Vim, 'charconvert' is not used for this.
1334 'charconvert' is also used to convert the viminfo file, if the 'c'
1335 flag is present in 'viminfo'. Also used for Unicode conversion.
1336 Example: >
1337 set charconvert=CharConvert()
1338 fun CharConvert()
1339 system("recode "
1340 \ . v:charconvert_from . ".." . v:charconvert_to
1341 \ . " <" . v:fname_in . " >" v:fname_out)
1342 return v:shell_error
1343 endfun
1344 < The related Vim variables are:
1345 v:charconvert_from name of the current encoding
1346 v:charconvert_to name of the desired encoding
1347 v:fname_in name of the input file
1348 v:fname_out name of the output file
1349 Note that v:fname_in and v:fname_out will never be the same.
1350 Note that v:charconvert_from and v:charconvert_to may be different
1351 from 'encoding'. Vim internally uses UTF-8 instead of UCS-2 or UCS-4.
1352 Encryption is not done by Vim when using 'charconvert'. If you want
1353 to encrypt the file after conversion, 'charconvert' should take care
1354 of this.
1355 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
1356 security reasons.
1358 *'cindent'* *'cin'* *'nocindent'* *'nocin'*
1359 'cindent' 'cin' boolean (default off)
1360 local to buffer
1361 {not in Vi}
1362 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1363 feature}
1364 Enables automatic C program indenting. See 'cinkeys' to set the keys
1365 that trigger reindenting in insert mode and 'cinoptions' to set your
1366 preferred indent style.
1367 If 'indentexpr' is not empty, it overrules 'cindent'.
1368 If 'lisp' is not on and both 'indentexpr' and 'equalprg' are empty,
1369 the "=" operator indents using this algorithm rather than calling an
1370 external program.
1371 See |C-indenting|.
1372 When you don't like the way 'cindent' works, try the 'smartindent'
1373 option or 'indentexpr'.
1374 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
1375 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1377 *'cinkeys'* *'cink'*
1378 'cinkeys' 'cink' string (default "0{,0},0),:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
1379 local to buffer
1380 {not in Vi}
1381 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1382 feature}
1383 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
1384 the current line. Only used if 'cindent' is on and 'indentexpr' is
1385 empty.
1386 For the format of this option see |cinkeys-format|.
1387 See |C-indenting|.
1389 *'cinoptions'* *'cino'*
1390 'cinoptions' 'cino' string (default "")
1391 local to buffer
1392 {not in Vi}
1393 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
1394 feature}
1395 The 'cinoptions' affect the way 'cindent' reindents lines in a C
1396 program. See |cinoptions-values| for the values of this option, and
1397 |C-indenting| for info on C indenting in general.
1400 *'cinwords'* *'cinw'*
1401 'cinwords' 'cinw' string (default "if,else,while,do,for,switch")
1402 local to buffer
1403 {not in Vi}
1404 {not available when compiled without both the
1405 |+cindent| and the |+smartindent| features}
1406 These keywords start an extra indent in the next line when
1407 'smartindent' or 'cindent' is set. For 'cindent' this is only done at
1408 an appropriate place (inside {}).
1409 Note that 'ignorecase' isn't used for 'cinwords'. If case doesn't
1410 matter, include the keyword both the uppercase and lowercase:
1411 "if,If,IF".
1413 *'clipboard'* *'cb'*
1414 'clipboard' 'cb' string (default "autoselect,exclude:cons\|linux"
1415 for X-windows, "" otherwise)
1416 global
1417 {not in Vi}
1418 {only in GUI versions or when the |+xterm_clipboard|
1419 feature is included}
1420 This option is a list of comma separated names.
1421 These names are recognized:
1423 unnamed When included, Vim will use the clipboard register '*'
1424 for all yank, delete, change and put operations which
1425 would normally go to the unnamed register. When a
1426 register is explicitly specified, it will always be
1427 used regardless of whether "unnamed" is in 'clipboard'
1428 or not. The clipboard register can always be
1429 explicitly accessed using the "* notation. Also see
1430 |gui-clipboard|.
1432 autoselect Works like the 'a' flag in 'guioptions': If present,
1433 then whenever Visual mode is started, or the Visual
1434 area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of the
1435 windowing system's global selection or put the
1436 selected text on the clipboard used by the selection
1437 register "*. See |guioptions_a| and |quotestar| for
1438 details. When the GUI is active, the 'a' flag in
1439 'guioptions' is used, when the GUI is not active, this
1440 "autoselect" flag is used.
1441 Also applies to the modeless selection.
1443 autoselectml Like "autoselect", but for the modeless selection
1444 only. Compare to the 'A' flag in 'guioptions'.
1446 exclude:{pattern}
1447 Defines a pattern that is matched against the name of
1448 the terminal 'term'. If there is a match, no
1449 connection will be made to the X server. This is
1450 useful in this situation:
1451 - Running Vim in a console.
1452 - $DISPLAY is set to start applications on another
1453 display.
1454 - You do not want to connect to the X server in the
1455 console, but do want this in a terminal emulator.
1456 To never connect to the X server use: >
1457 exclude:.*
1458 < This has the same effect as using the |-X| argument.
1459 Note that when there is no connection to the X server
1460 the window title won't be restored and the clipboard
1461 cannot be accessed.
1462 The value of 'magic' is ignored, {pattern} is
1463 interpreted as if 'magic' was on.
1464 The rest of the option value will be used for
1465 {pattern}, this must be the last entry.
1467 *'cmdheight'* *'ch'*
1468 'cmdheight' 'ch' number (default 1)
1469 global
1470 {not in Vi}
1471 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line. Helps avoiding
1472 |hit-enter| prompts.
1473 The value of this option is stored with the tab page, so that each tab
1474 page can have a different value.
1476 *'cmdwinheight'* *'cwh'*
1477 'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' number (default 7)
1478 global
1479 {not in Vi}
1480 {not available when compiled without the |+vertsplit|
1481 feature}
1482 Number of screen lines to use for the command-line window. |cmdwin|
1484 *'columns'* *'co'* *E594*
1485 'columns' 'co' number (default 80 or terminal width)
1486 global
1487 {not in Vi}
1488 Number of columns of the screen. Normally this is set by the terminal
1489 initialization and does not have to be set by hand. Also see
1490 |posix-screen-size|.
1491 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
1492 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
1493 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
1494 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
1495 number of columns of the display, the display may be messed up. For
1496 the GUI it is always possible and Vim limits the number of columns to
1497 what fits on the screen. You can use this command to get the widest
1498 window possible: >
1499 :set columns=9999
1500 < Minimum value is 12, maximum value is 10000.
1502 *'comments'* *'com'* *E524* *E525*
1503 'comments' 'com' string (default
1504 "s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/,://,b:#,:%,:XCOMM,n:>,fb:-")
1505 local to buffer
1506 {not in Vi}
1507 {not available when compiled without the |+comments|
1508 feature}
1509 A comma separated list of strings that can start a comment line. See
1510 |format-comments|. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes to
1511 insert a space.
1513 *'commentstring'* *'cms'* *E537*
1514 'commentstring' 'cms' string (default "/*%s*/")
1515 local to buffer
1516 {not in Vi}
1517 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
1518 feature}
1519 A template for a comment. The "%s" in the value is replaced with the
1520 comment text. Currently only used to add markers for folding, see
1521 |fold-marker|.
1523 *'compatible'* *'cp'* *'nocompatible'* *'nocp'*
1524 'compatible' 'cp' boolean (default on, off when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc|
1525 file is found)
1526 global
1527 {not in Vi}
1528 This option has the effect of making Vim either more Vi-compatible, or
1529 make Vim behave in a more useful way.
1530 This is a special kind of option, because when it's set or reset,
1531 other options are also changed as a side effect. CAREFUL: Setting or
1532 resetting this option can have a lot of unexpected effects: Mappings
1533 are interpreted in another way, undo behaves differently, etc. If you
1534 set this option in your vimrc file, you should probably put it at the
1535 very start.
1536 By default this option is on and the Vi defaults are used for the
1537 options. This default was chosen for those people who want to use Vim
1538 just like Vi, and don't even (want to) know about the 'compatible'
1539 option.
1540 When a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file is found while Vim is starting up,
1541 this option is switched off, and all options that have not been
1542 modified will be set to the Vim defaults. Effectively, this means
1543 that when a |vimrc| or |gvimrc| file exists, Vim will use the Vim
1544 defaults, otherwise it will use the Vi defaults. (Note: This doesn't
1545 happen for the system-wide vimrc or gvimrc file, nor for a file given
1546 with the |-u| argument). Also see |compatible-default| and
1547 |posix-compliance|.
1548 You can also set this option with the "-C" argument, and reset it with
1549 "-N". See |-C| and |-N|.
1550 Switching this option off makes the Vim defaults be used for options
1551 that have a different Vi and Vim default value. See the options
1552 marked with a '+' below. Other options are not modified.
1553 At the moment this option is set, several other options will be set
1554 or reset to make Vim as Vi-compatible as possible. See the table
1555 below. This can be used if you want to revert to Vi compatible
1556 editing.
1557 See also 'cpoptions'.
1559 option + set value effect ~
1561 'allowrevins' off no CTRL-_ command
1562 'backupcopy' Unix: "yes" backup file is a copy
1563 others: "auto" copy or rename backup file
1564 'backspace' "" normal backspace
1565 'backup' off no backup file
1566 'cindent' off no C code indentation
1567 'cedit' + "" no key to open the |cmdwin|
1568 'cpoptions' + (all flags) Vi-compatible flags
1569 'cscopetag' off don't use cscope for ":tag"
1570 'cscopetagorder' 0 see |cscopetagorder|
1571 'cscopeverbose' off see |cscopeverbose|
1572 'digraph' off no digraphs
1573 'esckeys' + off no <Esc>-keys in Insert mode
1574 'expandtab' off tabs not expanded to spaces
1575 'fileformats' + "" no automatic file format detection,
1576 "dos,unix" except for DOS, Windows and OS/2
1577 'formatoptions' + "vt" Vi compatible formatting
1578 'gdefault' off no default 'g' flag for ":s"
1579 'history' + 0 no commandline history
1580 'hkmap' off no Hebrew keyboard mapping
1581 'hkmapp' off no phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
1582 'hlsearch' off no highlighting of search matches
1583 'incsearch' off no incremental searching
1584 'indentexpr' "" no indenting by expression
1585 'insertmode' off do not start in Insert mode
1586 'iskeyword' + "@,48-57,_" keywords contain alphanumeric
1587 characters and '_'
1588 'joinspaces' on insert 2 spaces after period
1589 'modeline' + off no modelines
1590 'more' + off no pauses in listings
1591 'revins' off no reverse insert
1592 'ruler' off no ruler
1593 'scrolljump' 1 no jump scroll
1594 'scrolloff' 0 no scroll offset
1595 'shiftround' off indent not rounded to shiftwidth
1596 'shortmess' + "" no shortening of messages
1597 'showcmd' + off command characters not shown
1598 'showmode' + off current mode not shown
1599 'smartcase' off no automatic ignore case switch
1600 'smartindent' off no smart indentation
1601 'smarttab' off no smart tab size
1602 'softtabstop' 0 tabs are always 'tabstop' positions
1603 'startofline' on goto startofline with some commands
1604 'tagrelative' + off tag file names are not relative
1605 'textauto' + off no automatic textmode detection
1606 'textwidth' 0 no automatic line wrap
1607 'tildeop' off tilde is not an operator
1608 'ttimeout' off no terminal timeout
1609 'whichwrap' + "" left-right movements don't wrap
1610 'wildchar' + CTRL-E only when the current value is <Tab>
1611 use CTRL-E for cmdline completion
1612 'writebackup' on or off depends on +writebackup feature
1614 *'complete'* *'cpt'* *E535*
1615 'complete' 'cpt' string (default: ".,w,b,u,t,i")
1616 local to buffer
1617 {not in Vi}
1618 This option specifies how keyword completion |ins-completion| works
1619 when CTRL-P or CTRL-N are used. It is also used for whole-line
1620 completion |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-L|. It indicates the type of completion
1621 and the places to scan. It is a comma separated list of flags:
1622 . scan the current buffer ('wrapscan' is ignored)
1623 w scan buffers from other windows
1624 b scan other loaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1625 u scan the unloaded buffers that are in the buffer list
1626 U scan the buffers that are not in the buffer list
1627 k scan the files given with the 'dictionary' option
1628 kspell use the currently active spell checking |spell|
1629 k{dict} scan the file {dict}. Several "k" flags can be given,
1630 patterns are valid too. For example: >
1631 :set cpt=k/usr/dict/*,k~/spanish
1632 < s scan the files given with the 'thesaurus' option
1633 s{tsr} scan the file {tsr}. Several "s" flags can be given, patterns
1634 are valid too.
1635 i scan current and included files
1636 d scan current and included files for defined name or macro
1637 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-D|
1638 ] tag completion
1639 t same as "]"
1641 Unloaded buffers are not loaded, thus their autocmds |:autocmd| are
1642 not executed, this may lead to unexpected completions from some files
1643 (gzipped files for example). Unloaded buffers are not scanned for
1644 whole-line completion.
1646 The default is ".,w,b,u,t,i", which means to scan:
1647 1. the current buffer
1648 2. buffers in other windows
1649 3. other loaded buffers
1650 4. unloaded buffers
1651 5. tags
1652 6. included files
1654 As you can see, CTRL-N and CTRL-P can be used to do any 'iskeyword'-
1655 based expansion (e.g., dictionary |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|, included patterns
1656 |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-I|, tags |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-]| and normal expansions).
1658 *'completefunc'* *'cfu'*
1659 'completefunc' 'cfu' string (default: empty)
1660 local to buffer
1661 {not in Vi}
1662 {not available when compiled without the +eval
1663 or +insert_expand feature}
1664 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode completion
1665 with CTRL-X CTRL-U. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-U|
1666 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
1667 invoked and what it should return.
1670 *'completeopt'* *'cot'*
1671 'completeopt' 'cot' string (default: "menu,preview")
1672 global
1673 {not available when compiled without the
1674 |+insert_expand| feature}
1675 {not in Vi}
1676 A comma separated list of options for Insert mode completion
1677 |ins-completion|. The supported values are:
1679 menu Use a popup menu to show the possible completions. The
1680 menu is only shown when there is more than one match and
1681 sufficient colors are available. |ins-completion-menu|
1683 menuone Use the popup menu also when there is only one match.
1684 Useful when there is additional information about the
1685 match, e.g., what file it comes from.
1687 longest Only insert the longest common text of the matches. If
1688 the menu is displayed you can use CTRL-L to add more
1689 characters. Whether case is ignored depends on the kind
1690 of completion. For buffer text the 'ignorecase' option is
1691 used.
1693 preview Show extra information about the currently selected
1694 completion in the preview window. Only works in
1695 combination with "menu" or "menuone".
1698 *'confirm'* *'cf'* *'noconfirm'* *'nocf'*
1699 'confirm' 'cf' boolean (default off)
1700 global
1701 {not in Vi}
1702 When 'confirm' is on, certain operations that would normally
1703 fail because of unsaved changes to a buffer, e.g. ":q" and ":e",
1704 instead raise a |dialog| asking if you wish to save the current
1705 file(s). You can still use a ! to unconditionally |abandon| a buffer.
1706 If 'confirm' is off you can still activate confirmation for one
1707 command only (this is most useful in mappings) with the |:confirm|
1708 command.
1709 Also see the |confirm()| function and the 'v' flag in 'guioptions'.
1711 *'conskey'* *'consk'* *'noconskey'* *'noconsk'*
1712 'conskey' 'consk' boolean (default off)
1713 global
1714 {not in Vi} {only for MS-DOS}
1715 When on direct console I/O is used to obtain a keyboard character.
1716 This should work in most cases. Also see |'bioskey'|. Together,
1717 three methods of console input are available:
1718 'conskey' 'bioskey' action ~
1719 on on or off direct console input
1720 off on BIOS
1721 off off STDIN
1723 *'copyindent'* *'ci'* *'nocopyindent'* *'noci'*
1724 'copyindent' 'ci' boolean (default off)
1725 local to buffer
1726 {not in Vi}
1727 Copy the structure of the existing lines indent when autoindenting a
1728 new line. Normally the new indent is reconstructed by a series of
1729 tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is enabled,
1730 in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option makes the
1731 new line copy whatever characters were used for indenting on the
1732 existing line. 'expandtab' has no effect on these characters, a Tab
1733 remains a Tab. If the new indent is greater than on the existing
1734 line, the remaining space is filled in the normal manner.
1735 NOTE: 'copyindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
1736 Also see 'preserveindent'.
1738 *'cpoptions'* *'cpo'*
1739 'cpoptions' 'cpo' string (Vim default: "aABceFs",
1740 Vi default: all flags)
1741 global
1742 {not in Vi}
1743 A sequence of single character flags. When a character is present
1744 this indicates vi-compatible behavior. This is used for things where
1745 not being vi-compatible is mostly or sometimes preferred.
1746 'cpoptions' stands for "compatible-options".
1747 Commas can be added for readability.
1748 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
1749 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
1750 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
1751 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
1752 NOTE: This option is set to the POSIX default value at startup when
1753 the Vi default value would be used and the $VIM_POSIX environment
1754 variable exists |posix|. This means tries to behave like the POSIX
1755 specification.
1757 contains behavior ~
1758 *cpo-a*
1759 a When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1760 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1761 current window.
1762 *cpo-A*
1763 A When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1764 argument will set the alternate file name for the
1765 current window.
1766 *cpo-b*
1767 b "\|" in a ":map" command is recognized as the end of
1768 the map command. The '\' is included in the mapping,
1769 the text after the '|' is interpreted as the next
1770 command. Use a CTRL-V instead of a backslash to
1771 include the '|' in the mapping. Applies to all
1772 mapping, abbreviation, menu and autocmd commands.
1773 See also |map_bar|.
1774 *cpo-B*
1775 B A backslash has no special meaning in mappings,
1776 abbreviations and the "to" part of the menu commands.
1777 Remove this flag to be able to use a backslash like a
1778 CTRL-V. For example, the command ":map X \<Esc>"
1779 results in X being mapped to:
1780 'B' included: "\^[" (^[ is a real <Esc>)
1781 'B' excluded: "<Esc>" (5 characters)
1782 ('<' excluded in both cases)
1783 *cpo-c*
1784 c Searching continues at the end of any match at the
1785 cursor position, but not further than the start of the
1786 next line. When not present searching continues
1787 one character from the cursor position. With 'c'
1788 "abababababab" only gets three matches when repeating
1789 "/abab", without 'c' there are five matches.
1790 *cpo-C*
1791 C Do not concatenate sourced lines that start with a
1792 backslash. See |line-continuation|.
1793 *cpo-d*
1794 d Using "./" in the 'tags' option doesn't mean to use
1795 the tags file relative to the current file, but the
1796 tags file in the current directory.
1797 *cpo-D*
1798 D Can't use CTRL-K to enter a digraph after Normal mode
1799 commands with a character argument, like |r|, |f| and
1800 |t|.
1801 *cpo-e*
1802 e When executing a register with ":@r", always add a
1803 <CR> to the last line, also when the register is not
1804 linewise. If this flag is not present, the register
1805 is not linewise and the last line does not end in a
1806 <CR>, then the last line is put on the command-line
1807 and can be edited before hitting <CR>.
1808 *cpo-E*
1809 E It is an error when using "y", "d", "c", "g~", "gu" or
1810 "gU" on an Empty region. The operators only work when
1811 at least one character is to be operate on. Example:
1812 This makes "y0" fail in the first column.
1813 *cpo-f*
1814 f When included, a ":read" command with a file name
1815 argument will set the file name for the current buffer,
1816 if the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet.
1817 *cpo-F*
1818 F When included, a ":write" command with a file name
1819 argument will set the file name for the current
1820 buffer, if the current buffer doesn't have a file name
1821 yet. Also see |cpo-P|.
1822 *cpo-g*
1823 g Goto line 1 when using ":edit" without argument.
1824 *cpo-H*
1825 H When using "I" on a line with only blanks, insert
1826 before the last blank. Without this flag insert after
1827 the last blank.
1828 *cpo-i*
1829 i When included, interrupting the reading of a file will
1830 leave it modified.
1831 *cpo-I*
1832 I When moving the cursor up or down just after inserting
1833 indent for 'autoindent', do not delete the indent.
1834 *cpo-j*
1835 j When joining lines, only add two spaces after a '.',
1836 not after '!' or '?'. Also see 'joinspaces'.
1837 *cpo-J*
1838 J A |sentence| has to be followed by two spaces after
1839 the '.', '!' or '?'. A <Tab> is not recognized as
1840 white space.
1841 *cpo-k*
1842 k Disable the recognition of raw key codes in
1843 mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of menu
1844 commands. For example, if <Key> sends ^[OA (where ^[
1845 is <Esc>), the command ":map X ^[OA" results in X
1846 being mapped to:
1847 'k' included: "^[OA" (3 characters)
1848 'k' excluded: "<Key>" (one key code)
1849 Also see the '<' flag below.
1850 *cpo-K*
1851 K Don't wait for a key code to complete when it is
1852 halfway a mapping. This breaks mapping <F1><F1> when
1853 only part of the second <F1> has been read. It
1854 enables cancelling the mapping by typing <F1><Esc>.
1855 *cpo-l*
1856 l Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
1857 literally, only "\]", "\^", "\-" and "\\" are special.
1858 See |/[]|
1859 'l' included: "/[ \t]" finds <Space>, '\' and 't'
1860 'l' excluded: "/[ \t]" finds <Space> and <Tab>
1861 Also see |cpo-\|.
1862 *cpo-L*
1863 L When the 'list' option is set, 'wrapmargin',
1864 'textwidth', 'softtabstop' and Virtual Replace mode
1865 (see |gR|) count a <Tab> as two characters, instead of
1866 the normal behavior of a <Tab>.
1867 *cpo-m*
1868 m When included, a showmatch will always wait half a
1869 second. When not included, a showmatch will wait half
1870 a second or until a character is typed. |'showmatch'|
1871 *cpo-M*
1872 M When excluded, "%" matching will take backslashes into
1873 account. Thus in "( \( )" and "\( ( \)" the outer
1874 parenthesis match. When included "%" ignores
1875 backslashes, which is Vi compatible.
1876 *cpo-n*
1877 n When included, the column used for 'number' will also
1878 be used for text of wrapped lines.
1879 *cpo-o*
1880 o Line offset to search command is not remembered for
1881 next search.
1882 *cpo-O*
1883 O Don't complain if a file is being overwritten, even
1884 when it didn't exist when editing it. This is a
1885 protection against a file unexpectedly created by
1886 someone else. Vi didn't complain about this.
1887 *cpo-p*
1888 p Vi compatible Lisp indenting. When not present, a
1889 slightly better algorithm is used.
1890 *cpo-P*
1891 P When included, a ":write" command that appends to a
1892 file will set the file name for the current buffer, if
1893 the current buffer doesn't have a file name yet and
1894 the 'F' flag is also included |cpo-F|.
1895 *cpo-q*
1896 q When joining multiple lines leave the cursor at the
1897 position where it would be when joining two lines.
1898 *cpo-r*
1899 r Redo ("." command) uses "/" to repeat a search
1900 command, instead of the actually used search string.
1901 *cpo-R*
1902 R Remove marks from filtered lines. Without this flag
1903 marks are kept like |:keepmarks| was used.
1904 *cpo-s*
1905 s Set buffer options when entering the buffer for the
1906 first time. This is like it is in Vim version 3.0.
1907 And it is the default. If not present the options are
1908 set when the buffer is created.
1909 *cpo-S*
1910 S Set buffer options always when entering a buffer
1911 (except 'readonly', 'fileformat', 'filetype' and
1912 'syntax'). This is the (most) Vi compatible setting.
1913 The options are set to the values in the current
1914 buffer. When you change an option and go to another
1915 buffer, the value is copied. Effectively makes the
1916 buffer options global to all buffers.
1918 's' 'S' copy buffer options
1919 no no when buffer created
1920 yes no when buffer first entered (default)
1921 X yes each time when buffer entered (vi comp.)
1922 *cpo-t*
1923 t Search pattern for the tag command is remembered for
1924 "n" command. Otherwise Vim only puts the pattern in
1925 the history for search pattern, but doesn't change the
1926 last used search pattern.
1927 *cpo-u*
1928 u Undo is Vi compatible. See |undo-two-ways|.
1929 *cpo-v*
1930 v Backspaced characters remain visible on the screen in
1931 Insert mode. Without this flag the characters are
1932 erased from the screen right away. With this flag the
1933 screen newly typed text overwrites backspaced
1934 characters.
1935 *cpo-w*
1936 w When using "cw" on a blank character, only change one
1937 character and not all blanks until the start of the
1938 next word.
1939 *cpo-W*
1940 W Don't overwrite a readonly file. When omitted, ":w!"
1941 overwrites a readonly file, if possible.
1942 *cpo-x*
1943 x <Esc> on the command-line executes the command-line.
1944 The default in Vim is to abandon the command-line,
1945 because <Esc> normally aborts a command. |c_<Esc>|
1946 *cpo-X*
1947 X When using a count with "R" the replaced text is
1948 deleted only once. Also when repeating "R" with "."
1949 and a count.
1950 *cpo-y*
1951 y A yank command can be redone with ".".
1952 *cpo-Z*
1953 Z When using "w!" while the 'readonly' option is set,
1954 don't reset 'readonly'.
1955 *cpo-!*
1956 ! When redoing a filter command, use the last used
1957 external command, whatever it was. Otherwise the last
1958 used -filter- command is used.
1959 *cpo-$*
1960 $ When making a change to one line, don't redisplay the
1961 line, but put a '$' at the end of the changed text.
1962 The changed text will be overwritten when you type the
1963 new text. The line is redisplayed if you type any
1964 command that moves the cursor from the insertion
1965 point.
1966 *cpo-%*
1967 % Vi-compatible matching is done for the "%" command.
1968 Does not recognize "#if", "#endif", etc.
1969 Does not recognize "/*" and "*/".
1970 Parens inside single and double quotes are also
1971 counted, causing a string that contains a paren to
1972 disturb the matching. For example, in a line like
1973 "if (strcmp("foo(", s))" the first paren does not
1974 match the last one. When this flag is not included,
1975 parens inside single and double quotes are treated
1976 specially. When matching a paren outside of quotes,
1977 everything inside quotes is ignored. When matching a
1978 paren inside quotes, it will find the matching one (if
1979 there is one). This works very well for C programs.
1980 This flag is also used for other features, such as
1981 C-indenting.
1982 *cpo--*
1983 - When included, a vertical movement command fails when
1984 it would go above the first line or below the last
1985 line. Without it the cursor moves to the first or
1986 last line, unless it already was in that line.
1987 Applies to the commands "-", "k", CTRL-P, "+", "j",
1988 CTRL-N, CTRL-J and ":1234".
1989 *cpo-+*
1990 + When included, a ":write file" command will reset the
1991 'modified' flag of the buffer, even though the buffer
1992 itself may still be different from its file.
1993 *cpo-star*
1994 * Use ":*" in the same way as ":@". When not included,
1995 ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>", select the Visual area.
1996 *cpo-<*
1997 < Disable the recognition of special key codes in |<>|
1998 form in mappings, abbreviations, and the "to" part of
1999 menu commands. For example, the command
2000 ":map X <Tab>" results in X being mapped to:
2001 '<' included: "<Tab>" (5 characters)
2002 '<' excluded: "^I" (^I is a real <Tab>)
2003 Also see the 'k' flag above.
2004 *cpo->*
2005 > When appending to a register, put a line break before
2006 the appended text.
2008 POSIX flags. These are not included in the Vi default value, except
2009 when $VIM_POSIX was set on startup. |posix|
2011 contains behavior ~
2012 *cpo-#*
2013 # A count before "D", "o" and "O" has no effect.
2014 *cpo-&*
2015 & When ":preserve" was used keep the swap file when
2016 exiting normally while this buffer is still loaded.
2017 This flag is tested when exiting.
2018 *cpo-\*
2019 \ Backslash in a [] range in a search pattern is taken
2020 literally, only "\]" is special See |/[]|
2021 '\' included: "/[ \-]" finds <Space>, '\' and '-'
2022 '\' excluded: "/[ \-]" finds <Space> and '-'
2023 Also see |cpo-l|.
2024 *cpo-/*
2025 / When "%" is used as the replacement string in a |:s|
2026 command, use the previous replacement string. |:s%|
2027 *cpo-{*
2028 { The |{| and |}| commands also stop at a "{" character
2029 at the start of a line.
2030 *cpo-.*
2031 . The ":chdir" and ":cd" commands fail if the current
2032 buffer is modified, unless ! is used. Vim doesn't
2033 need this, since it remembers the full path of an
2034 opened file.
2035 *cpo-bar*
2036 | The value of the $LINES and $COLUMNS environment
2037 variables overrule the terminal size values obtained
2038 with system specific functions.
2041 *'cscopepathcomp'* *'cspc'*
2042 'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' number (default 0)
2043 global
2044 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2045 feature}
2046 {not in Vi}
2047 Determines how many components of the path to show in a list of tags.
2048 See |cscopepathcomp|.
2050 *'cscopeprg'* *'csprg'*
2051 'cscopeprg' 'csprg' string (default "cscope")
2052 global
2053 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2054 feature}
2055 {not in Vi}
2056 Specifies the command to execute cscope. See |cscopeprg|.
2057 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2058 security reasons.
2060 *'cscopequickfix'* *'csqf'*
2061 'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' string (default "")
2062 global
2063 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2064 or |+quickfix| features}
2065 {not in Vi}
2066 Specifies whether to use quickfix window to show cscope results.
2067 See |cscopequickfix|.
2069 *'cscopetag'* *'cst'* *'nocscopetag'* *'nocst'*
2070 'cscopetag' 'cst' boolean (default off)
2071 global
2072 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2073 feature}
2074 {not in Vi}
2075 Use cscope for tag commands. See |cscope-options|.
2076 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2078 *'cscopetagorder'* *'csto'*
2079 'cscopetagorder' 'csto' number (default 0)
2080 global
2081 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2082 feature}
2083 {not in Vi}
2084 Determines the order in which ":cstag" performs a search. See
2085 |cscopetagorder|.
2086 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
2088 *'cscopeverbose'* *'csverb'*
2089 *'nocscopeverbose'* *'nocsverb'*
2090 'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' boolean (default off)
2091 global
2092 {not available when compiled without the |+cscope|
2093 feature}
2094 {not in Vi}
2095 Give messages when adding a cscope database. See |cscopeverbose|.
2096 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2099 *'cursorcolumn'* *'cuc'* *'nocursorcolumn'* *'nocuc'*
2100 'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' boolean (default off)
2101 local to window
2102 {not in Vi}
2103 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2104 feature}
2105 Highlight the screen column of the cursor with CursorColumn
2106 |hl-CursorColumn|. Useful to align text. Will make screen redrawing
2107 slower.
2108 If you only want the highlighting in the current window you can use
2109 these autocommands: >
2110 au WinLeave * set nocursorline nocursorcolumn
2111 au WinEnter * set cursorline cursorcolumn
2112 <
2114 *'cursorline'* *'cul'* *'nocursorline'* *'nocul'*
2115 'cursorline' 'cul' boolean (default off)
2116 local to window
2117 {not in Vi}
2118 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
2119 feature}
2120 Highlight the screen line of the cursor with CursorLine
2121 |hl-CursorLine|. Useful to easily spot the cursor. Will make screen
2122 redrawing slower.
2123 When Visual mode is active the highlighting isn't used to make it
2124 easier to see the selected text.
2127 *'debug'*
2128 'debug' string (default "")
2129 global
2130 {not in Vi}
2131 These values can be used:
2132 msg Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2133 anyway.
2134 throw Error messages that would otherwise be omitted will be given
2135 anyway and also throw an exception and set |v:errmsg|.
2136 beep A message will be given when otherwise only a beep would be
2137 produced.
2138 The values can be combined, separated by a comma.
2139 "msg" and "throw" are useful for debugging 'foldexpr', 'formatexpr' or
2140 'indentexpr'.
2142 *'define'* *'def'*
2143 'define' 'def' string (default "^\s*#\s*define")
2144 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2145 {not in Vi}
2146 Pattern to be used to find a macro definition. It is a search
2147 pattern, just like for the "/" command. This option is used for the
2148 commands like "[i" and "[d" |include-search|. The 'isident' option is
2149 used to recognize the defined name after the match:
2150 {match with 'define'}{non-ID chars}{defined name}{non-ID char}
2151 See |option-backslash| about inserting backslashes to include a space
2152 or backslash.
2153 The default value is for C programs. For C++ this value would be
2154 useful, to include const type declarations: >
2155 ^\(#\s*define\|[a-z]*\s*const\s*[a-z]*\)
2156 < When using the ":set" command, you need to double the backslashes!
2158 *'delcombine'* *'deco'* *'nodelcombine'* *'nodeco'*
2159 'delcombine' 'deco' boolean (default off)
2160 global
2161 {not in Vi}
2162 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2163 feature}
2164 If editing Unicode and this option is set, backspace and Normal mode
2165 "x" delete each combining character on its own. When it is off (the
2166 default) the character along with its combining characters are
2167 deleted.
2168 Note: When 'delcombine' is set "xx" may work different from "2x"!
2170 This is useful for Arabic, Hebrew and many other languages where one
2171 may have combining characters overtop of base characters, and want
2172 to remove only the combining ones.
2174 *'dictionary'* *'dict'*
2175 'dictionary' 'dict' string (default "")
2176 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2177 {not in Vi}
2178 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
2179 for keyword completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-K|. Each file should
2180 contain a list of words. This can be one word per line, or several
2181 words per line, separated by non-keyword characters (white space is
2182 preferred). Maximum line length is 510 bytes.
2183 When this option is empty, or an entry "spell" is present, spell
2184 checking is enabled the currently active spelling is used. |spell|
2185 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
2186 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
2187 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
2188 This has nothing to do with the |Dictionary| variable type.
2189 Where to find a list of words?
2190 - On FreeBSD, there is the file "/usr/share/dict/words".
2191 - In the Simtel archive, look in the "msdos/linguist" directory.
2192 - In "miscfiles" of the GNU collection.
2193 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2194 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2195 uses another default.
2196 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
2198 *'diff'* *'nodiff'*
2199 'diff' boolean (default off)
2200 local to window
2201 {not in Vi}
2202 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2203 feature}
2204 Join the current window in the group of windows that shows differences
2205 between files. See |vimdiff|.
2207 *'dex'* *'diffexpr'*
2208 'diffexpr' 'dex' string (default "")
2209 global
2210 {not in Vi}
2211 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2212 feature}
2213 Expression which is evaluated to obtain an ed-style diff file from two
2214 versions of a file. See |diff-diffexpr|.
2215 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2216 security reasons.
2218 *'dip'* *'diffopt'*
2219 'diffopt' 'dip' string (default "filler")
2220 global
2221 {not in Vi}
2222 {not available when compiled without the |+diff|
2223 feature}
2224 Option settings for diff mode. It can consist of the following items.
2225 All are optional. Items must be separated by a comma.
2227 filler Show filler lines, to keep the text
2228 synchronized with a window that has inserted
2229 lines at the same position. Mostly useful
2230 when windows are side-by-side and 'scrollbind'
2231 is set.
2233 context:{n} Use a context of {n} lines between a change
2234 and a fold that contains unchanged lines.
2235 When omitted a context of six lines is used.
2236 See |fold-diff|.
2238 icase Ignore changes in case of text. "a" and "A"
2239 are considered the same. Adds the "-i" flag
2240 to the "diff" command if 'diffexpr' is empty.
2242 iwhite Ignore changes in amount of white space. Adds
2243 the "-b" flag to the "diff" command if
2244 'diffexpr' is empty. Check the documentation
2245 of the "diff" command for what this does
2246 exactly. It should ignore adding trailing
2247 white space, but not leading white space.
2249 horizontal Start diff mode with horizontal splits (unless
2250 explicitly specified otherwise).
2252 vertical Start diff mode with vertical splits (unless
2253 explicitly specified otherwise).
2255 foldcolumn:{n} Set the 'foldcolumn' option to {n} when
2256 starting diff mode. Without this 2 is used.
2258 Examples: >
2260 :set diffopt=filler,context:4
2261 :set diffopt=
2262 :set diffopt=filler,foldcolumn:3
2263 <
2264 *'digraph'* *'dg'* *'nodigraph'* *'nodg'*
2265 'digraph' 'dg' boolean (default off)
2266 global
2267 {not in Vi}
2268 {not available when compiled without the |+digraphs|
2269 feature}
2270 Enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode with {char1} <BS>
2271 {char2}. See |digraphs|.
2272 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2274 *'directory'* *'dir'*
2275 'directory' 'dir' string (default for Amiga: ".,t:",
2276 for MS-DOS and Win32: ".,c:\tmp,c:\temp"
2277 for Unix: ".,~/tmp,/var/tmp,/tmp")
2278 global
2279 List of directory names for the swap file, separated with commas.
2280 - The swap file will be created in the first directory where this is
2281 possible.
2282 - Empty means that no swap file will be used (recovery is
2283 impossible!).
2284 - A directory "." means to put the swap file in the same directory as
2285 the edited file. On Unix, a dot is prepended to the file name, so
2286 it doesn't show in a directory listing. On MS-Windows the "hidden"
2287 attribute is set and a dot prepended if possible.
2288 - A directory starting with "./" (or ".\" for MS-DOS et al.) means to
2289 put the swap file relative to where the edited file is. The leading
2290 "." is replaced with the path name of the edited file.
2291 - For Unix and Win32, if a directory ends in two path separators "//"
2292 or "\\", the swap file name will be built from the complete path to
2293 the file with all path separators substituted to percent '%' signs.
2294 This will ensure file name uniqueness in the preserve directory.
2295 On Win32, when a separating comma is following, you must use "//",
2296 since "\\" will include the comma in the file name.
2297 - Spaces after the comma are ignored, other spaces are considered part
2298 of the directory name. To have a space at the start of a directory
2299 name, precede it with a backslash.
2300 - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with a backslash.
2301 - A directory name may end in an ':' or '/'.
2302 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2303 - Careful with '\' characters, type one before a space, type two to
2304 get one in the option (see |option-backslash|), for example: >
2305 :set dir=c:\\tmp,\ dir\\,with\\,commas,\\\ dir\ with\ spaces
2306 < - For backwards compatibility with Vim version 3.0 a '>' at the start
2307 of the option is removed.
2308 Using "." first in the list is recommended. This means that editing
2309 the same file twice will result in a warning. Using "/tmp" on Unix is
2310 discouraged: When the system crashes you lose the swap file.
2311 "/var/tmp" is often not cleared when rebooting, thus is a better
2312 choice than "/tmp". But it can contain a lot of files, your swap
2313 files get lost in the crowd. That is why a "tmp" directory in your
2314 home directory is tried first.
2315 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
2316 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
2317 uses another default.
2318 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2319 security reasons.
2320 {Vi: directory to put temp file in, defaults to "/tmp"}
2322 *'display'* *'dy'*
2323 'display' 'dy' string (default "")
2324 global
2325 {not in Vi}
2326 Change the way text is displayed. This is comma separated list of
2327 flags:
2328 lastline When included, as much as possible of the last line
2329 in a window will be displayed. When not included, a
2330 last line that doesn't fit is replaced with "@" lines.
2331 uhex Show unprintable characters hexadecimal as <xx>
2332 instead of using ^C and ~C.
2334 *'eadirection'* *'ead'*
2335 'eadirection' 'ead' string (default "both")
2336 global
2337 {not in Vi}
2338 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
2339 feature}
2340 Tells when the 'equalalways' option applies:
2341 ver vertically, width of windows is not affected
2342 hor horizontally, height of windows is not affected
2343 both width and height of windows is affected
2345 *'ed'* *'edcompatible'* *'noed'* *'noedcompatible'*
2346 'edcompatible' 'ed' boolean (default off)
2347 global
2348 Makes the 'g' and 'c' flags of the ":substitute" command to be
2349 toggled each time the flag is given. See |complex-change|. See
2350 also 'gdefault' option.
2351 Switching this option on is discouraged!
2353 *'encoding'* *'enc'* *E543*
2354 'encoding' 'enc' string (default: "latin1" or value from $LANG)
2355 global
2356 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2357 feature}
2358 {not in Vi}
2359 Sets the character encoding used inside Vim. It applies to text in
2360 the buffers, registers, Strings in expressions, text stored in the
2361 viminfo file, etc. It sets the kind of characters which Vim can work
2362 with. See |encoding-names| for the possible values.
2364 NOTE: Changing this option will not change the encoding of the
2365 existing text in Vim. It may cause non-ASCII text to become invalid.
2366 It should normally be kept at its default value, or set when Vim
2367 starts up. See |multibyte|. To reload the menus see |:menutrans|.
2369 NOTE: For GTK+ 2 it is highly recommended to set 'encoding' to
2370 "utf-8". Although care has been taken to allow different values of
2371 'encoding', "utf-8" is the natural choice for the environment and
2372 avoids unnecessary conversion overhead. "utf-8" has not been made
2373 the default to prevent different behavior of the GUI and terminal
2374 versions, and to avoid changing the encoding of newly created files
2375 without your knowledge (in case 'fileencodings' is empty).
2377 The character encoding of files can be different from 'encoding'.
2378 This is specified with 'fileencoding'. The conversion is done with
2379 iconv() or as specified with 'charconvert'.
2381 Normally 'encoding' will be equal to your current locale. This will
2382 be the default if Vim recognizes your environment settings. If
2383 'encoding' is not set to the current locale, 'termencoding' must be
2384 set to convert typed and displayed text. See |encoding-table|.
2386 When you set this option, it fires the |EncodingChanged| autocommand
2387 event so that you can set up fonts if necessary.
2389 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2390 you can set it with uppercase values too. Underscores are translated
2391 to '-' signs.
2392 When the encoding is recognized, it is changed to the standard name.
2393 For example "Latin-1" becomes "latin1", "ISO_88592" becomes
2394 "iso-8859-2" and "utf8" becomes "utf-8".
2396 Note: "latin1" is also used when the encoding could not be detected.
2397 This only works when editing files in the same encoding! When the
2398 actual character set is not latin1, make sure 'fileencoding' and
2399 'fileencodings' are empty. When conversion is needed, switch to using
2400 utf-8.
2402 When "unicode", "ucs-2" or "ucs-4" is used, Vim internally uses utf-8.
2403 You don't notice this while editing, but it does matter for the
2404 |viminfo-file|. And Vim expects the terminal to use utf-8 too. Thus
2405 setting 'encoding' to one of these values instead of utf-8 only has
2406 effect for encoding used for files when 'fileencoding' is empty.
2408 When 'encoding' is set to a Unicode encoding, and 'fileencodings' was
2409 not set yet, the default for 'fileencodings' is changed.
2411 *'endofline'* *'eol'* *'noendofline'* *'noeol'*
2412 'endofline' 'eol' boolean (default on)
2413 local to buffer
2414 {not in Vi}
2415 When writing a file and this option is off and the 'binary' option
2416 is on, no <EOL> will be written for the last line in the file. This
2417 option is automatically set when starting to edit a new file, unless
2418 the file does not have an <EOL> for the last line in the file, in
2419 which case it is reset. Normally you don't have to set or reset this
2420 option. When 'binary' is off the value is not used when writing the
2421 file. When 'binary' is on it is used to remember the presence of a
2422 <EOL> for the last line in the file, so that when you write the file
2423 the situation from the original file can be kept. But you can change
2424 it if you want to.
2426 *'equalalways'* *'ea'* *'noequalalways'* *'noea'*
2427 'equalalways' 'ea' boolean (default on)
2428 global
2429 {not in Vi}
2430 When on, all the windows are automatically made the same size after
2431 splitting or closing a window. This also happens the moment the
2432 option is switched on. When off, splitting a window will reduce the
2433 size of the current window and leave the other windows the same. When
2434 closing a window the extra lines are given to the window next to it
2435 (depending on 'splitbelow' and 'splitright').
2436 When mixing vertically and horizontally split windows, a minimal size
2437 is computed and some windows may be larger if there is room. The
2438 'eadirection' option tells in which direction the size is affected.
2439 Changing the height and width of a window can be avoided by setting
2440 'winfixheight' and 'winfixwidth', respectively.
2442 *'equalprg'* *'ep'*
2443 'equalprg' 'ep' string (default "")
2444 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2445 {not in Vi}
2446 External program to use for "=" command. When this option is empty
2447 the internal formatting functions are used; either 'lisp', 'cindent'
2448 or 'indentexpr'.
2449 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
2450 about including spaces and backslashes.
2451 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2452 security reasons.
2454 *'errorbells'* *'eb'* *'noerrorbells'* *'noeb'*
2455 'errorbells' 'eb' boolean (default off)
2456 global
2457 Ring the bell (beep or screen flash) for error messages. This only
2458 makes a difference for error messages, the bell will be used always
2459 for a lot of errors without a message (e.g., hitting <Esc> in Normal
2460 mode). See 'visualbell' on how to make the bell behave like a beep,
2461 screen flash or do nothing.
2463 *'errorfile'* *'ef'*
2464 'errorfile' 'ef' string (Amiga default: "AztecC.Err",
2465 others: "errors.err")
2466 global
2467 {not in Vi}
2468 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2469 feature}
2470 Name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode (see |:cf|).
2471 When the "-q" command-line argument is used, 'errorfile' is set to the
2472 following argument. See |-q|.
2473 NOT used for the ":make" command. See 'makeef' for that.
2474 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
2475 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
2476 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2477 security reasons.
2479 *'errorformat'* *'efm'*
2480 'errorformat' 'efm' string (default is very long)
2481 global or local to buffer |global-local|
2482 {not in Vi}
2483 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
2484 feature}
2485 Scanf-like description of the format for the lines in the error file
2486 (see |errorformat|).
2488 *'esckeys'* *'ek'* *'noesckeys'* *'noek'*
2489 'esckeys' 'ek' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
2490 global
2491 {not in Vi}
2492 Function keys that start with an <Esc> are recognized in Insert
2493 mode. When this option is off, the cursor and function keys cannot be
2494 used in Insert mode if they start with an <Esc>. The advantage of
2495 this is that the single <Esc> is recognized immediately, instead of
2496 after one second. Instead of resetting this option, you might want to
2497 try changing the values for 'timeoutlen' and 'ttimeoutlen'. Note that
2498 when 'esckeys' is off, you can still map anything, but the cursor keys
2499 won't work by default.
2500 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2501 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2503 *'eventignore'* *'ei'*
2504 'eventignore' 'ei' string (default "")
2505 global
2506 {not in Vi}
2507 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2508 feature}
2509 A list of autocommand event names, which are to be ignored.
2510 When set to "all" or when "all" is one of the items, all autocommand
2511 events are ignored, autocommands will not be executed.
2512 Otherwise this is a comma separated list of event names. Example: >
2513 :set ei=WinEnter,WinLeave
2514 <
2515 *'expandtab'* *'et'* *'noexpandtab'* *'noet'*
2516 'expandtab' 'et' boolean (default off)
2517 local to buffer
2518 {not in Vi}
2519 In Insert mode: Use the appropriate number of spaces to insert a
2520 <Tab>. Spaces are used in indents with the '>' and '<' commands and
2521 when 'autoindent' is on. To insert a real tab when 'expandtab' is
2522 on, use CTRL-V<Tab>. See also |:retab| and |ins-expandtab|.
2523 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
2525 *'exrc'* *'ex'* *'noexrc'* *'noex'*
2526 'exrc' 'ex' boolean (default off)
2527 global
2528 {not in Vi}
2529 Enables the reading of .vimrc, .exrc and .gvimrc in the current
2530 directory. If you switch this option on you should also consider
2531 setting the 'secure' option (see |initialization|). Using a local
2532 .exrc, .vimrc or .gvimrc is a potential security leak, use with care!
2533 also see |.vimrc| and |gui-init|.
2534 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
2535 security reasons.
2537 *'fileencoding'* *'fenc'* *E213*
2538 'fileencoding' 'fenc' string (default: "")
2539 local to buffer
2540 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2541 feature}
2542 {not in Vi}
2543 Sets the character encoding for the file of this buffer.
2544 When 'fileencoding' is different from 'encoding', conversion will be
2545 done when reading and writing the file.
2546 When 'fileencoding' is empty, the same value as 'encoding' will be
2547 used (no conversion when reading or writing a file).
2548 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2549 'encoding' is "utf-8" conversion is most likely done in a way
2550 that the reverse conversion results in the same text. When
2551 'encoding' is not "utf-8" some characters may be lost!
2552 See 'encoding' for the possible values. Additionally, values may be
2553 specified that can be handled by the converter, see
2554 |mbyte-conversion|.
2555 When reading a file 'fileencoding' will be set from 'fileencodings'.
2556 To read a file in a certain encoding it won't work by setting
2557 'fileencoding', use the |++enc| argument. One exception: when
2558 'fileencodings' is empty the value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2559 For a new file the global value of 'fileencoding' is used.
2560 Prepending "8bit-" and "2byte-" has no meaning here, they are ignored.
2561 When the option is set, the value is converted to lowercase. Thus
2562 you can set it with uppercase values too. '_' characters are
2563 replaced with '-'. If a name is recognized from the list for
2564 'encoding', it is replaced by the standard name. For example
2565 "ISO8859-2" becomes "iso-8859-2".
2566 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2567 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2568 If you do this in a modeline, you might want to set 'nomodified' to
2569 avoid this.
2570 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2572 *'fe'*
2573 NOTE: Before version 6.0 this option specified the encoding for the
2574 whole of Vim, this was a mistake. Now use 'encoding' instead. The
2575 old short name was 'fe', which is no longer used.
2577 *'fileencodings'* *'fencs'*
2578 'fileencodings' 'fencs' string (default: "ucs-bom",
2579 "ucs-bom,utf-8,default,latin1" when
2580 'encoding' is set to a Unicode value)
2581 global
2582 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
2583 feature}
2584 {not in Vi}
2585 This is a list of character encodings considered when starting to edit
2586 an existing file. When a file is read, Vim tries to use the first
2587 mentioned character encoding. If an error is detected, the next one
2588 in the list is tried. When an encoding is found that works,
2589 'fileencoding' is set to it. If all fail, 'fileencoding' is set to
2590 an empty string, which means the value of 'encoding' is used.
2591 WARNING: Conversion can cause loss of information! When
2592 'encoding' is "utf-8" (or one of the other Unicode variants)
2593 conversion is most likely done in a way that the reverse
2594 conversion results in the same text. When 'encoding' is not
2595 "utf-8" some non-ASCII characters may be lost! You can use
2596 the |++bad| argument to specify what is done with characters
2597 that can't be converted.
2598 For an empty file or a file with only ASCII characters most encodings
2599 will work and the first entry of 'fileencodings' will be used (except
2600 "ucs-bom", which requires the BOM to be present). If you prefer
2601 another encoding use an BufReadPost autocommand event to test if your
2602 preferred encoding is to be used. Example: >
2603 au BufReadPost * if search('\S', 'w') == 0 |
2604 \ set fenc=iso-2022-jp | endif
2605 < This sets 'fileencoding' to "iso-2022-jp" if the file does not contain
2606 non-blank characters.
2607 When the |++enc| argument is used then the value of 'fileencodings' is
2608 not used.
2609 Note that 'fileencodings' is not used for a new file, the global value
2610 of 'fileencoding' is used instead. You can set it with: >
2611 :setglobal fenc=iso-8859-2
2612 < This means that a non-existing file may get a different encoding than
2613 an empty file.
2614 The special value "ucs-bom" can be used to check for a Unicode BOM
2615 (Byte Order Mark) at the start of the file. It must not be preceded
2616 by "utf-8" or another Unicode encoding for this to work properly.
2617 An entry for an 8-bit encoding (e.g., "latin1") should be the last,
2618 because Vim cannot detect an error, thus the encoding is always
2619 accepted.
2620 The special value "default" can be used for the encoding from the
2621 environment. This is the default value for 'encoding'. It is useful
2622 when 'encoding' is set to "utf-8" and your environment uses a
2623 non-latin1 encoding, such as Russian.
2624 When 'encoding' is "utf-8" and a file contains an illegal byte
2625 sequence it won't be recognized as UTF-8. You can use the |8g8|
2626 command to find the illegal byte sequence.
2627 WRONG VALUES: WHAT'S WRONG:
2628 latin1,utf-8 "latin1" will always be used
2629 utf-8,ucs-bom,latin1 BOM won't be recognized in an utf-8
2630 file
2631 cp1250,latin1 "cp1250" will always be used
2632 If 'fileencodings' is empty, 'fileencoding' is not modified.
2633 See 'fileencoding' for the possible values.
2634 Setting this option does not have an effect until the next time a file
2635 is read.
2637 *'fileformat'* *'ff'*
2638 'fileformat' 'ff' string (MS-DOS, MS-Windows, OS/2 default: "dos",
2639 Unix default: "unix",
2640 Macintosh default: "mac")
2641 local to buffer
2642 {not in Vi}
2643 This gives the <EOL> of the current buffer, which is used for
2644 reading/writing the buffer from/to a file:
2645 dos <CR> <NL>
2646 unix <NL>
2647 mac <CR>
2648 When "dos" is used, CTRL-Z at the end of a file is ignored.
2649 See |file-formats| and |file-read|.
2650 For the character encoding of the file see 'fileencoding'.
2651 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformat' is ignored, file I/O
2652 works like it was set to "unix'.
2653 This option is set automatically when starting to edit a file and
2654 'fileformats' is not empty and 'binary' is off.
2655 When this option is set, after starting to edit a file, the 'modified'
2656 option is set, because the file would be different when written.
2657 This option can not be changed when 'modifiable' is off.
2658 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to "dos",
2659 'textmode' is set, otherwise 'textmode' is reset.
2661 *'fileformats'* *'ffs'*
2662 'fileformats' 'ffs' string (default:
2663 Vim+Vi MS-DOS, MS-Windows OS/2: "dos,unix",
2664 Vim Unix: "unix,dos",
2665 Vim Mac: "mac,unix,dos",
2666 Vi Cygwin: "unix,dos",
2667 Vi others: "")
2668 global
2669 {not in Vi}
2670 This gives the end-of-line (<EOL>) formats that will be tried when
2671 starting to edit a new buffer and when reading a file into an existing
2672 buffer:
2673 - When empty, the format defined with 'fileformat' will be used
2674 always. It is not set automatically.
2675 - When set to one name, that format will be used whenever a new buffer
2676 is opened. 'fileformat' is set accordingly for that buffer. The
2677 'fileformats' name will be used when a file is read into an existing
2678 buffer, no matter what 'fileformat' for that buffer is set to.
2679 - When more than one name is present, separated by commas, automatic
2680 <EOL> detection will be done when reading a file. When starting to
2681 edit a file, a check is done for the <EOL>:
2682 1. If all lines end in <CR><NL>, and 'fileformats' includes "dos",
2683 'fileformat' is set to "dos".
2684 2. If a <NL> is found and 'fileformats' includes "unix", 'fileformat'
2685 is set to "unix". Note that when a <NL> is found without a
2686 preceding <CR>, "unix" is preferred over "dos".
2687 3. If 'fileformats' includes "mac", 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2688 This means that "mac" is only chosen when "unix" is not present,
2689 or when no <NL> is found in the file, and when "dos" is not
2690 present, or no <CR><NL> is present in the file.
2691 Also if "unix" was first chosen, but the first <CR> is before
2692 the first <NL> and there appears to be more <CR>'s than <NL>'s in
2693 the file, then 'fileformat' is set to "mac".
2694 4. If 'fileformat' is still not set, the first name from
2695 'fileformats' is used.
2696 When reading a file into an existing buffer, the same is done, but
2697 this happens like 'fileformat' has been set appropriately for that
2698 file only, the option is not changed.
2699 When 'binary' is set, the value of 'fileformats' is not used.
2701 For systems with a Dos-like <EOL> (<CR><NL>), when reading files that
2702 are ":source"ed and for vimrc files, automatic <EOL> detection may be
2703 done:
2704 - When 'fileformats' is empty, there is no automatic detection. Dos
2705 format will be used.
2706 - When 'fileformats' is set to one or more names, automatic detection
2707 is done. This is based on the first <NL> in the file: If there is a
2708 <CR> in front of it, Dos format is used, otherwise Unix format is
2709 used.
2710 Also see |file-formats|.
2711 For backwards compatibility: When this option is set to an empty
2712 string or one format (no comma is included), 'textauto' is reset,
2713 otherwise 'textauto' is set.
2714 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2715 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2717 *'filetype'* *'ft'*
2718 'filetype' 'ft' string (default: "")
2719 local to buffer
2720 {not in Vi}
2721 {not available when compiled without the |+autocmd|
2722 feature}
2723 When this option is set, the FileType autocommand event is triggered.
2724 All autocommands that match with the value of this option will be
2725 executed. Thus the value of 'filetype' is used in place of the file
2726 name.
2727 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current file type.
2728 This option is normally set when the file type is detected. To enable
2729 this use the ":filetype on" command. |:filetype|
2730 Setting this option to a different value is most useful in a modeline,
2731 for a file for which the file type is not automatically recognized.
2732 Example, for in an IDL file:
2733 /* vim: set filetype=idl : */ ~
2734 |FileType| |filetypes|
2735 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
2736 names. Example:
2737 /* vim: set filetype=c.doxygen : */ ~
2738 This will use the "c" filetype first, then the "doxygen" filetype.
2739 This works both for filetype plugins and for syntax files. More than
2740 one dot may appear.
2741 Do not confuse this option with 'osfiletype', which is for the file
2742 type that is actually stored with the file.
2743 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
2744 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
2745 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
2747 *'fillchars'* *'fcs'*
2748 'fillchars' 'fcs' string (default "vert:|,fold:-")
2749 global
2750 {not in Vi}
2751 {not available when compiled without the |+windows|
2752 and |+folding| features}
2753 Characters to fill the statuslines and vertical separators.
2754 It is a comma separated list of items:
2756 item default Used for ~
2757 stl:c ' ' or '^' statusline of the current window
2758 stlnc:c ' ' or '-' statusline of the non-current windows
2759 vert:c '|' vertical separators |:vsplit|
2760 fold:c '-' filling 'foldtext'
2761 diff:c '-' deleted lines of the 'diff' option
2763 Any one that is omitted will fall back to the default. For "stl" and
2764 "stlnc" the space will be used when there is highlighting, '^' or '-'
2765 otherwise.
2767 Example: >
2768 :set fillchars=stl:^,stlnc:-,vert:\|,fold:-,diff:-
2769 < This is similar to the default, except that these characters will also
2770 be used when there is highlighting.
2772 for "stl" and "stlnc" only single-byte values are supported.
2774 The highlighting used for these items:
2775 item highlight group ~
2776 stl:c StatusLine |hl-StatusLine|
2777 stlnc:c StatusLineNC |hl-StatusLineNC|
2778 vert:c VertSplit |hl-VertSplit|
2779 fold:c Folded |hl-Folded|
2780 diff:c DiffDelete |hl-DiffDelete|
2782 *'fkmap'* *'fk'* *'nofkmap'* *'nofk'*
2783 'fkmap' 'fk' boolean (default off) *E198*
2784 global
2785 {not in Vi}
2786 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
2787 feature}
2788 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Farsi character set.
2789 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
2790 toggle this option |i_CTRL-_|. See |farsi.txt|.
2792 *'foldclose'* *'fcl'*
2793 'foldclose' 'fcl' string (default "")
2794 global
2795 {not in Vi}
2796 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2797 feature}
2798 When set to "all", a fold is closed when the cursor isn't in it and
2799 its level is higher than 'foldlevel'. Useful if you want folds to
2800 automatically close when moving out of them.
2802 *'foldcolumn'* *'fdc'*
2803 'foldcolumn' 'fdc' number (default 0)
2804 local to window
2805 {not in Vi}
2806 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2807 feature}
2808 When non-zero, a column with the specified width is shown at the side
2809 of the window which indicates open and closed folds. The maximum
2810 value is 12.
2811 See |folding|.
2813 *'foldenable'* *'fen'* *'nofoldenable'* *'nofen'*
2814 'foldenable' 'fen' boolean (default on)
2815 local to window
2816 {not in Vi}
2817 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2818 feature}
2819 When off, all folds are open. This option can be used to quickly
2820 switch between showing all text unfolded and viewing the text with
2821 folds (including manually opened or closed folds). It can be toggled
2822 with the |zi| command. The 'foldcolumn' will remain blank when
2823 'foldenable' is off.
2824 This option is set by commands that create a new fold or close a fold.
2825 See |folding|.
2827 *'foldexpr'* *'fde'*
2828 'foldexpr' 'fde' string (default: "0")
2829 local to window
2830 {not in Vi}
2831 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2832 or |+eval| feature}
2833 The expression used for when 'foldmethod' is "expr". It is evaluated
2834 for each line to obtain its fold level. See |fold-expr|.
2836 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2837 |sandbox-option|.
2839 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2840 evaluating 'foldexpr' |textlock|.
2842 *'foldignore'* *'fdi'*
2843 'foldignore' 'fdi' string (default: "#")
2844 local to window
2845 {not in Vi}
2846 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2847 feature}
2848 Used only when 'foldmethod' is "indent". Lines starting with
2849 characters in 'foldignore' will get their fold level from surrounding
2850 lines. White space is skipped before checking for this character.
2851 The default "#" works well for C programs. See |fold-indent|.
2853 *'foldlevel'* *'fdl'*
2854 'foldlevel' 'fdl' number (default: 0)
2855 local to window
2856 {not in Vi}
2857 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2858 feature}
2859 Sets the fold level: Folds with a higher level will be closed.
2860 Setting this option to zero will close all folds. Higher numbers will
2861 close fewer folds.
2862 This option is set by commands like |zm|, |zM| and |zR|.
2863 See |fold-foldlevel|.
2865 *'foldlevelstart'* *'fdls'*
2866 'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' number (default: -1)
2867 global
2868 {not in Vi}
2869 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2870 feature}
2871 Sets 'foldlevel' when starting to edit another buffer in a window.
2872 Useful to always start editing with all folds closed (value zero),
2873 some folds closed (one) or no folds closed (99).
2874 This is done before reading any modeline, thus a setting in a modeline
2875 overrules this option. Starting to edit a file for |diff-mode| also
2876 ignores this option and closes all folds.
2877 It is also done before BufReadPre autocommands, to allow an autocmd to
2878 overrule the 'foldlevel' value for specific files.
2879 When the value is negative, it is not used.
2881 *'foldmarker'* *'fmr'* *E536*
2882 'foldmarker' 'fmr' string (default: "{{{,}}}")
2883 local to window
2884 {not in Vi}
2885 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2886 feature}
2887 The start and end marker used when 'foldmethod' is "marker". There
2888 must be one comma, which separates the start and end marker. The
2889 marker is a literal string (a regular expression would be too slow).
2890 See |fold-marker|.
2892 *'foldmethod'* *'fdm'*
2893 'foldmethod' 'fdm' string (default: "manual")
2894 local to window
2895 {not in Vi}
2896 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2897 feature}
2898 The kind of folding used for the current window. Possible values:
2899 |fold-manual| manual Folds are created manually.
2900 |fold-indent| indent Lines with equal indent form a fold.
2901 |fold-expr| expr 'foldexpr' gives the fold level of a line.
2902 |fold-marker| marker Markers are used to specify folds.
2903 |fold-syntax| syntax Syntax highlighting items specify folds.
2904 |fold-diff| diff Fold text that is not changed.
2906 *'foldminlines'* *'fml'*
2907 'foldminlines' 'fml' number (default: 1)
2908 local to window
2909 {not in Vi}
2910 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2911 feature}
2912 Sets the minimum number of screen lines for a fold to be displayed
2913 closed. Also for manually closed folds.
2914 Note that this only has an effect of what is displayed. After using
2915 "zc" to close a fold, which is displayed open because it's smaller
2916 than 'foldminlines', a following "zc" may close a containing fold.
2918 *'foldnestmax'* *'fdn'*
2919 'foldnestmax' 'fdn' number (default: 20)
2920 local to window
2921 {not in Vi}
2922 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2923 feature}
2924 Sets the maximum nesting of folds for the "indent" and "syntax"
2925 methods. This avoids that too many folds will be created. Using more
2926 than 20 doesn't work, because the internal limit is 20.
2928 *'foldopen'* *'fdo'*
2929 'foldopen' 'fdo' string (default: "block,hor,mark,percent,quickfix,
2930 search,tag,undo")
2931 global
2932 {not in Vi}
2933 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2934 feature}
2935 Specifies for which type of commands folds will be opened, if the
2936 command moves the cursor into a closed fold. It is a comma separated
2937 list of items.
2938 item commands ~
2939 all any
2940 block "(", "{", "[[", "[{", etc.
2941 hor horizontal movements: "l", "w", "fx", etc.
2942 insert any command in Insert mode
2943 jump far jumps: "G", "gg", etc.
2944 mark jumping to a mark: "'m", CTRL-O, etc.
2945 percent "%"
2946 quickfix ":cn", ":crew", ":make", etc.
2947 search search for a pattern: "/", "n", "*", "gd", etc.
2948 (not for a search pattern in a ":" command)
2949 Also for |[s| and |]s|.
2950 tag jumping to a tag: ":ta", CTRL-T, etc.
2951 undo undo or redo: "u" and CTRL-R
2952 When the command is part of a mapping this option is not used. Add
2953 the |zv| command to the mapping to get the same effect.
2954 When a movement command is used for an operator (e.g., "dl" or "y%")
2955 this option is not used. This means the operator will include the
2956 whole closed fold.
2957 Note that vertical movements are not here, because it would make it
2958 very difficult to move onto a closed fold.
2959 In insert mode the folds containing the cursor will always be open
2960 when text is inserted.
2961 To close folds you can re-apply 'foldlevel' with the |zx| command or
2962 set the 'foldclose' option to "all".
2964 *'foldtext'* *'fdt'*
2965 'foldtext' 'fdt' string (default: "foldtext()")
2966 local to window
2967 {not in Vi}
2968 {not available when compiled without the |+folding|
2969 feature}
2970 An expression which is used to specify the text displayed for a closed
2971 fold. See |fold-foldtext|.
2973 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
2974 |sandbox-option|.
2976 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
2977 evaluating 'foldtext' |textlock|.
2979 *'formatoptions'* *'fo'*
2980 'formatoptions' 'fo' string (Vim default: "tcq", Vi default: "vt")
2981 local to buffer
2982 {not in Vi}
2983 This is a sequence of letters which describes how automatic
2984 formatting is to be done. See |fo-table|. When the 'paste' option is
2985 on, no formatting is done (like 'formatoptions' is empty). Commas can
2986 be inserted for readability.
2987 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
2988 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
2989 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
2990 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
2992 *'formatlistpat'* *'flp'*
2993 'formatlistpat' 'flp' string (default: "^\s*\d\+[\]:.)}\t ]\s*")
2994 local to buffer
2995 {not in Vi}
2996 A pattern that is used to recognize a list header. This is used for
2997 the "n" flag in 'formatoptions'.
2998 The pattern must match exactly the text that will be the indent for
2999 the line below it. You can use |/\ze| to mark the end of the match
3000 while still checking more characters. There must be a character
3001 following the pattern, when it matches the whole line it is handled
3002 like there is no match.
3003 The default recognizes a number, followed by an optional punctuation
3004 character and white space.
3006 *'formatprg'* *'fp'*
3007 'formatprg' 'fp' string (default "")
3008 global
3009 {not in Vi}
3010 The name of an external program that will be used to format the lines
3011 selected with the |gq| operator. The program must take the input on
3012 stdin and produce the output on stdout. The Unix program "fmt" is
3013 such a program.
3014 If the 'formatexpr' option is not empty it will be used instead.
3015 Otherwise, if 'formatprg' option is an empty string, the internal
3016 format function will be used |C-indenting|.
3017 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
3018 about including spaces and backslashes.
3019 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3020 |sandbox-option|.
3022 *'formatexpr'* *'fex'*
3023 'formatexpr' 'fex' string (default "")
3024 local to buffer
3025 {not in Vi}
3026 {not available when compiled without the |+eval|
3027 feature}
3028 Expression which is evaluated to format a range of lines for the |gq|
3029 operator. When this option is empty 'formatprg' is used.
3031 The |v:lnum| variable holds the first line to be formatted.
3032 The |v:count| variable holds the number of lines to be formatted.
3033 The |v:char| variable holds the character that is going to be
3034 inserted. This can be empty. Don't insert it yet!
3036 Example: >
3037 :set formatexpr=mylang#Format()
3038 < This will invoke the mylang#Format() function in the
3039 autoload/mylang.vim file in 'runtimepath'. |autoload|
3041 The expression is also evaluated when 'textwidth' is set and adding
3042 text beyond that limit. This happens under the same conditions as
3043 when internal formatting is used. Make sure the cursor is kept in the
3044 same spot relative to the text then! The |mode()| function will
3045 return "i" or "R" in this situation. When the function returns
3046 non-zero Vim will fall back to using the internal format mechanism.
3048 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3049 |sandbox-option|.
3051 *'fsync'* *'fs'*
3052 'fsync' 'fs' boolean (default on)
3053 global
3054 {not in Vi}
3055 When on, the library function fsync() will be called after writing a
3056 file. This will flush a file to disk, ensuring that it is safely
3057 written even on filesystems which do metadata-only journaling. This
3058 will force the harddrive to spin up on Linux systems running in laptop
3059 mode, so it may be undesirable in some situations. Be warned that
3060 turning this off increases the chances of data loss after a crash. On
3061 systems without an fsync() implementation, this variable is always
3062 off.
3063 Also see 'swapsync' for controlling fsync() on swap files.
3065 *'gdefault'* *'gd'* *'nogdefault'* *'nogd'*
3066 'gdefault' 'gd' boolean (default off)
3067 global
3068 {not in Vi}
3069 When on, the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on. This means that
3070 all matches in a line are substituted instead of one. When a 'g' flag
3071 is given to a ":substitute" command, this will toggle the substitution
3072 of all or one match. See |complex-change|.
3074 command 'gdefault' on 'gdefault' off ~
3075 :s/// subst. all subst. one
3076 :s///g subst. one subst. all
3077 :s///gg subst. all subst. one
3079 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3081 *'grepformat'* *'gfm'*
3082 'grepformat' 'gfm' string (default "%f:%l%m,%f %l%m")
3083 global
3084 {not in Vi}
3085 Format to recognize for the ":grep" command output.
3086 This is a scanf-like string that uses the same format as the
3087 'errorformat' option: see |errorformat|.
3089 *'grepprg'* *'gp'*
3090 'grepprg' 'gp' string (default "grep -n ",
3091 Unix: "grep -n $* /dev/null",
3092 Win32: "findstr /n" or "grep -n",
3093 VMS: "SEARCH/NUMBERS ")
3094 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3095 {not in Vi}
3096 Program to use for the |:grep| command. This option may contain '%'
3097 and '#' characters, which are expanded like when used in a command-
3098 line. The placeholder "$*" is allowed to specify where the arguments
3099 will be included. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See
3100 |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3101 When your "grep" accepts the "-H" argument, use this to make ":grep"
3102 also work well with a single file: >
3103 :set grepprg=grep\ -nH
3104 < Special value: When 'grepprg' is set to "internal" the |:grep| command
3105 works like |:vimgrep|, |:lgrep| like |:lvimgrep|, |:grepadd| like
3106 |:vimgrepadd| and |:lgrepadd| like |:lvimgrepadd|.
3107 See also the section |:make_makeprg|, since most of the comments there
3108 apply equally to 'grepprg'.
3109 For Win32, the default is "findstr /n" if "findstr.exe" can be found,
3110 otherwise it's "grep -n".
3111 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3112 security reasons.
3114 *'guicursor'* *'gcr'* *E545* *E546* *E548* *E549*
3115 'guicursor' 'gcr' string (default "n-v-c:block-Cursor/lCursor,
3116 ve:ver35-Cursor,
3117 o:hor50-Cursor,
3118 i-ci:ver25-Cursor/lCursor,
3119 r-cr:hor20-Cursor/lCursor,
3120 sm:block-Cursor
3121 -blinkwait175-blinkoff150-blinkon175",
3122 for MS-DOS and Win32 console:
3123 "n-v-c:block,o:hor50,i-ci:hor15,
3124 r-cr:hor30,sm:block")
3125 global
3126 {not in Vi}
3127 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled, and
3128 for MS-DOS and Win32 console}
3129 This option tells Vim what the cursor should look like in different
3130 modes. It fully works in the GUI. In an MSDOS or Win32 console, only
3131 the height of the cursor can be changed. This can be done by
3132 specifying a block cursor, or a percentage for a vertical or
3133 horizontal cursor.
3134 For a console the 't_SI' and 't_EI' escape sequences are used.
3136 The option is a comma separated list of parts. Each part consist of a
3137 mode-list and an argument-list:
3138 mode-list:argument-list,mode-list:argument-list,..
3139 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes:
3140 n Normal mode
3141 v Visual mode
3142 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
3143 if not specified)
3144 o Operator-pending mode
3145 i Insert mode
3146 r Replace mode
3147 c Command-line Normal (append) mode
3148 ci Command-line Insert mode
3149 cr Command-line Replace mode
3150 sm showmatch in Insert mode
3151 a all modes
3152 The argument-list is a dash separated list of these arguments:
3153 hor{N} horizontal bar, {N} percent of the character height
3154 ver{N} vertical bar, {N} percent of the character width
3155 block block cursor, fills the whole character
3156 [only one of the above three should be present]
3157 blinkwait{N} *cursor-blinking*
3158 blinkon{N}
3159 blinkoff{N}
3160 blink times for cursor: blinkwait is the delay before
3161 the cursor starts blinking, blinkon is the time that
3162 the cursor is shown and blinkoff is the time that the
3163 cursor is not shown. The times are in msec. When one
3164 of the numbers is zero, there is no blinking. The
3165 default is: "blinkwait700-blinkon400-blinkoff250".
3166 These numbers are used for a missing entry. This
3167 means that blinking is enabled by default. To switch
3168 blinking off you can use "blinkon0". The cursor only
3169 blinks when Vim is waiting for input, not while
3170 executing a command.
3171 To make the cursor blink in an xterm, see
3172 |xterm-blink|.
3173 {group-name}
3174 a highlight group name, that sets the color and font
3175 for the cursor
3176 {group-name}/{group-name}
3177 Two highlight group names, the first is used when
3178 no language mappings are used, the other when they
3179 are. |language-mapping|
3181 Examples of parts:
3182 n-c-v:block-nCursor in Normal, Command-line and Visual mode, use a
3183 block cursor with colors from the "nCursor"
3184 highlight group
3185 i-ci:ver30-iCursor-blinkwait300-blinkon200-blinkoff150
3186 In Insert and Command-line Insert mode, use a
3187 30% vertical bar cursor with colors from the
3188 "iCursor" highlight group. Blink a bit
3189 faster.
3191 The 'a' mode is different. It will set the given argument-list for
3192 all modes. It does not reset anything to defaults. This can be used
3193 to do a common setting for all modes. For example, to switch off
3194 blinking: "a:blinkon0"
3196 Examples of cursor highlighting: >
3197 :highlight Cursor gui=reverse guifg=NONE guibg=NONE
3198 :highlight Cursor gui=NONE guifg=bg guibg=fg
3199 <
3200 *'guifont'* *'gfn'*
3201 *E235* *E596* *E610* *E611*
3202 'guifont' 'gfn' string (default "")
3203 global
3204 {not in Vi}
3205 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3206 This is a list of fonts which will be used for the GUI version of Vim.
3207 In its simplest form the value is just one font name. When
3208 the font cannot be found you will get an error message. To try other
3209 font names a list can be specified, font names separated with commas.
3210 The first valid font is used.
3212 On systems where 'guifontset' is supported (X11) and 'guifontset' is
3213 not empty, then 'guifont' is not used.
3215 Spaces after a comma are ignored. To include a comma in a font name
3216 precede it with a backslash. Setting an option requires an extra
3217 backslash before a space and a backslash. See also
3218 |option-backslash|. For example: >
3219 :set guifont=Screen15,\ 7x13,font\\,with\\,commas
3220 < will make Vim try to use the font "Screen15" first, and if it fails it
3221 will try to use "7x13" and then "font,with,commas" instead.
3223 If none of the fonts can be loaded, Vim will keep the current setting.
3224 If an empty font list is given, Vim will try using other resource
3225 settings (for X, it will use the Vim.font resource), and finally it
3226 will try some builtin default which should always be there ("7x13" in
3227 the case of X). The font names given should be "normal" fonts. Vim
3228 will try to find the related bold and italic fonts.
3230 For Win32, GTK, Mac OS and Photon: >
3231 :set guifont=*
3232 < will bring up a font requester, where you can pick the font you want.
3234 The font name depends on the GUI used. See |setting-guifont| for a
3235 way to set 'guifont' for various systems.
3237 For the GTK+ 2 GUI the font name looks like this: >
3238 :set guifont=Andale\ Mono\ 11
3239 < That's all. XLFDs are no longer accepted.
3241 For Mac OSX you can use something like this: >
3242 :set guifont=Monaco:h10
3243 < Also see 'macatsui', it can help fix display problems.
3244 *E236*
3245 Note that the fonts must be mono-spaced (all characters have the same
3246 width). An exception is 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 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 GTK+ 2 GUI only: *guifontwide_gtk2*
3320 If set and valid, 'guifontwide' is always used for double width
3321 characters, even if 'encoding' is not set to "utf-8".
3322 Vim does not attempt to find an appropriate value for 'guifontwide'
3323 automatically. If 'guifontwide' is empty Pango/Xft will choose the
3324 font for characters not available in 'guifont'. Thus you do not need
3325 to set 'guifontwide' at all unless you want to override the choice
3326 made by Pango/Xft.
3328 *'guiheadroom'* *'ghr'*
3329 'guiheadroom' 'ghr' number (default 50)
3330 global
3331 {not in Vi} {only for GTK and X11 GUI}
3332 The number of pixels subtracted from the screen height when fitting
3333 the GUI window on the screen. Set this before the GUI is started,
3334 e.g., in your |gvimrc| file. When zero, the whole screen height will
3335 be used by the window. When positive, the specified number of pixel
3336 lines will be left for window decorations and other items on the
3337 screen. Set it to a negative value to allow windows taller than the
3338 screen.
3340 *'guioptions'* *'go'*
3341 'guioptions' 'go' string (default "gmrLtT" (MS-Windows),
3342 "agimrLtT" (GTK, Motif and Athena))
3343 global
3344 {not in Vi}
3345 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3346 This option only has an effect in the GUI version of Vim. It is a
3347 sequence of letters which describes what components and options of the
3348 GUI should be used.
3349 To avoid problems with flags that are added in the future, use the
3350 "+=" and "-=" feature of ":set" |add-option-flags|.
3352 Valid letters are as follows:
3353 *guioptions_a* *'go-a'*
3354 'a' Autoselect: If present, then whenever VISUAL mode is started,
3355 or the Visual area extended, Vim tries to become the owner of
3356 the windowing system's global selection. This means that the
3357 Visually highlighted text is available for pasting into other
3358 applications as well as into Vim itself. When the Visual mode
3359 ends, possibly due to an operation on the text, or when an
3360 application wants to paste the selection, the highlighted text
3361 is automatically yanked into the "* selection register.
3362 Thus the selection is still available for pasting into other
3363 applications after the VISUAL mode has ended.
3364 If not present, then Vim won't become the owner of the
3365 windowing system's global selection unless explicitly told to
3366 by a yank or delete operation for the "* register.
3367 The same applies to the modeless selection.
3368 *'go-A'*
3369 'A' Autoselect for the modeless selection. Like 'a', but only
3370 applies to the modeless selection.
3372 'guioptions' autoselect Visual autoselect modeless ~
3373 "" - -
3374 "a" yes yes
3375 "A" - yes
3376 "aA" yes yes
3378 *'go-c'*
3379 'c' Use console dialogs instead of popup dialogs for simple
3380 choices.
3381 *'go-e'*
3382 'e' Add tab pages when indicated with 'showtabline'.
3383 'guitablabel' can be used to change the text in the labels.
3384 When 'e' is missing a non-GUI tab pages line may be used.
3385 The GUI tabs are only supported on some systems, currently
3386 GTK, Motif, Mac OS/X and MS-Windows.
3387 *'go-f'*
3388 'f' Foreground: Don't use fork() to detach the GUI from the shell
3389 where it was started. Use this for programs that wait for the
3390 editor to finish (e.g., an e-mail program). Alternatively you
3391 can use "gvim -f" or ":gui -f" to start the GUI in the
3392 foreground. |gui-fork|
3393 Note: Set this option in the vimrc file. The forking may have
3394 happened already when the |gvimrc| file is read.
3395 *'go-i'*
3396 'i' Use a Vim icon. For GTK with KDE it is used in the left-upper
3397 corner of the window. It's black&white on non-GTK, because of
3398 limitations of X11. For a color icon, see |X11-icon|.
3399 *'go-m'*
3400 'm' Menu bar is present.
3401 *'go-M'*
3402 'M' The system menu "$VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim" is not sourced. Note
3403 that this flag must be added in the .vimrc file, before
3404 switching on syntax or filetype recognition (when the |gvimrc|
3405 file is sourced the system menu has already been loaded; the
3406 ":syntax on" and ":filetype on" commands load the menu too).
3407 *'go-g'*
3408 'g' Grey menu items: Make menu items that are not active grey. If
3409 'g' is not included inactive menu items are not shown at all.
3410 Exception: Athena will always use grey menu items.
3411 *'go-t'*
3412 't' Include tearoff menu items. Currently only works for Win32,
3413 GTK+, and Motif 1.2 GUI.
3414 *'go-T'*
3415 'T' Include Toolbar. Currently only in Win32, GTK+, Motif, Photon
3416 and Athena GUIs.
3417 *'go-r'*
3418 'r' Right-hand scrollbar is always present.
3419 *'go-R'*
3420 'R' Right-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3421 split window.
3422 *'go-l'*
3423 'l' Left-hand scrollbar is always present.
3424 *'go-L'*
3425 'L' Left-hand scrollbar is present when there is a vertically
3426 split window.
3427 *'go-b'*
3428 'b' Bottom (horizontal) scrollbar is present. Its size depends on
3429 the longest visible line, or on the cursor line if the 'h'
3430 flag is included. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3431 *'go-h'*
3432 'h' Limit horizontal scrollbar size to the length of the cursor
3433 line. Reduces computations. |gui-horiz-scroll|
3435 And yes, you may even have scrollbars on the left AND the right if
3436 you really want to :-). See |gui-scrollbars| for more information.
3438 *'go-v'*
3439 'v' Use a vertical button layout for dialogs. When not included,
3440 a horizontal layout is preferred, but when it doesn't fit a
3441 vertical layout is used anyway.
3442 *'go-p'*
3443 'p' Use Pointer callbacks for X11 GUI. This is required for some
3444 window managers. If the cursor is not blinking or hollow at
3445 the right moment, try adding this flag. This must be done
3446 before starting the GUI. Set it in your |gvimrc|. Adding or
3447 removing it after the GUI has started has no effect.
3448 *'go-F'*
3449 'F' Add a footer. Only for Motif. See |gui-footer|.
3452 *'guipty'* *'noguipty'*
3453 'guipty' boolean (default on)
3454 global
3455 {not in Vi}
3456 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled}
3457 Only in the GUI: If on, an attempt is made to open a pseudo-tty for
3458 I/O to/from shell commands. See |gui-pty|.
3460 *'guitablabel'* *'gtl'*
3461 'guitablabel' 'gtl' string (default empty)
3462 global
3463 {not in Vi}
3464 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3465 with the +windows feature}
3466 When nonempty describes the text to use in a label of the GUI tab
3467 pages line. When empty and when the result is empty Vim will use a
3468 default label. See |setting-guitablabel| for more info.
3470 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
3471 'guitabtooltip' is used for the tooltip, see below.
3473 Only used when the GUI tab pages line is displayed. 'e' must be
3474 present in 'guioptions'. For the non-GUI tab pages line 'tabline' is
3475 used.
3477 *'guitabtooltip'* *'gtt'*
3478 'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' string (default empty)
3479 global
3480 {not in Vi}
3481 {only available when compiled with GUI enabled and
3482 with the +windows feature}
3483 When nonempty describes the text to use in a tooltip for the GUI tab
3484 pages line. When empty Vim will use a default tooltip.
3485 This option is otherwise just like 'guitablabel' above.
3488 *'helpfile'* *'hf'*
3489 'helpfile' 'hf' string (default (MSDOS) "$VIMRUNTIME\doc\help.txt"
3490 (others) "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt")
3491 global
3492 {not in Vi}
3493 Name of the main help file. All distributed help files should be
3494 placed together in one directory. Additionally, all "doc" directories
3495 in 'runtimepath' will be used.
3496 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. For example:
3497 "$VIMRUNTIME/doc/help.txt". If $VIMRUNTIME is not set, $VIM is also
3498 tried. Also see |$VIMRUNTIME| and |option-backslash| about including
3499 spaces and backslashes.
3500 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
3501 security reasons.
3503 *'helpheight'* *'hh'*
3504 'helpheight' 'hh' number (default 20)
3505 global
3506 {not in Vi}
3507 {not available when compiled without the +windows
3508 feature}
3509 Minimal initial height of the help window when it is opened with the
3510 ":help" command. The initial height of the help window is half of the
3511 current window, or (when the 'ea' option is on) the same as other
3512 windows. When the height is less than 'helpheight', the height is
3513 set to 'helpheight'. Set to zero to disable.
3515 *'helplang'* *'hlg'*
3516 'helplang' 'hlg' string (default: messages language or empty)
3517 global
3518 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_lang|
3519 feature}
3520 {not in Vi}
3521 Comma separated list of languages. Vim will use the first language
3522 for which the desired help can be found. The English help will always
3523 be used as a last resort. You can add "en" to prefer English over
3524 another language, but that will only find tags that exist in that
3525 language and not in the English help.
3526 Example: >
3527 :set helplang=de,it
3528 < This will first search German, then Italian and finally English help
3529 files.
3530 When using |CTRL-]| and ":help!" in a non-English help file Vim will
3531 try to find the tag in the current language before using this option.
3532 See |help-translated|.
3534 *'hidden'* *'hid'* *'nohidden'* *'nohid'*
3535 'hidden' 'hid' boolean (default off)
3536 global
3537 {not in Vi}
3538 When off a buffer is unloaded when it is |abandon|ed. When on a
3539 buffer becomes hidden when it is |abandon|ed. If the buffer is still
3540 displayed in another window, it does not become hidden, of course.
3541 The commands that move through the buffer list sometimes make a buffer
3542 hidden although the 'hidden' option is off: When the buffer is
3543 modified, 'autowrite' is off or writing is not possible, and the '!'
3544 flag was used. See also |windows.txt|.
3545 To only make one buffer hidden use the 'bufhidden' option.
3546 This option is set for one command with ":hide {command}" |:hide|.
3547 WARNING: It's easy to forget that you have changes in hidden buffers.
3548 Think twice when using ":q!" or ":qa!".
3550 *'highlight'* *'hl'*
3551 'highlight' 'hl' string (default (as a single string):
3552 "8:SpecialKey,@:NonText,d:Directory,
3553 e:ErrorMsg,i:IncSearch,l:Search,m:MoreMsg,
3554 M:ModeMsg,n:LineNr,r:Question,
3555 s:StatusLine,S:StatusLineNC,c:VertSplit,
3556 t:Title,v:Visual,w:WarningMsg,W:WildMenu,
3557 f:Folded,F:FoldColumn,A:DiffAdd,
3558 C:DiffChange,D:DiffDelete,T:DiffText,
3559 >:SignColumn,B:SpellBad,P:SpellCap,
3560 R:SpellRare,L:SpellLocal,
3561 +:Pmenu,=:PmenuSel,
3562 x:PmenuSbar,X:PmenuThumb")
3563 global
3564 {not in Vi}
3565 This option can be used to set highlighting mode for various
3566 occasions. It is a comma separated list of character pairs. The
3567 first character in a pair gives the occasion, the second the mode to
3568 use for that occasion. The occasions are:
3569 |hl-SpecialKey| 8 Meta and special keys listed with ":map"
3570 |hl-NonText| @ '~' and '@' at the end of the window and
3571 characters from 'showbreak'
3572 |hl-Directory| d directories in CTRL-D listing and other special
3573 things in listings
3574 |hl-ErrorMsg| e error messages
3575 h (obsolete, ignored)
3576 |hl-IncSearch| i 'incsearch' highlighting
3577 |hl-Search| l last search pattern highlighting (see 'hlsearch')
3578 |hl-MoreMsg| m |more-prompt|
3579 |hl-ModeMsg| M Mode (e.g., "-- INSERT --")
3580 |hl-LineNr| n line number for ":number" and ":#" commands
3581 |hl-Question| r |hit-enter| prompt and yes/no questions
3582 |hl-StatusLine| s status line of current window |status-line|
3583 |hl-StatusLineNC| S status lines of not-current windows
3584 |hl-Title| t Titles for output from ":set all", ":autocmd" etc.
3585 |hl-VertSplit| c column used to separate vertically split windows
3586 |hl-Visual| v Visual mode
3587 |hl-VisualNOS| V Visual mode when Vim does is "Not Owning the
3588 Selection" Only X11 Gui's |gui-x11| and
3589 |xterm-clipboard|.
3590 |hl-WarningMsg| w warning messages
3591 |hl-WildMenu| W wildcard matches displayed for 'wildmenu'
3592 |hl-Folded| f line used for closed folds
3593 |hl-FoldColumn| F 'foldcolumn'
3594 |hl-DiffAdd| A added line in diff mode
3595 |hl-DiffChange| C changed line in diff mode
3596 |hl-DiffDelete| D deleted line in diff mode
3597 |hl-DiffText| T inserted text in diff mode
3598 |hl-SignColumn| > column used for |signs|
3599 |hl-SpellBad| B misspelled word |spell|
3600 |hl-SpellCap| P word that should start with capital|spell|
3601 |hl-SpellRare| R rare word |spell|
3602 |hl-SpellLocal| L word from other region |spell|
3603 |hl-Pmenu| + popup menu normal line
3604 |hl-PmenuSel| = popup menu normal line
3605 |hl-PmenuSbar| x popup menu scrollbar
3606 |hl-PmenuThumb| X popup menu scrollbar thumb
3608 The display modes are:
3609 r reverse (termcap entry "mr" and "me")
3610 i italic (termcap entry "ZH" and "ZR")
3611 b bold (termcap entry "md" and "me")
3612 s standout (termcap entry "so" and "se")
3613 u underline (termcap entry "us" and "ue")
3614 c undercurl (termcap entry "Cs" and "Ce")
3615 n no highlighting
3616 - no highlighting
3617 : use a highlight group
3618 The default is used for occasions that are not included.
3619 If you want to change what the display modes do, see |dos-colors|
3620 for an example.
3621 When using the ':' display mode, this must be followed by the name of
3622 a highlight group. A highlight group can be used to define any type
3623 of highlighting, including using color. See |:highlight| on how to
3624 define one. The default uses a different group for each occasion.
3625 See |highlight-default| for the default highlight groups.
3627 *'hlsearch'* *'hls'* *'nohlsearch'* *'nohls'*
3628 'hlsearch' 'hls' boolean (default off)
3629 global
3630 {not in Vi}
3631 {not available when compiled without the
3632 |+extra_search| feature}
3633 When there is a previous search pattern, highlight all its matches.
3634 The type of highlighting used can be set with the 'l' occasion in the
3635 'highlight' option. This uses the "Search" highlight group by
3636 default. Note that only the matching text is highlighted, any offsets
3637 are not applied.
3638 See also: 'incsearch' and |:match|.
3639 When you get bored looking at the highlighted matches, you can turn it
3640 off with |:nohlsearch|. As soon as you use a search command, the
3641 highlighting comes back.
3642 'redrawtime' specifies the maximum time spent on finding matches.
3643 When the search pattern can match an end-of-line, Vim will try to
3644 highlight all of the matched text. However, this depends on where the
3645 search starts. This will be the first line in the window or the first
3646 line below a closed fold. A match in a previous line which is not
3647 drawn may not continue in a newly drawn line.
3648 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3650 *'history'* *'hi'*
3651 'history' 'hi' number (Vim default: 20, Vi default: 0)
3652 global
3653 {not in Vi}
3654 A history of ":" commands, and a history of previous search patterns
3655 are remembered. This option decides how many entries may be stored in
3656 each of these histories (see |cmdline-editing|).
3657 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
3658 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
3660 *'hkmap'* *'hk'* *'nohkmap'* *'nohk'*
3661 'hkmap' 'hk' boolean (default off)
3662 global
3663 {not in Vi}
3664 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3665 feature}
3666 When on, the keyboard is mapped for the Hebrew character set.
3667 Normally you would set 'allowrevins' and use CTRL-_ in insert mode to
3668 toggle this option. See |rileft.txt|.
3669 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3671 *'hkmapp'* *'hkp'* *'nohkmapp'* *'nohkp'*
3672 'hkmapp' 'hkp' boolean (default off)
3673 global
3674 {not in Vi}
3675 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
3676 feature}
3677 When on, phonetic keyboard mapping is used. 'hkmap' must also be on.
3678 This is useful if you have a non-Hebrew keyboard.
3679 See |rileft.txt|.
3680 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3682 *'icon'* *'noicon'*
3683 'icon' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
3684 global
3685 {not in Vi}
3686 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3687 feature}
3688 When on, the icon text of the window will be set to the value of
3689 'iconstring' (if it is not empty), or to the name of the file
3690 currently being edited. Only the last part of the name is used.
3691 Overridden by the 'iconstring' option.
3692 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icons (currently
3693 only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option - these are
3694 Unix xterm and iris-ansi by default, where 't_IS' is taken from the
3695 builtin termcap).
3696 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3697 restored if possible |X11|. See |X11-icon| for changing the icon on
3698 X11.
3700 *'iconstring'*
3701 'iconstring' string (default "")
3702 global
3703 {not in Vi}
3704 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
3705 feature}
3706 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the icon text of
3707 the window. This happens only when the 'icon' option is on.
3708 Only works if the terminal supports setting window icon text
3709 (currently only X11 GUI and terminals with a non-empty 't_IS' option).
3710 Does not work for MS Windows.
3711 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original icon will be
3712 restored if possible |X11|.
3713 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
3714 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'. See
3715 'titlestring' for example settings.
3716 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
3718 *'ignorecase'* *'ic'* *'noignorecase'* *'noic'*
3719 'ignorecase' 'ic' boolean (default off)
3720 global
3721 Ignore case in search patterns. Also used when searching in the tags
3722 file.
3723 Also see 'smartcase'.
3724 Can be overruled by using "\c" or "\C" in the pattern, see
3725 |/ignorecase|.
3727 *'imactivatekey'* *'imak'*
3728 'imactivatekey' 'imak' string (default "")
3729 global
3730 {not in Vi}
3731 {only available when compiled with |+xim| and
3732 |+GUI_GTK|}
3733 Specifies the key that your Input Method in X-Windows uses for
3734 activation. When this is specified correctly, vim can fully control
3735 IM with 'imcmdline', 'iminsert' and 'imsearch'.
3736 You can't use this option to change the activation key, the option
3737 tells Vim what the key is.
3738 Format:
3739 [MODIFIER_FLAG-]KEY_STRING
3741 These characters can be used for MODIFIER_FLAG (case is ignored):
3742 S Shift key
3743 L Lock key
3744 C Control key
3745 1 Mod1 key
3746 2 Mod2 key
3747 3 Mod3 key
3748 4 Mod4 key
3749 5 Mod5 key
3750 Combinations are allowed, for example "S-C-space" or "SC-space" are
3751 both shift+ctrl+space.
3752 See <X11/keysymdef.h> and XStringToKeysym for KEY_STRING.
3754 Example: >
3755 :set imactivatekey=S-space
3756 < "S-space" means shift+space. This is the activation key for kinput2 +
3757 canna (Japanese), and ami (Korean).
3759 *'imcmdline'* *'imc'* *'noimcmdline'* *'noimc'*
3760 'imcmdline' 'imc' boolean (default off)
3761 global
3762 {not in Vi}
3763 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3764 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3765 When set the Input Method is always on when starting to edit a command
3766 line, unless entering a search pattern (see 'imsearch' for that).
3767 Setting this option is useful when your input method allows entering
3768 English characters directly, e.g., when it's used to type accented
3769 characters with dead keys.
3771 *'imdisable'* *'imd'* *'nodisable'* *'noimd'*
3772 'imdisable' 'imd' boolean (default off, on for some systems (SGI))
3773 global
3774 {not in Vi}
3775 {only available when compiled with the |+xim|
3776 |+multi_byte_ime| or |global-ime| feature}
3777 When set the Input Method is never used. This is useful to disable
3778 the IM when it doesn't work properly.
3779 Currently this option is on by default for SGI/IRIX machines. This
3780 may change in later releases.
3782 *'iminsert'* *'imi'*
3783 'iminsert' 'imi' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3784 local to buffer
3785 {not in Vi}
3786 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used in
3787 Insert mode. Valid values:
3788 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3789 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3790 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3791 2 is available only when compiled with the |+multi_byte_ime|, |+xim|
3792 or |global-ime|.
3793 To always reset the option to zero when leaving Insert mode with <Esc>
3794 this can be used: >
3795 :inoremap <ESC> <ESC>:set iminsert=0<CR>
3796 < This makes :lmap and IM turn off automatically when leaving Insert
3797 mode.
3798 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Insert mode
3799 |i_CTRL-^|.
3800 The value is set to 1 when setting 'keymap' to a valid keymap name.
3801 It is also used for the argument of commands like "r" and "f".
3802 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3803 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3805 *'imsearch'* *'ims'*
3806 'imsearch' 'ims' number (default 0, 2 when an input method is supported)
3807 local to buffer
3808 {not in Vi}
3809 Specifies whether :lmap or an Input Method (IM) is to be used when
3810 entering a search pattern. Valid values:
3811 -1 the value of 'iminsert' is used, makes it look like
3812 'iminsert' is also used when typing a search pattern
3813 0 :lmap is off and IM is off
3814 1 :lmap is ON and IM is off
3815 2 :lmap is off and IM is ON
3816 Note that this option changes when using CTRL-^ in Command-line mode
3817 |c_CTRL-^|.
3818 The value is set to 1 when it is not -1 and setting the 'keymap'
3819 option to a valid keymap name.
3820 The value 0 may not work correctly with Athena and Motif with some XIM
3821 methods. Use 'imdisable' to disable XIM then.
3823 *'include'* *'inc'*
3824 'include' 'inc' string (default "^\s*#\s*include")
3825 global or local to buffer |global-local|
3826 {not in Vi}
3827 {not available when compiled without the
3828 |+find_in_path| feature}
3829 Pattern to be used to find an include command. It is a search
3830 pattern, just like for the "/" command (See |pattern|). The default
3831 value is for C programs. This option is used for the commands "[i",
3832 "]I", "[d", etc.
3833 Normally the 'isfname' option is used to recognize the file name that
3834 comes after the matched pattern. But if "\zs" appears in the pattern
3835 then the text matched from "\zs" to the end, or until "\ze" if it
3836 appears, is used as the file name. Use this to include characters
3837 that are not in 'isfname', such as a space. You can then use
3838 'includeexpr' to process the matched text.
3839 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
3841 *'includeexpr'* *'inex'*
3842 'includeexpr' 'inex' string (default "")
3843 local to buffer
3844 {not in Vi}
3845 {not available when compiled without the
3846 |+find_in_path| or |+eval| feature}
3847 Expression to be used to transform the string found with the 'include'
3848 option to a file name. Mostly useful to change "." to "/" for Java: >
3849 :set includeexpr=substitute(v:fname,'\\.','/','g')
3850 < The "v:fname" variable will be set to the file name that was detected.
3852 Also used for the |gf| command if an unmodified file name can't be
3853 found. Allows doing "gf" on the name after an 'include' statement.
3854 Also used for |<cfile>|.
3856 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3857 |sandbox-option|.
3859 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3860 evaluating 'includeexpr' |textlock|.
3862 *'incsearch'* *'is'* *'noincsearch'* *'nois'*
3863 'incsearch' 'is' boolean (default off)
3864 global
3865 {not in Vi}
3866 {not available when compiled without the
3867 |+extra_search| feature}
3868 While typing a search command, show where the pattern, as it was typed
3869 so far, matches. The matched string is highlighted. If the pattern
3870 is invalid or not found, nothing is shown. The screen will be updated
3871 often, this is only useful on fast terminals.
3872 Note that the match will be shown, but the cursor will return to its
3873 original position when no match is found and when pressing <Esc>. You
3874 still need to finish the search command with <Enter> to move the
3875 cursor to the match.
3876 When compiled with the |+reltime| feature Vim only searches for about
3877 half a second. With a complicated pattern and/or a lot of text the
3878 match may not be found. This is to avoid that Vim hangs while you
3879 are typing the pattern.
3880 The highlighting can be set with the 'i' flag in 'highlight'.
3881 See also: 'hlsearch'.
3882 CTRL-L can be used to add one character from after the current match
3883 to the command line.
3884 CTRL-R CTRL-W can be used to add the word at the end of the current
3885 match, excluding the characters that were already typed.
3886 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3888 *'indentexpr'* *'inde'*
3889 'indentexpr' 'inde' string (default "")
3890 local to buffer
3891 {not in Vi}
3892 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3893 or |+eval| features}
3894 Expression which is evaluated to obtain the proper indent for a line.
3895 It is used when a new line is created, for the |=| operator and
3896 in Insert mode as specified with the 'indentkeys' option.
3897 When this option is not empty, it overrules the 'cindent' and
3898 'smartindent' indenting.
3899 When 'paste' is set this option is not used for indenting.
3900 The expression is evaluated with |v:lnum| set to the line number for
3901 which the indent is to be computed. The cursor is also in this line
3902 when the expression is evaluated (but it may be moved around).
3903 The expression must return the number of spaces worth of indent. It
3904 can return "-1" to keep the current indent (this means 'autoindent' is
3905 used for the indent).
3906 Functions useful for computing the indent are |indent()|, |cindent()|
3907 and |lispindent()|.
3908 The evaluation of the expression must not have side effects! It must
3909 not change the text, jump to another window, etc. Afterwards the
3910 cursor position is always restored, thus the cursor may be moved.
3911 Normally this option would be set to call a function: >
3912 :set indentexpr=GetMyIndent()
3913 < Error messages will be suppressed, unless the 'debug' option contains
3914 "msg".
3915 See |indent-expression|.
3916 NOTE: This option is made empty when 'compatible' is set.
3918 The expression may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
3919 |sandbox-option|.
3921 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
3922 evaluating 'indentexpr' |textlock|.
3925 *'indentkeys'* *'indk'*
3926 'indentkeys' 'indk' string (default "0{,0},:,0#,!^F,o,O,e")
3927 local to buffer
3928 {not in Vi}
3929 {not available when compiled without the |+cindent|
3930 feature}
3931 A list of keys that, when typed in Insert mode, cause reindenting of
3932 the current line. Only happens if 'indentexpr' isn't empty.
3933 The format is identical to 'cinkeys', see |indentkeys-format|.
3934 See |C-indenting| and |indent-expression|.
3936 *'infercase'* *'inf'* *'noinfercase'* *'noinf'*
3937 'infercase' 'inf' boolean (default off)
3938 local to buffer
3939 {not in Vi}
3940 When doing keyword completion in insert mode |ins-completion|, and
3941 'ignorecase' is also on, the case of the match is adjusted depending
3942 on the typed text. If the typed text contains a lowercase letter
3943 where the match has an upper case letter, the completed part is made
3944 lowercase. If the typed text has no lowercase letters and the match
3945 has a lowercase letter where the typed text has an uppercase letter,
3946 and there is a letter before it, the completed part is made uppercase.
3947 With 'noinfercase' the match is used as-is.
3949 *'insertmode'* *'im'* *'noinsertmode'* *'noim'*
3950 'insertmode' 'im' boolean (default off)
3951 global
3952 {not in Vi}
3953 Makes Vim work in a way that Insert mode is the default mode. Useful
3954 if you want to use Vim as a modeless editor. Used for |evim|.
3955 These Insert mode commands will be useful:
3956 - Use the cursor keys to move around.
3957 - Use CTRL-O to execute one Normal mode command |i_CTRL-O|). When
3958 this is a mapping, it is executed as if 'insertmode' was off.
3959 Normal mode remains active until the mapping is finished.
3960 - Use CTRL-L to execute a number of Normal mode commands, then use
3961 <Esc> to get back to Insert mode. Note that CTRL-L moves the cursor
3962 left, like <Esc> does when 'insertmode' isn't set. |i_CTRL-L|
3964 These items change when 'insertmode' is set:
3965 - when starting to edit of a file, Vim goes to Insert mode.
3966 - <Esc> in Insert mode is a no-op and beeps.
3967 - <Esc> in Normal mode makes Vim go to Insert mode.
3968 - CTRL-L in Insert mode is a command, it is not inserted.
3969 - CTRL-Z in Insert mode suspends Vim, see |CTRL-Z|. *i_CTRL-Z*
3970 However, when <Esc> is used inside a mapping, it behaves like
3971 'insertmode' was not set. This was done to be able to use the same
3972 mappings with 'insertmode' set or not set.
3973 When executing commands with |:normal| 'insertmode' is not used.
3975 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
3977 *'isfname'* *'isf'*
3978 'isfname' 'isf' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
3979 "@,48-57,/,\,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,{,},[,],:,@-@,!,~,="
3980 for AMIGA: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,$,:"
3981 for VMS: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,<,>,[,],:,;,~"
3982 for OS/390: "@,240-249,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,="
3983 otherwise: "@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=")
3984 global
3985 {not in Vi}
3986 The characters specified by this option are included in file names and
3987 path names. Filenames are used for commands like "gf", "[i" and in
3988 the tags file. It is also used for "\f" in a |pattern|.
3989 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
3990 characters up to 255 are specified with this option.
3991 For UTF-8 the characters 0xa0 to 0xff are included as well.
3992 Think twice before adding white space to this option. Although a
3993 space may appear inside a file name, the effect will be that Vim
3994 doesn't know where a file name starts or ends when doing completion.
3995 It most likely works better without a space in 'isfname'.
3997 Note that on systems using a backslash as path separator, Vim tries to
3998 do its best to make it work as you would expect. That is a bit
3999 tricky, since Vi originally used the backslash to escape special
4000 characters. Vim will not remove a backslash in front of a normal file
4001 name character on these systems, but it will on Unix and alikes. The
4002 '&' and '^' are not included by default, because these are special for
4003 cmd.exe.
4005 The format of this option is a list of parts, separated with commas.
4006 Each part can be a single character number or a range. A range is two
4007 character numbers with '-' in between. A character number can be a
4008 decimal number between 0 and 255 or the ASCII character itself (does
4009 not work for digits). Example:
4010 "_,-,128-140,#-43" (include '_' and '-' and the range
4011 128 to 140 and '#' to 43)
4012 If a part starts with '^', the following character number or range
4013 will be excluded from the option. The option is interpreted from left
4014 to right. Put the excluded character after the range where it is
4015 included. To include '^' itself use it as the last character of the
4016 option or the end of a range. Example:
4017 "^a-z,#,^" (exclude 'a' to 'z', include '#' and '^')
4018 If the character is '@', all characters where isalpha() returns TRUE
4019 are included. Normally these are the characters a to z and A to Z,
4020 plus accented characters. To include '@' itself use "@-@". Examples:
4021 "@,^a-z" All alphabetic characters, excluding lower
4022 case ASCII letters.
4023 "a-z,A-Z,@-@" All letters plus the '@' character.
4024 A comma can be included by using it where a character number is
4025 expected. Example:
4026 "48-57,,,_" Digits, comma and underscore.
4027 A comma can be excluded by prepending a '^'. Example:
4028 " -~,^,,9" All characters from space to '~', excluding
4029 comma, plus <Tab>.
4030 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4032 *'isident'* *'isi'*
4033 'isident' 'isi' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2:
4034 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4035 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255")
4036 global
4037 {not in Vi}
4038 The characters given by this option are included in identifiers.
4039 Identifiers are used in recognizing environment variables and after a
4040 match of the 'define' option. It is also used for "\i" in a
4041 |pattern|. See 'isfname' for a description of the format of this
4042 option.
4043 Careful: If you change this option, it might break expanding
4044 environment variables. E.g., when '/' is included and Vim tries to
4045 expand "$HOME/.viminfo". Maybe you should change 'iskeyword' instead.
4047 *'iskeyword'* *'isk'*
4048 'iskeyword' 'isk' string (Vim default for MS-DOS and Win32:
4049 "@,48-57,_,128-167,224-235"
4050 otherwise: "@,48-57,_,192-255"
4051 Vi default: "@,48-57,_")
4052 local to buffer
4053 {not in Vi}
4054 Keywords are used in searching and recognizing with many commands:
4055 "w", "*", "[i", etc. It is also used for "\k" in a |pattern|. See
4056 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option. For C
4057 programs you could use "a-z,A-Z,48-57,_,.,-,>".
4058 For a help file it is set to all non-blank printable characters except
4059 '*', '"' and '|' (so that CTRL-] on a command finds the help for that
4060 command).
4061 When the 'lisp' option is on the '-' character is always included.
4062 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4063 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4065 *'isprint'* *'isp'*
4066 'isprint' 'isp' string (default for MS-DOS, Win32, OS/2 and Macintosh:
4067 "@,~-255"; otherwise: "@,161-255")
4068 global
4069 {not in Vi}
4070 The characters given by this option are displayed directly on the
4071 screen. It is also used for "\p" in a |pattern|. The characters from
4072 space (ASCII 32) to '~' (ASCII 126) are always displayed directly,
4073 even when they are not included in 'isprint' or excluded. See
4074 'isfname' for a description of the format of this option.
4076 Non-printable characters are displayed with two characters:
4077 0 - 31 "^@" - "^_"
4078 32 - 126 always single characters
4079 127 "^?"
4080 128 - 159 "~@" - "~_"
4081 160 - 254 "| " - "|~"
4082 255 "~?"
4083 When 'encoding' is a Unicode one, illegal bytes from 128 to 255 are
4084 displayed as <xx>, with the hexadecimal value of the byte.
4085 When 'display' contains "uhex" all unprintable characters are
4086 displayed as <xx>.
4087 The NonText highlighting will be used for unprintable characters.
4088 |hl-NonText|
4090 Multi-byte characters 256 and above are always included, only the
4091 characters up to 255 are specified with this option. When a character
4092 is printable but it is not available in the current font, a
4093 replacement character will be shown.
4094 Unprintable and zero-width Unicode characters are displayed as <xxxx>.
4095 There is no option to specify these characters.
4097 *'joinspaces'* *'js'* *'nojoinspaces'* *'nojs'*
4098 'joinspaces' 'js' boolean (default on)
4099 global
4100 {not in Vi}
4101 Insert two spaces after a '.', '?' and '!' with a join command.
4102 When 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, only do this after a '.'.
4103 Otherwise only one space is inserted.
4104 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
4106 *'key'*
4107 'key' string (default "")
4108 local to buffer
4109 {not in Vi}
4110 The key that is used for encrypting and decrypting the current buffer.
4111 See |encryption|.
4112 Careful: Do not set the key value by hand, someone might see the typed
4113 key. Use the |:X| command. But you can make 'key' empty: >
4114 :set key=
4115 < It is not possible to get the value of this option with ":set key" or
4116 "echo &key". This is to avoid showing it to someone who shouldn't
4117 know. It also means you cannot see it yourself once you have set it,
4118 be careful not to make a typing error!
4120 *'keymap'* *'kmp'* *E544*
4121 'keymap' 'kmp' string (default "")
4122 local to buffer
4123 {not in Vi}
4124 {only available when compiled with the |+keymap|
4125 feature}
4126 Name of a keyboard mapping. See |mbyte-keymap|.
4127 Setting this option to a valid keymap name has the side effect of
4128 setting 'iminsert' to one, so that the keymap becomes effective.
4129 'imsearch' is also set to one, unless it was -1
4130 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4132 *'keymodel'* *'km'*
4133 'keymodel' 'km' string (default "")
4134 global
4135 {not in Vi}
4136 List of comma separated words, which enable special things that keys
4137 can do. These values can be used:
4138 startsel Using a shifted special key starts selection (either
4139 Select mode or Visual mode, depending on "key" being
4140 present in 'selectmode').
4141 stopsel Using a not-shifted special key stops selection.
4142 Special keys in this context are the cursor keys, <End>, <Home>,
4143 <PageUp> and <PageDown>.
4144 The 'keymodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4146 *'keywordprg'* *'kp'*
4147 'keywordprg' 'kp' string (default "man" or "man -s", DOS: ":help",
4148 OS/2: "view /", VMS: "help")
4149 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4150 {not in Vi}
4151 Program to use for the |K| command. Environment variables are
4152 expanded |:set_env|. ":help" may be used to access the Vim internal
4153 help. (Note that previously setting the global option to the empty
4154 value did this, which is now deprecated.)
4155 When "man" is used, Vim will automatically translate a count for the
4156 "K" command to a section number. Also for "man -s", in which case the
4157 "-s" is removed when there is no count.
4158 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4159 Example: >
4160 :set keywordprg=man\ -s
4161 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4162 security reasons.
4164 *'langmap'* *'lmap'* *E357* *E358*
4165 'langmap' 'lmap' string (default "")
4166 global
4167 {not in Vi}
4168 {only available when compiled with the |+langmap|
4169 feature}
4170 This option allows switching your keyboard into a special language
4171 mode. When you are typing text in Insert mode the characters are
4172 inserted directly. When in command mode the 'langmap' option takes
4173 care of translating these special characters to the original meaning
4174 of the key. This means you don't have to change the keyboard mode to
4175 be able to execute Normal mode commands.
4176 This is the opposite of the 'keymap' option, where characters are
4177 mapped in Insert mode.
4178 This only works for 8-bit characters. The value of 'langmap' may be
4179 specified with multi-byte characters (e.g., UTF-8), but only the lower
4180 8 bits of each character will be used.
4182 Example (for Greek, in UTF-8): *greek* >
4183 :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
4184 < Example (exchanges meaning of z and y for commands): >
4185 :set langmap=zy,yz,ZY,YZ
4186 <
4187 The 'langmap' option is a list of parts, separated with commas. Each
4188 part can be in one of two forms:
4189 1. A list of pairs. Each pair is a "from" character immediately
4190 followed by the "to" character. Examples: "aA", "aAbBcC".
4191 2. A list of "from" characters, a semi-colon and a list of "to"
4192 characters. Example: "abc;ABC"
4193 Example: "aA,fgh;FGH,cCdDeE"
4194 Special characters need to be preceded with a backslash. These are
4195 ";", ',' and backslash itself.
4197 This will allow you to activate vim actions without having to switch
4198 back and forth between the languages. Your language characters will
4199 be understood as normal vim English characters (according to the
4200 langmap mappings) in the following cases:
4201 o Normal/Visual mode (commands, buffer/register names, user mappings)
4202 o Insert/Replace Mode: Register names after CTRL-R
4203 o Insert/Replace Mode: Mappings
4204 Characters entered in Command-line mode will NOT be affected by
4205 this option. Note that this option can be changed at any time
4206 allowing to switch between mappings for different languages/encodings.
4207 Use a mapping to avoid having to type it each time!
4209 *'langmenu'* *'lm'*
4210 'langmenu' 'lm' string (default "")
4211 global
4212 {not in Vi}
4213 {only available when compiled with the |+menu| and
4214 |+multi_lang| features}
4215 Language to use for menu translation. Tells which file is loaded
4216 from the "lang" directory in 'runtimepath': >
4217 "lang/menu_" . &langmenu . ".vim"
4218 < (without the spaces). For example, to always use the Dutch menus, no
4219 matter what $LANG is set to: >
4220 :set langmenu=nl_NL.ISO_8859-1
4221 < When 'langmenu' is empty, |v:lang| is used.
4222 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
4223 If your $LANG is set to a non-English language but you do want to use
4224 the English menus: >
4225 :set langmenu=none
4226 < This option must be set before loading menus, switching on filetype
4227 detection or syntax highlighting. Once the menus are defined setting
4228 this option has no effect. But you could do this: >
4229 :source $VIMRUNTIME/delmenu.vim
4230 :set langmenu=de_DE.ISO_8859-1
4231 :source $VIMRUNTIME/menu.vim
4232 < Warning: This deletes all menus that you defined yourself!
4234 *'laststatus'* *'ls'*
4235 'laststatus' 'ls' number (default 1)
4236 global
4237 {not in Vi}
4238 The value of this option influences when the last window will have a
4239 status line:
4240 0: never
4241 1: only if there are at least two windows
4242 2: always
4243 The screen looks nicer with a status line if you have several
4244 windows, but it takes another screen line. |status-line|
4246 *'lazyredraw'* *'lz'* *'nolazyredraw'* *'nolz'*
4247 'lazyredraw' 'lz' boolean (default off)
4248 global
4249 {not in Vi}
4250 When this option is set, the screen will not be redrawn while
4251 executing macros, registers and other commands that have not been
4252 typed. Also, updating the window title is postponed. To force an
4253 update use |:redraw|.
4255 *'linebreak'* *'lbr'* *'nolinebreak'* *'nolbr'*
4256 'linebreak' 'lbr' boolean (default off)
4257 local to window
4258 {not in Vi}
4259 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
4260 feature}
4261 If on Vim will wrap long lines at a character in 'breakat' rather
4262 than at the last character that fits on the screen. Unlike
4263 'wrapmargin' and 'textwidth', this does not insert <EOL>s in the file,
4264 it only affects the way the file is displayed, not its contents. The
4265 value of 'showbreak' is used to put in front of wrapped lines.
4266 This option is not used when the 'wrap' option is off or 'list' is on.
4267 Note that <Tab> characters after an <EOL> are mostly not displayed
4268 with the right amount of white space.
4270 *'lines'* *E593*
4271 'lines' number (default 24 or terminal height)
4272 global
4273 Number of lines of the Vim window.
4274 Normally you don't need to set this. It is done automatically by the
4275 terminal initialization code. Also see |posix-screen-size|.
4276 When Vim is running in the GUI or in a resizable window, setting this
4277 option will cause the window size to be changed. When you only want
4278 to use the size for the GUI, put the command in your |gvimrc| file.
4279 Vim limits the number of lines to what fits on the screen. You can
4280 use this command to get the tallest window possible: >
4281 :set lines=999
4282 < Minimum value is 2, maximum value is 1000.
4283 If you get less lines than expected, check the 'guiheadroom' option.
4284 When you set this option and Vim is unable to change the physical
4285 number of lines of the display, the display may be messed up.
4287 *'linespace'* *'lsp'*
4288 'linespace' 'lsp' number (default 0, 1 for Win32 GUI)
4289 global
4290 {not in Vi}
4291 {only in the GUI}
4292 Number of pixel lines inserted between characters. Useful if the font
4293 uses the full character cell height, making lines touch each other.
4294 When non-zero there is room for underlining.
4295 With some fonts there can be too much room between lines (to have
4296 space for ascents and descents). Then it makes sense to set
4297 'linespace' to a negative value. This may cause display problems
4298 though!
4300 *'lisp'* *'nolisp'*
4301 'lisp' boolean (default off)
4302 local to buffer
4303 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4304 feature}
4305 Lisp mode: When <Enter> is typed in insert mode set the indent for
4306 the next line to Lisp standards (well, sort of). Also happens with
4307 "cc" or "S". 'autoindent' must also be on for this to work. The 'p'
4308 flag in 'cpoptions' changes the method of indenting: Vi compatible or
4309 better. Also see 'lispwords'.
4310 The '-' character is included in keyword characters. Redefines the
4311 "=" operator to use this same indentation algorithm rather than
4312 calling an external program if 'equalprg' is empty.
4313 This option is not used when 'paste' is set.
4314 {Vi: Does it a little bit differently}
4316 *'lispwords'* *'lw'*
4317 'lispwords' 'lw' string (default is very long)
4318 global
4319 {not in Vi}
4320 {not available when compiled without the |+lispindent|
4321 feature}
4322 Comma separated list of words that influence the Lisp indenting.
4323 |'lisp'|
4325 *'list'* *'nolist'*
4326 'list' boolean (default off)
4327 local to window
4328 List mode: Show tabs as CTRL-I, show end of line with $. Useful to
4329 see the difference between tabs and spaces and for trailing blanks.
4330 Note that this will also affect formatting (set with 'textwidth' or
4331 'wrapmargin') when 'cpoptions' includes 'L'. See 'listchars' for
4332 changing the way tabs are displayed.
4334 *'listchars'* *'lcs'*
4335 'listchars' 'lcs' string (default "eol:$")
4336 global
4337 {not in Vi}
4338 Strings to use in 'list' mode. It is a comma separated list of string
4339 settings.
4340 eol:c Character to show at the end of each line. When
4341 omitted, there is no extra character at the end of the
4342 line.
4343 tab:xy Two characters to be used to show a tab. The first
4344 char is used once. The second char is repeated to
4345 fill the space that the tab normally occupies.
4346 "tab:>-" will show a tab that takes four spaces as
4347 ">---". When omitted, a tab is show as ^I.
4348 trail:c Character to show for trailing spaces. When omitted,
4349 trailing spaces are blank.
4350 extends:c Character to show in the last column, when 'wrap' is
4351 off and the line continues beyond the right of the
4352 screen.
4353 precedes:c Character to show in the first column, when 'wrap'
4354 is off and there is text preceding the character
4355 visible in the first column.
4356 nbsp:c Character to show for a non-breakable space (character
4357 0xA0, 160). Left blank when omitted.
4359 The characters ':' and ',' should not be used. UTF-8 characters can
4360 be used when 'encoding' is "utf-8", otherwise only printable
4361 characters are allowed. All characters must be single width.
4363 Examples: >
4364 :set lcs=tab:>-,trail:-
4365 :set lcs=tab:>-,eol:<,nbsp:%
4366 :set lcs=extends:>,precedes:<
4367 < The "NonText" highlighting will be used for "eol", "extends" and
4368 "precedes". "SpecialKey" for "nbsp", "tab" and "trail".
4369 |hl-NonText| |hl-SpecialKey|
4371 *'lpl'* *'nolpl'* *'loadplugins'* *'noloadplugins'*
4372 'loadplugins' 'lpl' boolean (default on)
4373 global
4374 {not in Vi}
4375 When on the plugin scripts are loaded when starting up |load-plugins|.
4376 This option can be reset in your |vimrc| file to disable the loading
4377 of plugins.
4378 Note that using the "-u NONE" and "--noplugin" command line arguments
4379 reset this option. |-u| |--noplugin|
4381 *'macatsui'* *'nomacatsui'*
4382 'macatsui' boolean (default on)
4383 global
4384 {only available in Mac GUI version}
4385 This is a workaround for when drawing doesn't work properly. When set
4386 and compiled with multi-byte support ATSUI text drawing is used. When
4387 not set ATSUI text drawing is not used. Switch this option off when
4388 you experience drawing problems. In a future version the problems may
4389 be solved and this option becomes obsolete. Therefore use this method
4390 to unset it: >
4391 if exists('&macatsui')
4392 set nomacatsui
4393 endif
4394 < Another option to check if you have drawing problems is
4395 'termencoding'.
4397 *'magic'* *'nomagic'*
4398 'magic' boolean (default on)
4399 global
4400 Changes the special characters that can be used in search patterns.
4401 See |pattern|.
4402 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with using patterns, always keep
4403 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
4404 old Vi scripts. In any other situation write patterns that work when
4405 'magic' is on. Include "\M" when you want to |/\M|.
4407 *'makeef'* *'mef'*
4408 'makeef' 'mef' string (default: "")
4409 global
4410 {not in Vi}
4411 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
4412 feature}
4413 Name of the errorfile for the |:make| command (see |:make_makeprg|)
4414 and the |:grep| command.
4415 When it is empty, an internally generated temp file will be used.
4416 When "##" is included, it is replaced by a number to make the name
4417 unique. This makes sure that the ":make" command doesn't overwrite an
4418 existing file.
4419 NOT used for the ":cf" command. See 'errorfile' for that.
4420 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
4421 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
4422 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4423 security reasons.
4425 *'makeprg'* *'mp'*
4426 'makeprg' 'mp' string (default "make", VMS: "MMS")
4427 global or local to buffer |global-local|
4428 {not in Vi}
4429 Program to use for the ":make" command. See |:make_makeprg|.
4430 This option may contain '%' and '#' characters, which are expanded to
4431 the current and alternate file name. |:_%| |:_#|
4432 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. See |option-backslash|
4433 about including spaces and backslashes.
4434 Note that a '|' must be escaped twice: once for ":set" and once for
4435 the interpretation of a command. When you use a filter called
4436 "myfilter" do it like this: >
4437 :set makeprg=gmake\ \\\|\ myfilter
4438 < The placeholder "$*" can be given (even multiple times) to specify
4439 where the arguments will be included, for example: >
4440 :set makeprg=latex\ \\\\nonstopmode\ \\\\input\\{$*}
4441 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4442 security reasons.
4444 *'matchpairs'* *'mps'*
4445 'matchpairs' 'mps' string (default "(:),{:},[:]")
4446 local to buffer
4447 {not in Vi}
4448 Characters that form pairs. The |%| command jumps from one to the
4449 other. Currently only single byte character pairs are allowed, and
4450 they must be different. The characters must be separated by a colon.
4451 The pairs must be separated by a comma. Example for including '<' and
4452 '>' (HTML): >
4453 :set mps+=<:>
4455 < A more exotic example, to jump between the '=' and ';' in an
4456 assignment, useful for languages like C and Java: >
4457 :au FileType c,cpp,java set mps+==:;
4459 < For a more advanced way of using "%", see the matchit.vim plugin in
4460 the $VIMRUNTIME/macros directory. |add-local-help|
4462 *'matchtime'* *'mat'*
4463 'matchtime' 'mat' number (default 5)
4464 global
4465 {not in Vi}{in Nvi}
4466 Tenths of a second to show the matching paren, when 'showmatch' is
4467 set. Note that this is not in milliseconds, like other options that
4468 set a time. This is to be compatible with Nvi.
4470 *'maxcombine'* *'mco'*
4471 'maxcombine' 'mco' number (default 2)
4472 global
4473 {not in Vi}
4474 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
4475 feature}
4476 The maximum number of combining characters supported for displaying.
4477 Only used when 'encoding' is "utf-8".
4478 The default is OK for most languages. Hebrew may require 4.
4479 Maximum value is 6.
4480 Even when this option is set to 2 you can still edit text with more
4481 combining characters, you just can't see them. Use |g8| or |ga|.
4482 See |mbyte-combining|.
4484 *'maxfuncdepth'* *'mfd'*
4485 'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' number (default 100)
4486 global
4487 {not in Vi}
4488 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4489 feature}
4490 Maximum depth of function calls for user functions. This normally
4491 catches endless recursion. When using a recursive function with
4492 more depth, set 'maxfuncdepth' to a bigger number. But this will use
4493 more memory, there is the danger of failing when memory is exhausted.
4494 See also |:function|.
4496 *'maxmapdepth'* *'mmd'* *E223*
4497 'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' number (default 1000)
4498 global
4499 {not in Vi}
4500 Maximum number of times a mapping is done without resulting in a
4501 character to be used. This normally catches endless mappings, like
4502 ":map x y" with ":map y x". It still does not catch ":map g wg",
4503 because the 'w' is used before the next mapping is done. See also
4504 |key-mapping|.
4506 *'maxmem'* *'mm'*
4507 'maxmem' 'mm' number (default between 256 to 5120 (system
4508 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4509 available)
4510 global
4511 {not in Vi}
4512 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for one buffer. When this
4513 limit is reached allocating extra memory for a buffer will cause
4514 other memory to be freed. Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work
4515 without a limit. Also see 'maxmemtot'.
4517 *'maxmempattern'* *'mmp'*
4518 'maxmempattern' 'mmp' number (default 1000)
4519 global
4520 {not in Vi}
4521 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for pattern matching.
4522 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit.
4523 *E363*
4524 When Vim runs into the limit it gives an error message and mostly
4525 behaves like CTRL-C was typed.
4526 Running into the limit often means that the pattern is very
4527 inefficient or too complex. This may already happen with the pattern
4528 "\(.\)*" on a very long line. ".*" works much better.
4529 Vim may run out of memory before hitting the 'maxmempattern' limit.
4531 *'maxmemtot'* *'mmt'*
4532 'maxmemtot' 'mmt' number (default between 2048 and 10240 (system
4533 dependent) or half the amount of memory
4534 available)
4535 global
4536 {not in Vi}
4537 Maximum amount of memory (in Kbyte) to use for all buffers together.
4538 Maximum value 2000000. Use this to work without a limit. Also see
4539 'maxmem'.
4541 *'menuitems'* *'mis'*
4542 'menuitems' 'mis' number (default 25)
4543 global
4544 {not in Vi}
4545 {not available when compiled without the |+menu|
4546 feature}
4547 Maximum number of items to use in a menu. Used for menus that are
4548 generated from a list of items, e.g., the Buffers menu. Changing this
4549 option has no direct effect, the menu must be refreshed first.
4551 *'mkspellmem'* *'msm'*
4552 'mkspellmem' 'msm' string (default "460000,2000,500")
4553 global
4554 {not in Vi}
4555 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
4556 feature}
4557 Parameters for |:mkspell|. This tunes when to start compressing the
4558 word tree. Compression can be slow when there are many words, but
4559 it's needed to avoid running out of memory. The amount of memory used
4560 per word depends very much on how similar the words are, that's why
4561 this tuning is complicated.
4563 There are three numbers, separated by commas:
4564 {start},{inc},{added}
4566 For most languages the uncompressed word tree fits in memory. {start}
4567 gives the amount of memory in Kbyte that can be used before any
4568 compression is done. It should be a bit smaller than the amount of
4569 memory that is available to Vim.
4571 When going over the {start} limit the {inc} number specifies the
4572 amount of memory in Kbyte that can be allocated before another
4573 compression is done. A low number means compression is done after
4574 less words are added, which is slow. A high number means more memory
4575 will be allocated.
4577 After doing compression, {added} times 1024 words can be added before
4578 the {inc} limit is ignored and compression is done when any extra
4579 amount of memory is needed. A low number means there is a smaller
4580 chance of hitting the {inc} limit, less memory is used but it's
4581 slower.
4583 The languages for which these numbers are important are Italian and
4584 Hungarian. The default works for when you have about 512 Mbyte. If
4585 you have 1 Gbyte you could use: >
4586 :set mkspellmem=900000,3000,800
4587 < If you have less than 512 Mbyte |:mkspell| may fail for some
4588 languages, no matter what you set 'mkspellmem' to.
4590 *'modeline'* *'ml'* *'nomodeline'* *'noml'*
4591 'modeline' 'ml' boolean (Vim default: on (off for root),
4592 Vi default: off)
4593 local to buffer
4594 *'modelines'* *'mls'*
4595 'modelines' 'mls' number (default 5)
4596 global
4597 {not in Vi}
4598 If 'modeline' is on 'modelines' gives the number of lines that is
4599 checked for set commands. If 'modeline' is off or 'modelines' is zero
4600 no lines are checked. See |modeline|.
4601 NOTE: 'modeline' is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4602 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4604 *'modifiable'* *'ma'* *'nomodifiable'* *'noma'*
4605 'modifiable' 'ma' boolean (default on)
4606 local to buffer
4607 {not in Vi} *E21*
4608 When off the buffer contents cannot be changed. The 'fileformat' and
4609 'fileencoding' options also can't be changed.
4610 Can be reset with the |-M| command line argument.
4612 *'modified'* *'mod'* *'nomodified'* *'nomod'*
4613 'modified' 'mod' boolean (default off)
4614 local to buffer
4615 {not in Vi}
4616 When on, the buffer is considered to be modified. This option is set
4617 when:
4618 1. A change was made to the text since it was last written. Using the
4619 |undo| command to go back to the original text will reset the
4620 option. But undoing changes that were made before writing the
4621 buffer will set the option again, since the text is different from
4622 when it was written.
4623 2. 'fileformat' or 'fileencoding' is different from its original
4624 value. The original value is set when the buffer is read or
4625 written. A ":set nomodified" command also resets the original
4626 values to the current values and the 'modified' option will be
4627 reset.
4628 When 'buftype' is "nowrite" or "nofile" this option may be set, but
4629 will be ignored.
4631 *'more'* *'nomore'*
4632 'more' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
4633 global
4634 {not in Vi}
4635 When on, listings pause when the whole screen is filled. You will get
4636 the |more-prompt|. When this option is off there are no pauses, the
4637 listing continues until finished.
4638 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
4639 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
4641 *'mouse'* *E538*
4642 'mouse' string (default "", "a" for GUI, MS-DOS and Win32)
4643 global
4644 {not in Vi}
4645 Enable the use of the mouse. Only works for certain terminals
4646 (xterm, MS-DOS, Win32 |win32-mouse|, QNX pterm, *BSD console with
4647 sysmouse and Linux console with gpm). For using the mouse in the
4648 GUI, see |gui-mouse|.
4649 The mouse can be enabled for different modes:
4650 n Normal mode
4651 v Visual mode
4652 i Insert mode
4653 c Command-line mode
4654 h all previous modes when editing a help file
4655 a all previous modes
4656 r for |hit-enter| and |more-prompt| prompt
4657 Normally you would enable the mouse in all four modes with: >
4658 :set mouse=a
4659 < When the mouse is not enabled, the GUI will still use the mouse for
4660 modeless selection. This doesn't move the text cursor.
4662 See |mouse-using|. Also see |'clipboard'|.
4664 Note: When enabling the mouse in a terminal, copy/paste will use the
4665 "* register if there is access to an X-server. The xterm handling of
4666 the mouse buttons can still be used by keeping the shift key pressed.
4667 Also see the 'clipboard' option.
4669 *'mousefocus'* *'mousef'* *'nomousefocus'* *'nomousef'*
4670 'mousefocus' 'mousef' boolean (default off)
4671 global
4672 {not in Vi}
4673 {only works in the GUI}
4674 The window that the mouse pointer is on is automatically activated.
4675 When changing the window layout or window focus in another way, the
4676 mouse pointer is moved to the window with keyboard focus. Off is the
4677 default because it makes using the pull down menus a little goofy, as
4678 a pointer transit may activate a window unintentionally.
4680 *'mousehide'* *'mh'* *'nomousehide'* *'nomh'*
4681 'mousehide' 'mh' boolean (default on)
4682 global
4683 {not in Vi}
4684 {only works in the GUI}
4685 When on, the mouse pointer is hidden when characters are typed.
4686 The mouse pointer is restored when the mouse is moved.
4688 *'mousemodel'* *'mousem'*
4689 'mousemodel' 'mousem' string (default "extend", "popup" for MS-DOS and Win32)
4690 global
4691 {not in Vi}
4692 Sets the model to use for the mouse. The name mostly specifies what
4693 the right mouse button is used for:
4694 extend Right mouse button extends a selection. This works
4695 like in an xterm.
4696 popup Right mouse button pops up a menu. The shifted left
4697 mouse button extends a selection. This works like
4698 with Microsoft Windows.
4699 popup_setpos Like "popup", but the cursor will be moved to the
4700 position where the mouse was clicked, and thus the
4701 selected operation will act upon the clicked object.
4702 If clicking inside a selection, that selection will
4703 be acted upon, i.e. no cursor move. This implies of
4704 course, that right clicking outside a selection will
4705 end Visual mode.
4706 Overview of what button does what for each model:
4707 mouse extend popup(_setpos) ~
4708 left click place cursor place cursor
4709 left drag start selection start selection
4710 shift-left search word extend selection
4711 right click extend selection popup menu (place cursor)
4712 right drag extend selection -
4713 middle click paste paste
4715 In the "popup" model the right mouse button produces a pop-up menu.
4716 You need to define this first, see |popup-menu|.
4718 Note that you can further refine the meaning of buttons with mappings.
4719 See |gui-mouse-mapping|. But mappings are NOT used for modeless
4720 selection (because that's handled in the GUI code directly).
4722 The 'mousemodel' option is set by the |:behave| command.
4724 *'mouseshape'* *'mouses'* *E547*
4725 'mouseshape' 'mouses' string (default "i:beam,r:beam,s:updown,sd:cross,
4726 m:no,ml:up-arrow,v:rightup-arrow")
4727 global
4728 {not in Vi}
4729 {only available when compiled with the |+mouseshape|
4730 feature}
4731 This option tells Vim what the mouse pointer should look like in
4732 different modes. The option is a comma separated list of parts, much
4733 like used for 'guicursor'. Each part consist of a mode/location-list
4734 and an argument-list:
4735 mode-list:shape,mode-list:shape,..
4736 The mode-list is a dash separated list of these modes/locations:
4737 In a normal window: ~
4738 n Normal mode
4739 v Visual mode
4740 ve Visual mode with 'selection' "exclusive" (same as 'v',
4741 if not specified)
4742 o Operator-pending mode
4743 i Insert mode
4744 r Replace mode
4746 Others: ~
4747 c appending to the command-line
4748 ci inserting in the command-line
4749 cr replacing in the command-line
4750 m at the 'Hit ENTER' or 'More' prompts
4751 ml idem, but cursor in the last line
4752 e any mode, pointer below last window
4753 s any mode, pointer on a status line
4754 sd any mode, while dragging a status line
4755 vs any mode, pointer on a vertical separator line
4756 vd any mode, while dragging a vertical separator line
4757 a everywhere
4759 The shape is one of the following:
4760 avail name looks like ~
4761 w x arrow Normal mouse pointer
4762 w x blank no pointer at all (use with care!)
4763 w x beam I-beam
4764 w x updown up-down sizing arrows
4765 w x leftright left-right sizing arrows
4766 w x busy The system's usual busy pointer
4767 w x no The system's usual 'no input' pointer
4768 x udsizing indicates up-down resizing
4769 x lrsizing indicates left-right resizing
4770 x crosshair like a big thin +
4771 x hand1 black hand
4772 x hand2 white hand
4773 x pencil what you write with
4774 x question big ?
4775 x rightup-arrow arrow pointing right-up
4776 w x up-arrow arrow pointing up
4777 x <number> any X11 pointer number (see X11/cursorfont.h)
4779 The "avail" column contains a 'w' if the shape is available for Win32,
4780 x for X11.
4781 Any modes not specified or shapes not available use the normal mouse
4782 pointer.
4784 Example: >
4785 :set mouseshape=s:udsizing,m:no
4786 < will make the mouse turn to a sizing arrow over the status lines and
4787 indicate no input when the hit-enter prompt is displayed (since
4788 clicking the mouse has no effect in this state.)
4790 *'mousetime'* *'mouset'*
4791 'mousetime' 'mouset' number (default 500)
4792 global
4793 {not in Vi}
4794 Only for GUI, MS-DOS, Win32 and Unix with xterm. Defines the maximum
4795 time in msec between two mouse clicks for the second click to be
4796 recognized as a multi click.
4798 *'mzquantum'* *'mzq'*
4799 'mzquantum' 'mzq' number (default 100)
4800 global
4801 {not in Vi}
4802 {not available when compiled without the |+mzscheme|
4803 feature}
4804 The number of milliseconds between polls for MzScheme threads.
4805 Negative or zero value means no thread scheduling.
4807 *'nrformats'* *'nf'*
4808 'nrformats' 'nf' string (default "octal,hex")
4809 local to buffer
4810 {not in Vi}
4811 This defines what bases Vim will consider for numbers when using the
4812 CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands for adding to and subtracting from a number
4813 respectively; see |CTRL-A| for more info on these commands.
4814 alpha If included, single alphabetical characters will be
4815 incremented or decremented. This is useful for a list with a
4816 letter index a), b), etc.
4817 octal If included, numbers that start with a zero will be considered
4818 to be octal. Example: Using CTRL-A on "007" results in "010".
4819 hex If included, numbers starting with "0x" or "0X" will be
4820 considered to be hexadecimal. Example: Using CTRL-X on
4821 "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
4822 Numbers which simply begin with a digit in the range 1-9 are always
4823 considered decimal. This also happens for numbers that are not
4824 recognized as octal or hex.
4826 *'number'* *'nu'* *'nonumber'* *'nonu'*
4827 'number' 'nu' boolean (default off)
4828 local to window
4829 Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is
4830 excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of
4831 line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set).
4832 The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line
4833 number.
4834 When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-'
4835 characters are put before the number.
4836 See |hl-LineNr| for the highlighting used for the number.
4838 *'numberwidth'* *'nuw'*
4839 'numberwidth' 'nuw' number (Vim default: 4 Vi default: 8)
4840 local to window
4841 {not in Vi}
4842 {only available when compiled with the |+linebreak|
4843 feature}
4844 Minimal number of columns to use for the line number. Only relevant
4845 when the 'number' option is set or printing lines with a line number.
4846 Since one space is always between the number and the text, there is
4847 one less character for the number itself.
4848 The value is the minimum width. A bigger width is used when needed to
4849 fit the highest line number in the buffer. Thus with the Vim default
4850 of 4 there is room for a line number up to 999. When the buffer has
4851 1000 lines five columns will be used.
4852 The minimum value is 1, the maximum value is 10.
4853 NOTE: 'numberwidth' is reset to 8 when 'compatible' is set.
4855 *'omnifunc'* *'ofu'*
4856 'omnifunc' 'ofu' string (default: empty)
4857 local to buffer
4858 {not in Vi}
4859 {not available when compiled without the +eval
4860 or +insert_expand feature}
4861 This option specifies a function to be used for Insert mode omni
4862 completion with CTRL-X CTRL-O. |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-O|
4863 See |complete-functions| for an explanation of how the function is
4864 invoked and what it should return.
4865 This option is usually set by a filetype plugin:
4866 |:filetype-plugin-on|
4869 *'opendevice'* *'odev'* *'noopendevice'* *'noodev'*
4870 'opendevice' 'odev' boolean (default off)
4871 global
4872 {not in Vi}
4873 {only for MS-DOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
4874 Enable reading and writing from devices. This may get Vim stuck on a
4875 device that can be opened but doesn't actually do the I/O. Therefore
4876 it is off by default.
4877 Note that on MS-Windows editing "aux.h", "lpt1.txt" and the like also
4878 result in editing a device.
4881 *'operatorfunc'* *'opfunc'*
4882 'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' string (default: empty)
4883 global
4884 {not in Vi}
4885 This option specifies a function to be called by the |g@| operator.
4886 See |:map-operator| for more info and an example.
4888 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
4889 security reasons.
4892 *'osfiletype'* *'oft'* *E366*
4893 'osfiletype' 'oft' string (RISC-OS default: "Text",
4894 others default: "")
4895 local to buffer
4896 {not in Vi}
4897 {only available when compiled with the |+osfiletype|
4898 feature}
4899 Some operating systems store extra information about files besides
4900 name, datestamp and permissions. This option contains the extra
4901 information, the nature of which will vary between systems.
4902 The value of this option is usually set when the file is loaded, and
4903 is used to set the operating system file type when file is written.
4904 It can affect the pattern matching of the automatic commands.
4905 |autocmd-osfiletypes|
4907 *'paragraphs'* *'para'*
4908 'paragraphs' 'para' string (default "IPLPPPQPP TPHPLIPpLpItpplpipbp")
4909 global
4910 Specifies the nroff macros that separate paragraphs. These are pairs
4911 of two letters (see |object-motions|).
4913 *'paste'* *'nopaste'*
4914 'paste' boolean (default off)
4915 global
4916 {not in Vi}
4917 Put Vim in Paste mode. This is useful if you want to cut or copy
4918 some text from one window and paste it in Vim. This will avoid
4919 unexpected effects.
4920 Setting this option is useful when using Vim in a terminal, where Vim
4921 cannot distinguish between typed text and pasted text. In the GUI, Vim
4922 knows about pasting and will mostly do the right thing without 'paste'
4923 being set. The same is true for a terminal where Vim handles the
4924 mouse clicks itself.
4925 This option is reset when starting the GUI. Thus if you set it in
4926 your .vimrc it will work in a terminal, but not in the GUI. Setting
4927 'paste' in the GUI has side effects: e.g., the Paste toolbar button
4928 will no longer work in Insert mode, because it uses a mapping.
4929 When the 'paste' option is switched on (also when it was already on):
4930 - mapping in Insert mode and Command-line mode is disabled
4931 - abbreviations are disabled
4932 - 'textwidth' is set to 0
4933 - 'wrapmargin' is set to 0
4934 - 'autoindent' is reset
4935 - 'smartindent' is reset
4936 - 'softtabstop' is set to 0
4937 - 'revins' is reset
4938 - 'ruler' is reset
4939 - 'showmatch' is reset
4940 - 'formatoptions' is used like it is empty
4941 These options keep their value, but their effect is disabled:
4942 - 'lisp'
4943 - 'indentexpr'
4944 - 'cindent'
4945 NOTE: When you start editing another file while the 'paste' option is
4946 on, settings from the modelines or autocommands may change the
4947 settings again, causing trouble when pasting text. You might want to
4948 set the 'paste' option again.
4949 When the 'paste' option is reset the mentioned options are restored to
4950 the value before the moment 'paste' was switched from off to on.
4951 Resetting 'paste' before ever setting it does not have any effect.
4952 Since mapping doesn't work while 'paste' is active, you need to use
4953 the 'pastetoggle' option to toggle the 'paste' option with some key.
4955 *'pastetoggle'* *'pt'*
4956 'pastetoggle' 'pt' string (default "")
4957 global
4958 {not in Vi}
4959 When non-empty, specifies the key sequence that toggles the 'paste'
4960 option. This is like specifying a mapping: >
4961 :map {keys} :set invpaste<CR>
4962 < Where {keys} is the value of 'pastetoggle'.
4963 The difference is that it will work even when 'paste' is set.
4964 'pastetoggle' works in Insert mode and Normal mode, but not in
4965 Command-line mode.
4966 Mappings are checked first, thus overrule 'pastetoggle'. However,
4967 when 'paste' is on mappings are ignored in Insert mode, thus you can do
4968 this: >
4969 :map <F10> :set paste<CR>
4970 :map <F11> :set nopaste<CR>
4971 :imap <F10> <C-O>:set paste<CR>
4972 :imap <F11> <nop>
4973 :set pastetoggle=<F11>
4974 < This will make <F10> start paste mode and <F11> stop paste mode.
4975 Note that typing <F10> in paste mode inserts "<F10>", since in paste
4976 mode everything is inserted literally, except the 'pastetoggle' key
4977 sequence.
4978 When the value has several bytes 'ttimeoutlen' applies.
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|, |:sfind|, |:tabfind| and other commands,
5018 provided that the file being searched for has a relative path (not
5019 starting with "/", "./" or "../"). The directories in the 'path'
5020 option may be relative or absolute.
5021 - Use commas to separate directory names: >
5022 :set path=.,/usr/local/include,/usr/include
5023 < - Spaces can also be used to separate directory names (for backwards
5024 compatibility with version 3.0). To have a space in a directory
5025 name, precede it with an extra backslash, and escape the space: >
5026 :set path=.,/dir/with\\\ space
5027 < - To include a comma in a directory name precede it with an extra
5028 backslash: >
5029 :set path=.,/dir/with\\,comma
5030 < - To search relative to the directory of the current file, use: >
5031 :set path=.
5032 < - To search in the current directory use an empty string between two
5033 commas: >
5034 :set path=,,
5035 < - A directory name may end in a ':' or '/'.
5036 - Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5037 - When using |netrw.vim| URLs can be used. For example, adding
5038 "http://www.vim.org" will make ":find index.html" work.
5039 - Search upwards and downwards in a directory tree using "*", "**" and
5040 ";". See |file-searching| for info and syntax.
5041 {not available when compiled without the |+path_extra| feature}
5042 - Careful with '\' characters, type two to get one in the option: >
5043 :set path=.,c:\\include
5044 < Or just use '/' instead: >
5045 :set path=.,c:/include
5046 < Don't forget "." or files won't even be found in the same directory as
5047 the file!
5048 The maximum length is limited. How much depends on the system, mostly
5049 it is something like 256 or 1024 characters.
5050 You can check if all the include files are found, using the value of
5051 'path', see |:checkpath|.
5052 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
5053 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
5054 uses another default. To remove the current directory use: >
5055 :set path-=
5056 < To add the current directory use: >
5057 :set path+=
5058 < To use an environment variable, you probably need to replace the
5059 separator. Here is an example to append $INCL, in which directory
5060 names are separated with a semi-colon: >
5061 :let &path = &path . "," . substitute($INCL, ';', ',', 'g')
5062 < Replace the ';' with a ':' or whatever separator is used. Note that
5063 this doesn't work when $INCL contains a comma or white space.
5065 *'preserveindent'* *'pi'* *'nopreserveindent'* *'nopi'*
5066 'preserveindent' 'pi' boolean (default off)
5067 local to buffer
5068 {not in Vi}
5069 When changing the indent of the current line, preserve as much of the
5070 indent structure as possible. Normally the indent is replaced by a
5071 series of tabs followed by spaces as required (unless |'expandtab'| is
5072 enabled, in which case only spaces are used). Enabling this option
5073 means the indent will preserve as many existing characters as possible
5074 for indenting, and only add additional tabs or spaces as required.
5075 'expandtab' does not apply to the preserved white space, a Tab remains
5076 a Tab.
5077 NOTE: When using ">>" multiple times the resulting indent is a mix of
5078 tabs and spaces. You might not like this.
5079 NOTE: 'preserveindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5080 Also see 'copyindent'.
5081 Use |:retab| to clean up white space.
5083 *'previewheight'* *'pvh'*
5084 'previewheight' 'pvh' number (default 12)
5085 global
5086 {not in Vi}
5087 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5088 |+quickfix| feature}
5089 Default height for a preview window. Used for |:ptag| and associated
5090 commands. Used for |CTRL-W_}| when no count is given.
5092 *'previewwindow'* *'nopreviewwindow'*
5093 *'pvw'* *'nopvw'* *E590*
5094 'previewwindow' 'pvw' boolean (default off)
5095 local to window
5096 {not in Vi}
5097 {not available when compiled without the |+windows| or
5098 |+quickfix| feature}
5099 Identifies the preview window. Only one window can have this option
5100 set. It's normally not set directly, but by using one of the commands
5101 |:ptag|, |:pedit|, etc.
5103 *'printdevice'* *'pdev'*
5104 'printdevice' 'pdev' string (default empty)
5105 global
5106 {not in Vi}
5107 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5108 feature}
5109 The name of the printer to be used for |:hardcopy|.
5110 See |pdev-option|.
5111 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5112 security reasons.
5114 *'printencoding'* *'penc'*
5115 'printencoding' 'penc' String (default empty, except for some systems)
5116 global
5117 {not in Vi}
5118 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5119 and |+postscript| features}
5120 Sets the character encoding used when printing.
5121 See |penc-option|.
5123 *'printexpr'* *'pexpr'*
5124 'printexpr' 'pexpr' String (default: see below)
5125 global
5126 {not in Vi}
5127 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5128 and |+postscript| features}
5129 Expression used to print the PostScript produced with |:hardcopy|.
5130 See |pexpr-option|.
5132 *'printfont'* *'pfn'*
5133 'printfont' 'pfn' string (default "courier")
5134 global
5135 {not in Vi}
5136 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5137 feature}
5138 The name of the font that will be used for |:hardcopy|.
5139 See |pfn-option|.
5141 *'printheader'* *'pheader'*
5142 'printheader' 'pheader' string (default "%<%f%h%m%=Page %N")
5143 global
5144 {not in Vi}
5145 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|
5146 feature}
5147 The format of the header produced in |:hardcopy| output.
5148 See |pheader-option|.
5150 *'printmbcharset'* *'pmbcs'*
5151 'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' string (default "")
5152 global
5153 {not in Vi}
5154 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5155 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5156 The CJK character set to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5157 See |pmbcs-option|.
5159 *'printmbfont'* *'pmbfn'*
5160 'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' string (default "")
5161 global
5162 {not in Vi}
5163 {only available when compiled with the |+printer|,
5164 |+postscript| and |+multi_byte| features}
5165 List of font names to be used for CJK output from |:hardcopy|.
5166 See |pmbfn-option|.
5168 *'printoptions'* *'popt'*
5169 'printoptions' 'popt' string (default "")
5170 global
5171 {not in Vi}
5172 {only available when compiled with |+printer| feature}
5173 List of items that control the format of the output of |:hardcopy|.
5174 See |popt-option|.
5176 *'prompt'* *'noprompt'*
5177 'prompt' boolean (default on)
5178 global
5179 When on a ":" prompt is used in Ex mode.
5181 *'pumheight'* *'ph'*
5182 'pumheight' 'ph' number (default 0)
5183 global
5184 {not available when compiled without the
5185 |+insert_expand| feature}
5186 {not in Vi}
5187 Determines the maximum number of items to show in the popup menu for
5188 Insert mode completion. When zero as much space as available is used.
5189 |ins-completion-menu|.
5192 *'quoteescape'* *'qe'*
5193 'quoteescape' 'qe' string (default "\")
5194 local to buffer
5195 {not in Vi}
5196 The characters that are used to escape quotes in a string. Used for
5197 objects like a', a" and a` |a'|.
5198 When one of the characters in this option is found inside a string,
5199 the following character will be skipped. The default value makes the
5200 text "foo\"bar\\" considered to be one string.
5202 *'readonly'* *'ro'* *'noreadonly'* *'noro'*
5203 'readonly' 'ro' boolean (default off)
5204 local to buffer
5205 If on, writes fail unless you use a '!'. Protects you from
5206 accidentally overwriting a file. Default on when Vim is started
5207 in read-only mode ("vim -R") or when the executable is called "view".
5208 When using ":w!" the 'readonly' option is reset for the current
5209 buffer, unless the 'Z' flag is in 'cpoptions'.
5210 {not in Vi:} When using the ":view" command the 'readonly' option is
5211 set for the newly edited buffer.
5213 *'redrawtime'* *'rdt'*
5214 'redrawtime' 'rdt' number (default 2000)
5215 global
5216 {not in Vi}
5217 {only available when compiled with the |+reltime|
5218 feature}
5219 The time in milliseconds for redrawing the display. This applies to
5220 searching for patterns for 'hlsearch' and |:match| highlighting.
5221 When redrawing takes more than this many milliseconds no further
5222 matches will be highlighted. This is used to avoid that Vim hangs
5223 when using a very complicated pattern.
5225 *'remap'* *'noremap'*
5226 'remap' boolean (default on)
5227 global
5228 Allows for mappings to work recursively. If you do not want this for
5229 a single entry, use the :noremap[!] command.
5230 NOTE: To avoid portability problems with Vim scripts, always keep
5231 this option at the default "on". Only switch it off when working with
5232 old Vi scripts.
5234 *'report'*
5235 'report' number (default 2)
5236 global
5237 Threshold for reporting number of lines changed. When the number of
5238 changed lines is more than 'report' a message will be given for most
5239 ":" commands. If you want it always, set 'report' to 0.
5240 For the ":substitute" command the number of substitutions is used
5241 instead of the number of lines.
5243 *'restorescreen'* *'rs'* *'norestorescreen'* *'nors'*
5244 'restorescreen' 'rs' boolean (default on)
5245 global
5246 {not in Vi} {only in Windows 95/NT console version}
5247 When set, the screen contents is restored when exiting Vim. This also
5248 happens when executing external commands.
5250 For non-Windows Vim: You can set or reset the 't_ti' and 't_te'
5251 options in your .vimrc. To disable restoring:
5252 set t_ti= t_te=
5253 To enable restoring (for an xterm):
5254 set t_ti=^[7^[[r^[[?47h t_te=^[[?47l^[8
5255 (Where ^[ is an <Esc>, type CTRL-V <Esc> to insert it)
5257 *'revins'* *'ri'* *'norevins'* *'nori'*
5258 'revins' 'ri' boolean (default off)
5259 global
5260 {not in Vi}
5261 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5262 feature}
5263 Inserting characters in Insert mode will work backwards. See "typing
5264 backwards" |ins-reverse|. This option can be toggled with the CTRL-_
5265 command in Insert mode, when 'allowrevins' is set.
5266 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' or 'paste' is set.
5268 *'rightleft'* *'rl'* *'norightleft'* *'norl'*
5269 'rightleft' 'rl' boolean (default off)
5270 local to window
5271 {not in Vi}
5272 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5273 feature}
5274 When on, display orientation becomes right-to-left, i.e., characters
5275 that are stored in the file appear from the right to the left.
5276 Using this option, it is possible to edit files for languages that
5277 are written from the right to the left such as Hebrew and Arabic.
5278 This option is per window, so it is possible to edit mixed files
5279 simultaneously, or to view the same file in both ways (this is
5280 useful whenever you have a mixed text file with both right-to-left
5281 and left-to-right strings so that both sets are displayed properly
5282 in different windows). Also see |rileft.txt|.
5284 *'rightleftcmd'* *'rlc'* *'norightleftcmd'* *'norlc'*
5285 'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' string (default "search")
5286 local to window
5287 {not in Vi}
5288 {only available when compiled with the |+rightleft|
5289 feature}
5290 Each word in this option enables the command line editing to work in
5291 right-to-left mode for a group of commands:
5293 search "/" and "?" commands
5295 This is useful for languages such as Hebrew, Arabic and Farsi.
5296 The 'rightleft' option must be set for 'rightleftcmd' to take effect.
5298 *'ruler'* *'ru'* *'noruler'* *'noru'*
5299 'ruler' 'ru' boolean (default off)
5300 global
5301 {not in Vi}
5302 {not available when compiled without the
5303 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5304 Show the line and column number of the cursor position, separated by a
5305 comma. When there is room, the relative position of the displayed
5306 text in the file is shown on the far right:
5307 Top first line is visible
5308 Bot last line is visible
5309 All first and last line are visible
5310 45% relative position in the file
5311 If 'rulerformat' is set, it will determine the contents of the ruler.
5312 Each window has its own ruler. If a window has a status line, the
5313 ruler is shown there. Otherwise it is shown in the last line of the
5314 screen. If the statusline is given by 'statusline' (i.e. not empty),
5315 this option takes precedence over 'ruler' and 'rulerformat'
5316 If the number of characters displayed is different from the number of
5317 bytes in the text (e.g., for a TAB or a multi-byte character), both
5318 the text column (byte number) and the screen column are shown,
5319 separated with a dash.
5320 For an empty line "0-1" is shown.
5321 For an empty buffer the line number will also be zero: "0,0-1".
5322 This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5323 If you don't want to see the ruler all the time but want to know where
5324 you are, use "g CTRL-G" |g_CTRL-G|.
5325 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5327 *'rulerformat'* *'ruf'*
5328 'rulerformat' 'ruf' string (default empty)
5329 global
5330 {not in Vi}
5331 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
5332 feature}
5333 When this option is not empty, it determines the content of the ruler
5334 string, as displayed for the 'ruler' option.
5335 The format of this option is like that of 'statusline'.
5336 The default ruler width is 17 characters. To make the ruler 15
5337 characters wide, put "%15(" at the start and "%)" at the end.
5338 Example: >
5339 :set rulerformat=%15(%c%V\ %p%%%)
5340 <
5341 *'runtimepath'* *'rtp'* *vimfiles*
5342 'runtimepath' 'rtp' string (default:
5343 Unix: "$HOME/.vim,
5344 $VIM/vimfiles,
5345 $VIMRUNTIME,
5346 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5347 $HOME/.vim/after"
5348 Amiga: "home:vimfiles,
5349 $VIM/vimfiles,
5350 $VIMRUNTIME,
5351 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5352 home:vimfiles/after"
5353 PC, OS/2: "$HOME/vimfiles,
5354 $VIM/vimfiles,
5355 $VIMRUNTIME,
5356 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5357 $HOME/vimfiles/after"
5358 Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles,
5359 $VIMRUNTIME,
5360 $VIM:vimfiles:after"
5361 RISC-OS: "Choices:vimfiles,
5362 $VIMRUNTIME,
5363 Choices:vimfiles/after"
5364 VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles,
5365 $VIM/vimfiles,
5366 $VIMRUNTIME,
5367 $VIM/vimfiles/after,
5368 sys$login:vimfiles/after")
5369 global
5370 {not in Vi}
5371 This is a list of directories which will be searched for runtime
5372 files:
5373 filetype.vim filetypes by file name |new-filetype|
5374 scripts.vim filetypes by file contents |new-filetype-scripts|
5375 autoload/ automatically loaded scripts |autoload-functions|
5376 colors/ color scheme files |:colorscheme|
5377 compiler/ compiler files |:compiler|
5378 doc/ documentation |write-local-help|
5379 ftplugin/ filetype plugins |write-filetype-plugin|
5380 indent/ indent scripts |indent-expression|
5381 keymap/ key mapping files |mbyte-keymap|
5382 lang/ menu translations |:menutrans|
5383 menu.vim GUI menus |menu.vim|
5384 plugin/ plugin scripts |write-plugin|
5385 print/ files for printing |postscript-print-encoding|
5386 spell/ spell checking files |spell|
5387 syntax/ syntax files |mysyntaxfile|
5388 tutor/ files for vimtutor |tutor|
5390 And any other file searched for with the |:runtime| command.
5392 The defaults for most systems are setup to search five locations:
5393 1. In your home directory, for your personal preferences.
5394 2. In a system-wide Vim directory, for preferences from the system
5395 administrator.
5396 3. In $VIMRUNTIME, for files distributed with Vim.
5397 *after-directory*
5398 4. In the "after" directory in the system-wide Vim directory. This is
5399 for the system administrator to overrule or add to the distributed
5400 defaults (rarely needed)
5401 5. In the "after" directory in your home directory. This is for
5402 personal preferences to overrule or add to the distributed defaults
5403 or system-wide settings (rarely needed).
5405 Note that, unlike 'path', no wildcards like "**" are allowed. Normal
5406 wildcards are allowed, but can significantly slow down searching for
5407 runtime files. For speed, use as few items as possible and avoid
5408 wildcards.
5409 See |:runtime|.
5410 Example: >
5411 :set runtimepath=~/vimruntime,/mygroup/vim,$VIMRUNTIME
5412 < This will use the directory "~/vimruntime" first (containing your
5413 personal Vim runtime files), then "/mygroup/vim" (shared between a
5414 group of people) and finally "$VIMRUNTIME" (the distributed runtime
5415 files).
5416 You probably should always include $VIMRUNTIME somewhere, to use the
5417 distributed runtime files. You can put a directory before $VIMRUNTIME
5418 to find files which replace a distributed runtime files. You can put
5419 a directory after $VIMRUNTIME to find files which add to distributed
5420 runtime files.
5421 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5422 security reasons.
5424 *'scroll'* *'scr'*
5425 'scroll' 'scr' number (default: half the window height)
5426 local to window
5427 Number of lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D commands. Will be
5428 set to half the number of lines in the window when the window size
5429 changes. If you give a count to the CTRL-U or CTRL-D command it will
5430 be used as the new value for 'scroll'. Reset to half the window
5431 height with ":set scroll=0". {Vi is a bit different: 'scroll' gives
5432 the number of screen lines instead of file lines, makes a difference
5433 when lines wrap}
5435 *'scrollbind'* *'scb'* *'noscrollbind'* *'noscb'*
5436 'scrollbind' 'scb' boolean (default off)
5437 local to window
5438 {not in Vi}
5439 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5440 feature}
5441 See also |scroll-binding|. When this option is set, the current
5442 window scrolls as other scrollbind windows (windows that also have
5443 this option set) scroll. This option is useful for viewing the
5444 differences between two versions of a file, see 'diff'.
5445 See |'scrollopt'| for options that determine how this option should be
5446 interpreted.
5447 This option is mostly reset when splitting a window to edit another
5448 file. This means that ":split | edit file" results in two windows
5449 with scroll-binding, but ":split file" does not.
5451 *'scrolljump'* *'sj'*
5452 'scrolljump' 'sj' number (default 1)
5453 global
5454 {not in Vi}
5455 Minimal number of lines to scroll when the cursor gets off the
5456 screen (e.g., with "j"). Not used for scroll commands (e.g., CTRL-E,
5457 CTRL-D). Useful if your terminal scrolls very slowly.
5458 When set to a negative number from -1 to -100 this is used as the
5459 percentage of the window height. Thus -50 scrolls half the window
5460 height.
5461 NOTE: This option is set to 1 when 'compatible' is set.
5463 *'scrolloff'* *'so'*
5464 'scrolloff' 'so' number (default 0)
5465 global
5466 {not in Vi}
5467 Minimal number of screen lines to keep above and below the cursor.
5468 This will make some context visible around where you are working. If
5469 you set it to a very large value (999) the cursor line will always be
5470 in the middle of the window (except at the start or end of the file or
5471 when long lines wrap).
5472 For scrolling horizontally see 'sidescrolloff'.
5473 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5475 *'scrollopt'* *'sbo'*
5476 'scrollopt' 'sbo' string (default "ver,jump")
5477 global
5478 {not available when compiled without the |+scrollbind|
5479 feature}
5480 {not in Vi}
5481 This is a comma-separated list of words that specifies how
5482 'scrollbind' windows should behave. 'sbo' stands for ScrollBind
5483 Options.
5484 The following words are available:
5485 ver Bind vertical scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5486 hor Bind horizontal scrolling for 'scrollbind' windows
5487 jump Applies to the offset between two windows for vertical
5488 scrolling. This offset is the difference in the first
5489 displayed line of the bound windows. When moving
5490 around in a window, another 'scrollbind' window may
5491 reach a position before the start or after the end of
5492 the buffer. The offset is not changed though, when
5493 moving back the 'scrollbind' window will try to scroll
5494 to the desired position when possible.
5495 When now making that window the current one, two
5496 things can be done with the relative offset:
5497 1. When "jump" is not included, the relative offset is
5498 adjusted for the scroll position in the new current
5499 window. When going back to the other window, the
5500 new relative offset will be used.
5501 2. When "jump" is included, the other windows are
5502 scrolled to keep the same relative offset. When
5503 going back to the other window, it still uses the
5504 same relative offset.
5505 Also see |scroll-binding|.
5506 When 'diff' mode is active there always is vertical scroll binding,
5507 even when "ver" isn't there.
5509 *'sections'* *'sect'*
5510 'sections' 'sect' string (default "SHNHH HUnhsh")
5511 global
5512 Specifies the nroff macros that separate sections. These are pairs of
5513 two letters (See |object-motions|). The default makes a section start
5514 at the nroff macros ".SH", ".NH", ".H", ".HU", ".nh" and ".sh".
5516 *'secure'* *'nosecure'* *E523*
5517 'secure' boolean (default off)
5518 global
5519 {not in Vi}
5520 When on, ":autocmd", shell and write commands are not allowed in
5521 ".vimrc" and ".exrc" in the current directory and map commands are
5522 displayed. Switch it off only if you know that you will not run into
5523 problems, or when the 'exrc' option is off. On Unix this option is
5524 only used if the ".vimrc" or ".exrc" is not owned by you. This can be
5525 dangerous if the systems allows users to do a "chown". You better set
5526 'secure' at the end of your ~/.vimrc then.
5527 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5528 security reasons.
5530 *'selection'* *'sel'*
5531 'selection' 'sel' string (default "inclusive")
5532 global
5533 {not in Vi}
5534 This option defines the behavior of the selection. It is only used
5535 in Visual and Select mode.
5536 Possible values:
5537 value past line inclusive ~
5538 old no yes
5539 inclusive yes yes
5540 exclusive yes no
5541 "past line" means that the cursor is allowed to be positioned one
5542 character past the line.
5543 "inclusive" means that the last character of the selection is included
5544 in an operation. For example, when "x" is used to delete the
5545 selection.
5546 Note that when "exclusive" is used and selecting from the end
5547 backwards, you cannot include the last character of a line, when
5548 starting in Normal mode and 'virtualedit' empty.
5550 The 'selection' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5552 *'selectmode'* *'slm'*
5553 'selectmode' 'slm' string (default "")
5554 global
5555 {not in Vi}
5556 This is a comma separated list of words, which specifies when to start
5557 Select mode instead of Visual mode, when a selection is started.
5558 Possible values:
5559 mouse when using the mouse
5560 key when using shifted special keys
5561 cmd when using "v", "V" or CTRL-V
5562 See |Select-mode|.
5563 The 'selectmode' option is set by the |:behave| command.
5565 *'sessionoptions'* *'ssop'*
5566 'sessionoptions' 'ssop' string (default: "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,
5567 help,options,tabpages,winsize")
5568 global
5569 {not in Vi}
5570 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
5571 feature}
5572 Changes the effect of the |:mksession| command. It is a comma
5573 separated list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring
5574 something:
5575 word save and restore ~
5576 blank empty windows
5577 buffers hidden and unloaded buffers, not just those in windows
5578 curdir the current directory
5579 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
5580 fold options
5581 globals global variables that start with an uppercase letter
5582 and contain at least one lowercase letter. Only
5583 String and Number types are stored.
5584 help the help window
5585 localoptions options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
5586 global values for local options)
5587 options all options and mappings (also global values for local
5588 options)
5589 resize size of the Vim window: 'lines' and 'columns'
5590 sesdir the directory in which the session file is located
5591 will become the current directory (useful with
5592 projects accessed over a network from different
5593 systems)
5594 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
5595 slashes
5596 tabpages all tab pages; without this only the current tab page
5597 is restored, so that you can make a session for each
5598 tab page separately
5599 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
5600 on Windows or DOS
5601 winpos position of the whole Vim window
5602 winsize window sizes
5604 Don't include both "curdir" and "sesdir".
5605 When "curdir" nor "sesdir" is included, file names are stored with
5606 absolute paths.
5607 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing session files
5608 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
5609 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
5611 *'shell'* *'sh'* *E91*
5612 'shell' 'sh' string (default $SHELL or "sh",
5613 MS-DOS and Win32: "command.com" or
5614 "cmd.exe", OS/2: "cmd")
5615 global
5616 Name of the shell to use for ! and :! commands. When changing the
5617 value also check these options: 'shelltype', 'shellpipe', 'shellslash'
5618 'shellredir', 'shellquote', 'shellxquote' and 'shellcmdflag'.
5619 It is allowed to give an argument to the command, e.g. "csh -f".
5620 See |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes.
5621 Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
5622 If the name of the shell contains a space, you might need to enclose
5623 it in quotes. Example: >
5624 :set shell=\"c:\program\ files\unix\sh.exe\"\ -f
5625 < Note the backslash before each quote (to avoid starting a comment) and
5626 each space (to avoid ending the option value). Also note that the
5627 "-f" is not inside the quotes, because it is not part of the command
5628 name. And Vim automagically recognizes the backslashes that are path
5629 separators.
5630 For Dos 32 bits (DJGPP), you can set the $DJSYSFLAGS environment
5631 variable to change the way external commands are executed. See the
5632 libc.inf file of DJGPP.
5633 Under MS-Windows, when the executable ends in ".com" it must be
5634 included. Thus setting the shell to "command.com" or "4dos.com"
5635 works, but "command" and "4dos" do not work for all commands (e.g.,
5636 filtering).
5637 For unknown reasons, when using "4dos.com" the current directory is
5638 changed to "C:\". To avoid this set 'shell' like this: >
5639 :set shell=command.com\ /c\ 4dos
5640 < This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5641 security reasons.
5643 *'shellcmdflag'* *'shcf'*
5644 'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' string (default: "-c", MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5645 does not contain "sh" somewhere: "/c")
5646 global
5647 {not in Vi}
5648 Flag passed to the shell to execute "!" and ":!" commands; e.g.,
5649 "bash.exe -c ls" or "command.com /c dir". For the MS-DOS-like
5650 systems, the default is set according to the value of 'shell', to
5651 reduce the need to set this option by the user. It's not used for
5652 OS/2 (EMX figures this out itself). See |option-backslash| about
5653 including spaces and backslashes. See |dos-shell|.
5654 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5655 security reasons.
5657 *'shellpipe'* *'sp'*
5658 'shellpipe' 'sp' string (default ">", "| tee", "|& tee" or "2>&1| tee")
5659 global
5660 {not in Vi}
5661 {not available when compiled without the |+quickfix|
5662 feature}
5663 String to be used to put the output of the ":make" command in the
5664 error file. See also |:make_makeprg|. See |option-backslash| about
5665 including spaces and backslashes.
5666 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5667 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5668 of this option).
5669 For the Amiga and MS-DOS the default is ">". The output is directly
5670 saved in a file and not echoed to the screen.
5671 For Unix the default it "| tee". The stdout of the compiler is saved
5672 in a file and echoed to the screen. If the 'shell' option is "csh" or
5673 "tcsh" after initializations, the default becomes "|& tee". If the
5674 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh", "zsh" or "bash" the default becomes
5675 "2>&1| tee". This means that stderr is also included.
5676 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5677 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5678 there, the 'shellpipe' option changes automatically, unless it was
5679 explicitly set before.
5680 When 'shellpipe' is set to an empty string, no redirection of the
5681 ":make" output will be done. This is useful if you use a 'makeprg'
5682 that writes to 'makeef' by itself. If you want no piping, but do
5683 want to include the 'makeef', set 'shellpipe' to a single space.
5684 Don't forget to precede the space with a backslash: ":set sp=\ ".
5685 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5686 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5687 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5688 security reasons.
5690 *'shellquote'* *'shq'*
5691 'shellquote' 'shq' string (default: ""; MS-DOS and Win32, when 'shell'
5692 contains "sh" somewhere: "\"")
5693 global
5694 {not in Vi}
5695 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5696 the "!" and ":!" commands. The redirection is kept outside of the
5697 quoting. See 'shellxquote' to include the redirection. It's
5698 probably not useful to set both options.
5699 This is an empty string by default. Only known to be useful for
5700 third-party shells on MS-DOS-like systems, such as the MKS Korn Shell
5701 or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted according
5702 the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option by the
5703 user. See |dos-shell|.
5704 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5705 security reasons.
5707 *'shellredir'* *'srr'*
5708 'shellredir' 'srr' string (default ">", ">&" or ">%s 2>&1")
5709 global
5710 {not in Vi}
5711 String to be used to put the output of a filter command in a temporary
5712 file. See also |:!|. See |option-backslash| about including spaces
5713 and backslashes.
5714 The name of the temporary file can be represented by "%s" if necessary
5715 (the file name is appended automatically if no %s appears in the value
5716 of this option).
5717 The default is ">". For Unix, if the 'shell' option is "csh", "tcsh"
5718 or "zsh" during initializations, the default becomes ">&". If the
5719 'shell' option is "sh", "ksh" or "bash" the default becomes
5720 ">%s 2>&1". This means that stderr is also included.
5721 For Win32, the Unix checks are done and additionally "cmd" is checked
5722 for, which makes the default ">%s 2>&1". Also, the same names with
5723 ".exe" appended are checked for.
5724 The initialization of this option is done after reading the ".vimrc"
5725 and the other initializations, so that when the 'shell' option is set
5726 there, the 'shellredir' option changes automatically unless it was
5727 explicitly set before.
5728 In the future pipes may be used for filtering and this option will
5729 become obsolete (at least for Unix).
5730 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5731 security reasons.
5733 *'shellslash'* *'ssl'* *'noshellslash'* *'nossl'*
5734 'shellslash' 'ssl' boolean (default off)
5735 global
5736 {not in Vi} {only for MSDOS, MS-Windows and OS/2}
5737 When set, a forward slash is used when expanding file names. This is
5738 useful when a Unix-like shell is used instead of command.com or
5739 cmd.exe. Backward slashes can still be typed, but they are changed to
5740 forward slashes by Vim.
5741 Note that setting or resetting this option has no effect for some
5742 existing file names, thus this option needs to be set before opening
5743 any file for best results. This might change in the future.
5744 'shellslash' only works when a backslash can be used as a path
5745 separator. To test if this is so use: >
5746 if exists('+shellslash')
5747 <
5748 *'shelltemp'* *'stmp'* *'noshelltemp'* *'nostmp'*
5749 'shelltemp' 'stmp' boolean (Vi default off, Vim default on)
5750 global
5751 {not in Vi}
5752 When on, use temp files for shell commands. When off use a pipe.
5753 When using a pipe is not possible temp files are used anyway.
5754 Currently a pipe is only supported on Unix. You can check it with: >
5755 :if has("filterpipe")
5756 < The advantage of using a pipe is that nobody can read the temp file
5757 and the 'shell' command does not need to support redirection.
5758 The advantage of using a temp file is that the file type and encoding
5759 can be detected.
5760 The |FilterReadPre|, |FilterReadPost| and |FilterWritePre|,
5761 |FilterWritePost| autocommands event are not triggered when
5762 'shelltemp' is off.
5764 *'shelltype'* *'st'*
5765 'shelltype' 'st' number (default 0)
5766 global
5767 {not in Vi} {only for the Amiga}
5768 On the Amiga this option influences the way how the commands work
5769 which use a shell.
5770 0 and 1: always use the shell
5771 2 and 3: use the shell only to filter lines
5772 4 and 5: use shell only for ':sh' command
5773 When not using the shell, the command is executed directly.
5775 0 and 2: use "shell 'shellcmdflag' cmd" to start external commands
5776 1 and 3: use "shell cmd" to start external commands
5778 *'shellxquote'* *'sxq'*
5779 'shellxquote' 'sxq' string (default: "";
5780 for Win32, when 'shell' contains "sh"
5781 somewhere: "\""
5782 for Unix, when using system(): "\"")
5783 global
5784 {not in Vi}
5785 Quoting character(s), put around the command passed to the shell, for
5786 the "!" and ":!" commands. Includes the redirection. See
5787 'shellquote' to exclude the redirection. It's probably not useful
5788 to set both options.
5789 This is an empty string by default. Known to be useful for
5790 third-party shells when using the Win32 version, such as the MKS Korn
5791 Shell or bash, where it should be "\"". The default is adjusted
5792 according the value of 'shell', to reduce the need to set this option
5793 by the user. See |dos-shell|.
5794 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
5795 security reasons.
5797 *'shiftround'* *'sr'* *'noshiftround'* *'nosr'*
5798 'shiftround' 'sr' boolean (default off)
5799 global
5800 {not in Vi}
5801 Round indent to multiple of 'shiftwidth'. Applies to > and <
5802 commands. CTRL-T and CTRL-D in Insert mode always round the indent to
5803 a multiple of 'shiftwidth' (this is Vi compatible).
5804 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
5806 *'shiftwidth'* *'sw'*
5807 'shiftwidth' 'sw' number (default 8)
5808 local to buffer
5809 Number of spaces to use for each step of (auto)indent. Used for
5810 |'cindent'|, |>>|, |<<|, etc.
5812 *'shortmess'* *'shm'*
5813 'shortmess' 'shm' string (Vim default "filnxtToO", Vi default: "",
5814 POSIX default: "A")
5815 global
5816 {not in Vi}
5817 This option helps to avoid all the |hit-enter| prompts caused by file
5818 messages, for example with CTRL-G, and to avoid some other messages.
5819 It is a list of flags:
5820 flag meaning when present ~
5821 f use "(3 of 5)" instead of "(file 3 of 5)"
5822 i use "[noeol]" instead of "[Incomplete last line]"
5823 l use "999L, 888C" instead of "999 lines, 888 characters"
5824 m use "[+]" instead of "[Modified]"
5825 n use "[New]" instead of "[New File]"
5826 r use "[RO]" instead of "[readonly]"
5827 w use "[w]" instead of "written" for file write message
5828 and "[a]" instead of "appended" for ':w >> file' command
5829 x use "[dos]" instead of "[dos format]", "[unix]" instead of
5830 "[unix format]" and "[mac]" instead of "[mac format]".
5831 a all of the above abbreviations
5833 o overwrite message for writing a file with subsequent message
5834 for reading a file (useful for ":wn" or when 'autowrite' on)
5835 O message for reading a file overwrites any previous message.
5836 Also for quickfix message (e.g., ":cn").
5837 s don't give "search hit BOTTOM, continuing at TOP" or "search
5838 hit TOP, continuing at BOTTOM" messages
5839 t truncate file message at the start if it is too long to fit
5840 on the command-line, "<" will appear in the left most column.
5841 Ignored in Ex mode.
5842 T truncate other messages in the middle if they are too long to
5843 fit on the command line. "..." will appear in the middle.
5844 Ignored in Ex mode.
5845 W don't give "written" or "[w]" when writing a file
5846 A don't give the "ATTENTION" message when an existing swap file
5847 is found.
5848 I don't give the intro message when starting Vim |:intro|.
5850 This gives you the opportunity to avoid that a change between buffers
5851 requires you to hit <Enter>, but still gives as useful a message as
5852 possible for the space available. To get the whole message that you
5853 would have got with 'shm' empty, use ":file!"
5854 Useful values:
5855 shm= No abbreviation of message.
5856 shm=a Abbreviation, but no loss of information.
5857 shm=at Abbreviation, and truncate message when necessary.
5859 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5860 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5862 *'shortname'* *'sn'* *'noshortname'* *'nosn'*
5863 'shortname' 'sn' boolean (default off)
5864 local to buffer
5865 {not in Vi, not in MS-DOS versions}
5866 Filenames are assumed to be 8 characters plus one extension of 3
5867 characters. Multiple dots in file names are not allowed. When this
5868 option is on, dots in file names are replaced with underscores when
5869 adding an extension (".~" or ".swp"). This option is not available
5870 for MS-DOS, because then it would always be on. This option is useful
5871 when editing files on an MS-DOS compatible filesystem, e.g., messydos
5872 or crossdos. When running the Win32 GUI version under Win32s, this
5873 option is always on by default.
5875 *'showbreak'* *'sbr'* *E595*
5876 'showbreak' 'sbr' string (default "")
5877 global
5878 {not in Vi}
5879 {not available when compiled without the |+linebreak|
5880 feature}
5881 String to put at the start of lines that have been wrapped. Useful
5882 values are "> " or "+++ ".
5883 Only printable single-cell characters are allowed, excluding <Tab> and
5884 comma (in a future version the comma might be used to separate the
5885 part that is shown at the end and at the start of a line).
5886 The characters are highlighted according to the '@' flag in
5887 'highlight'.
5888 Note that tabs after the showbreak will be displayed differently.
5889 If you want the 'showbreak' to appear in between line numbers, add the
5890 "n" flag to 'cpoptions'.
5892 *'showcmd'* *'sc'* *'noshowcmd'* *'nosc'*
5893 'showcmd' 'sc' boolean (Vim default: on, off for Unix, Vi default:
5894 off)
5895 global
5896 {not in Vi}
5897 {not available when compiled without the
5898 |+cmdline_info| feature}
5899 Show (partial) command in the last line of the screen. Set this
5900 option off if your terminal is slow.
5901 In Visual mode the size of the selected area is shown:
5902 - When selecting characters within a line, the number of characters.
5903 - When selecting more than one line, the number of lines.
5904 - When selecting a block, the size in screen characters: linesxcolumns.
5905 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5906 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5908 *'showfulltag'* *'sft'* *'noshowfulltag'* *'nosft'*
5909 'showfulltag' 'sft' boolean (default off)
5910 global
5911 {not in Vi}
5912 When completing a word in insert mode (see |ins-completion|) from the
5913 tags file, show both the tag name and a tidied-up form of the search
5914 pattern (if there is one) as possible matches. Thus, if you have
5915 matched a C function, you can see a template for what arguments are
5916 required (coding style permitting).
5917 Note that this doesn't work well together with having "longest" in
5918 'completeopt', because the completion from the search pattern may not
5919 match the typed text.
5921 *'showmatch'* *'sm'* *'noshowmatch'* *'nosm'*
5922 'showmatch' 'sm' boolean (default off)
5923 global
5924 When a bracket is inserted, briefly jump to the matching one. The
5925 jump is only done if the match can be seen on the screen. The time to
5926 show the match can be set with 'matchtime'.
5927 A Beep is given if there is no match (no matter if the match can be
5928 seen or not). This option is reset when the 'paste' option is set.
5929 When the 'm' flag is not included in 'cpoptions', typing a character
5930 will immediately move the cursor back to where it belongs.
5931 See the "sm" field in 'guicursor' for setting the cursor shape and
5932 blinking when showing the match.
5933 The 'matchpairs' option can be used to specify the characters to show
5934 matches for. 'rightleft' and 'revins' are used to look for opposite
5935 matches.
5936 Also see the matchparen plugin for highlighting the match when moving
5937 around |pi_paren.txt|.
5938 Note: Use of the short form is rated PG.
5940 *'showmode'* *'smd'* *'noshowmode'* *'nosmd'*
5941 'showmode' 'smd' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
5942 global
5943 If in Insert, Replace or Visual mode put a message on the last line.
5944 Use the 'M' flag in 'highlight' to set the type of highlighting for
5945 this message.
5946 When |XIM| may be used the message will include "XIM". But this
5947 doesn't mean XIM is really active, especially when 'imactivatekey' is
5948 not set.
5949 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
5950 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
5952 *'showtabline'* *'stal'*
5953 'showtabline' 'stal' number (default 1)
5954 global
5955 {not in Vi}
5956 {not available when compiled without the +windows
5957 feature}
5958 The value of this option specifies when the line with tab page labels
5959 will be displayed:
5960 0: never
5961 1: only if there are at least two tab pages
5962 2: always
5963 This is both for the GUI and non-GUI implementation of the tab pages
5964 line.
5965 See |tab-page| for more information about tab pages.
5967 *'sidescroll'* *'ss'*
5968 'sidescroll' 'ss' number (default 0)
5969 global
5970 {not in Vi}
5971 The minimal number of columns to scroll horizontally. Used only when
5972 the 'wrap' option is off and the cursor is moved off of the screen.
5973 When it is zero the cursor will be put in the middle of the screen.
5974 When using a slow terminal set it to a large number or 0. When using
5975 a fast terminal use a small number or 1. Not used for "zh" and "zl"
5976 commands.
5978 *'sidescrolloff'* *'siso'*
5979 'sidescrolloff' 'siso' number (default 0)
5980 global
5981 {not in Vi}
5982 The minimal number of screen columns to keep to the left and to the
5983 right of the cursor if 'nowrap' is set. Setting this option to a
5984 value greater than 0 while having |'sidescroll'| also at a non-zero
5985 value makes some context visible in the line you are scrolling in
5986 horizontally (except at beginning of the line). Setting this option
5987 to a large value (like 999) has the effect of keeping the cursor
5988 horizontally centered in the window, as long as one does not come too
5989 close to the beginning of the line.
5990 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
5992 Example: Try this together with 'sidescroll' and 'listchars' as
5993 in the following example to never allow the cursor to move
5994 onto the "extends" character:
5996 :set nowrap sidescroll=1 listchars=extends:>,precedes:<
5997 :set sidescrolloff=1
6000 *'smartcase'* *'scs'* *'nosmartcase'* *'noscs'*
6001 'smartcase' 'scs' boolean (default off)
6002 global
6003 {not in Vi}
6004 Override the 'ignorecase' option if the search pattern contains upper
6005 case characters. Only used when the search pattern is typed and
6006 'ignorecase' option is on. Used for the commands "/", "?", "n", "N",
6007 ":g" and ":s". Not used for "*", "#", "gd", tag search, etc.. After
6008 "*" and "#" you can make 'smartcase' used by doing a "/" command,
6009 recalling the search pattern from history and hitting <Enter>.
6010 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6012 *'smartindent'* *'si'* *'nosmartindent'* *'nosi'*
6013 'smartindent' 'si' boolean (default off)
6014 local to buffer
6015 {not in Vi}
6016 {not available when compiled without the
6017 |+smartindent| feature}
6018 Do smart autoindenting when starting a new line. Works for C-like
6019 programs, but can also be used for other languages. 'cindent' does
6020 something like this, works better in most cases, but is more strict,
6021 see |C-indenting|. When 'cindent' is on, setting 'si' has no effect.
6022 'indentexpr' is a more advanced alternative.
6023 Normally 'autoindent' should also be on when using 'smartindent'.
6024 An indent is automatically inserted:
6025 - After a line ending in '{'.
6026 - After a line starting with a keyword from 'cinwords'.
6027 - Before a line starting with '}' (only with the "O" command).
6028 When typing '}' as the first character in a new line, that line is
6029 given the same indent as the matching '{'.
6030 When typing '#' as the first character in a new line, the indent for
6031 that line is removed, the '#' is put in the first column. The indent
6032 is restored for the next line. If you don't want this, use this
6033 mapping: ":inoremap # X^H#", where ^H is entered with CTRL-V CTRL-H.
6034 When using the ">>" command, lines starting with '#' are not shifted
6035 right.
6036 NOTE: 'smartindent' is reset when 'compatible' is set. When 'paste'
6037 is set smart indenting is disabled.
6039 *'smarttab'* *'sta'* *'nosmarttab'* *'nosta'*
6040 'smarttab' 'sta' boolean (default off)
6041 global
6042 {not in Vi}
6043 When on, a <Tab> in front of a line inserts blanks according to
6044 'shiftwidth'. 'tabstop' or 'softtabstop' is used in other places. A
6045 <BS> will delete a 'shiftwidth' worth of space at the start of the
6046 line.
6047 When off, a <Tab> always inserts blanks according to 'tabstop' or
6048 'softtabstop'. 'shiftwidth' is only used for shifting text left or
6049 right |shift-left-right|.
6050 What gets inserted (a <Tab> or spaces) depends on the 'expandtab'
6051 option. Also see |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the
6052 number of spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6053 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6055 *'softtabstop'* *'sts'*
6056 'softtabstop' 'sts' number (default 0)
6057 local to buffer
6058 {not in Vi}
6059 Number of spaces that a <Tab> counts for while performing editing
6060 operations, like inserting a <Tab> or using <BS>. It "feels" like
6061 <Tab>s are being inserted, while in fact a mix of spaces and <Tab>s is
6062 used. This is useful to keep the 'ts' setting at its standard value
6063 of 8, while being able to edit like it is set to 'sts'. However,
6064 commands like "x" still work on the actual characters.
6065 When 'sts' is zero, this feature is off.
6066 'softtabstop' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set.
6067 See also |ins-expandtab|. When 'expandtab' is not set, the number of
6068 spaces is minimized by using <Tab>s.
6069 The 'L' flag in 'cpoptions' changes how tabs are used when 'list' is
6070 set.
6071 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6073 *'spell'* *'nospell'*
6074 'spell' boolean (default off)
6075 local to window
6076 {not in Vi}
6077 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6078 feature}
6079 When on spell checking will be done. See |spell|.
6080 The languages are specified with 'spelllang'.
6082 *'spellcapcheck'* *'spc'*
6083 'spellcapcheck' 'spc' string (default "[.?!]\_[\])'" \t]\+")
6084 local to buffer
6085 {not in Vi}
6086 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6087 feature}
6088 Pattern to locate the end of a sentence. The following word will be
6089 checked to start with a capital letter. If not then it is highlighted
6090 with SpellCap |hl-SpellCap| (unless the word is also badly spelled).
6091 When this check is not wanted make this option empty.
6092 Only used when 'spell' is set.
6093 Be careful with special characters, see |option-backslash| about
6094 including spaces and backslashes.
6095 To set this option automatically depending on the language, see
6096 |set-spc-auto|.
6098 *'spellfile'* *'spf'*
6099 'spellfile' 'spf' string (default empty)
6100 local to buffer
6101 {not in Vi}
6102 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6103 feature}
6104 Name of the word list file where words are added for the |zg| and |zw|
6105 commands. It must end in ".{encoding}.add". You need to include the
6106 path, otherwise the file is placed in the current directory.
6107 *E765*
6108 It may also be a comma separated list of names. A count before the
6109 |zg| and |zw| commands can be used to access each. This allows using
6110 a personal word list file and a project word list file.
6111 When a word is added while this option is empty Vim will set it for
6112 you: Using the first directory in 'runtimepath' that is writable. If
6113 there is no "spell" directory yet it will be created. For the file
6114 name the first language name that appears in 'spelllang' is used,
6115 ignoring the region.
6116 The resulting ".spl" file will be used for spell checking, it does not
6117 have to appear in 'spelllang'.
6118 Normally one file is used for all regions, but you can add the region
6119 name if you want to. However, it will then only be used when
6120 'spellfile' is set to it, for entries in 'spelllang' only files
6121 without region name will be found.
6122 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6123 security reasons.
6125 *'spelllang'* *'spl'*
6126 'spelllang' 'spl' string (default "en")
6127 local to buffer
6128 {not in Vi}
6129 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6130 feature}
6131 A comma separated list of word list names. When the 'spell' option is
6132 on spellchecking will be done for these languages. Example: >
6133 set spelllang=en_us,nl,medical
6134 < This means US English, Dutch and medical words are recognized. Words
6135 that are not recognized will be highlighted.
6136 The word list name must not include a comma or dot. Using a dash is
6137 recommended to separate the two letter language name from a
6138 specification. Thus "en-rare" is used for rare English words.
6139 A region name must come last and have the form "_xx", where "xx" is
6140 the two-letter, lower case region name. You can use more than one
6141 region by listing them: "en_us,en_ca" supports both US and Canadian
6142 English, but not words specific for Australia, New Zealand or Great
6143 Britain.
6144 *E757*
6145 As a special case the name of a .spl file can be given as-is. The
6146 first "_xx" in the name is removed and used as the region name
6147 (_xx is an underscore, two letters and followed by a non-letter).
6148 This is mainly for testing purposes. You must make sure the correct
6149 encoding is used, Vim doesn't check it.
6150 When 'encoding' is set the word lists are reloaded. Thus it's a good
6151 idea to set 'spelllang' after setting 'encoding' to avoid loading the
6152 files twice.
6153 How the related spell files are found is explained here: |spell-load|.
6155 If the |spellfile.vim| plugin is active and you use a language name
6156 for which Vim cannot find the .spl file in 'runtimepath' the plugin
6157 will ask you if you want to download the file.
6159 After this option has been set successfully, Vim will source the files
6160 "spell/LANG.vim" in 'runtimepath'. "LANG" is the value of 'spelllang'
6161 up to the first comma, dot or underscore.
6162 Also see |set-spc-auto|.
6165 *'spellsuggest'* *'sps'*
6166 'spellsuggest' 'sps' string (default "best")
6167 global
6168 {not in Vi}
6169 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6170 feature}
6171 Methods used for spelling suggestions. Both for the |z=| command and
6172 the |spellsuggest()| function. This is a comma-separated list of
6173 items:
6175 best Internal method that works best for English. Finds
6176 changes like "fast" and uses a bit of sound-a-like
6177 scoring to improve the ordering.
6179 double Internal method that uses two methods and mixes the
6180 results. The first method is "fast", the other method
6181 computes how much the suggestion sounds like the bad
6182 word. That only works when the language specifies
6183 sound folding. Can be slow and doesn't always give
6184 better results.
6186 fast Internal method that only checks for simple changes:
6187 character inserts/deletes/swaps. Works well for
6188 simple typing mistakes.
6190 {number} The maximum number of suggestions listed for |z=|.
6191 Not used for |spellsuggest()|. The number of
6192 suggestions is never more than the value of 'lines'
6193 minus two.
6195 file:{filename} Read file {filename}, which must have two columns,
6196 separated by a slash. The first column contains the
6197 bad word, the second column the suggested good word.
6198 Example:
6199 theribal/terrible ~
6200 Use this for common mistakes that do not appear at the
6201 top of the suggestion list with the internal methods.
6202 Lines without a slash are ignored, use this for
6203 comments.
6204 The file is used for all languages.
6206 expr:{expr} Evaluate expression {expr}. Use a function to avoid
6207 trouble with spaces. |v:val| holds the badly spelled
6208 word. The expression must evaluate to a List of
6209 Lists, each with a suggestion and a score.
6210 Example:
6211 [['the', 33], ['that', 44]]
6212 Set 'verbose' and use |z=| to see the scores that the
6213 internal methods use. A lower score is better.
6214 This may invoke |spellsuggest()| if you temporarily
6215 set 'spellsuggest' to exclude the "expr:" part.
6216 Errors are silently ignored, unless you set the
6217 'verbose' option to a non-zero value.
6219 Only one of "best", "double" or "fast" may be used. The others may
6220 appear several times in any order. Example: >
6221 :set sps=file:~/.vim/sugg,best,expr:MySuggest()
6222 <
6223 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6224 security reasons.
6227 *'splitbelow'* *'sb'* *'nosplitbelow'* *'nosb'*
6228 'splitbelow' 'sb' boolean (default off)
6229 global
6230 {not in Vi}
6231 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6232 feature}
6233 When on, splitting a window will put the new window below the current
6234 one. |:split|
6236 *'splitright'* *'spr'* *'nosplitright'* *'nospr'*
6237 'splitright' 'spr' boolean (default off)
6238 global
6239 {not in Vi}
6240 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
6241 feature}
6242 When on, splitting a window will put the new window right of the
6243 current one. |:vsplit|
6245 *'startofline'* *'sol'* *'nostartofline'* *'nosol'*
6246 'startofline' 'sol' boolean (default on)
6247 global
6248 {not in Vi}
6249 When "on" the commands listed below move the cursor to the first
6250 non-blank of the line. When off the cursor is kept in the same column
6251 (if possible). This applies to the commands: CTRL-D, CTRL-U, CTRL-B,
6252 CTRL-F, "G", "H", "M", "L", gg, and to the commands "d", "<<" and ">>"
6253 with a linewise operator, with "%" with a count and to buffer changing
6254 commands (CTRL-^, :bnext, :bNext, etc.). Also for an Ex command that
6255 only has a line number, e.g., ":25" or ":+".
6256 In case of buffer changing commands the cursor is placed at the column
6257 where it was the last time the buffer was edited.
6258 NOTE: This option is set when 'compatible' is set.
6260 *'statusline'* *'stl'* *E540* *E541* *E542*
6261 'statusline' 'stl' string (default empty)
6262 global or local to window |global-local|
6263 {not in Vi}
6264 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline|
6265 feature}
6266 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the status line.
6267 Also see |status-line|.
6269 The option consists of printf style '%' items interspersed with
6270 normal text. Each status line item is of the form:
6271 %-0{minwid}.{maxwid}{item}
6272 All fields except the {item} is optional. A single percent sign can
6273 be given as "%%". Up to 80 items can be specified.
6275 When the option starts with "%!" then it is used as an expression,
6276 evaluated and the result is used as the option value. Example: >
6277 :set statusline=%!MyStatusLine()
6278 < The result can contain %{} items that will be evaluated too.
6280 When there is error while evaluating the option then it will be made
6281 empty to avoid further errors. Otherwise screen updating would loop.
6283 Note that the only effect of 'ruler' when this option is set (and
6284 'laststatus' is 2) is controlling the output of |CTRL-G|.
6286 field meaning ~
6287 - Left justify the item. The default is right justified
6288 when minwid is larger than the length of the item.
6289 0 Leading zeroes in numeric items. Overridden by '-'.
6290 minwid Minimum width of the item, padding as set by '-' & '0'.
6291 Value must be 50 or less.
6292 maxwid Maximum width of the item. Truncation occurs with a '<'
6293 on the left for text items. Numeric items will be
6294 shifted down to maxwid-2 digits followed by '>'number
6295 where number is the amount of missing digits, much like
6296 an exponential notation.
6297 item A one letter code as described below.
6299 Following is a description of the possible statusline items. The
6300 second character in "item" is the type:
6301 N for number
6302 S for string
6303 F for flags as described below
6304 - not applicable
6306 item meaning ~
6307 f S Path to the file in the buffer, as typed or relative to current
6308 directory.
6309 F S Full path to the file in the buffer.
6310 t S File name (tail) of file in the buffer.
6311 m F Modified flag, text is "[+]"; "[-]" if 'modifiable' is off.
6312 M F Modified flag, text is ",+" or ",-".
6313 r F Readonly flag, text is "[RO]".
6314 R F Readonly flag, text is ",RO".
6315 h F Help buffer flag, text is "[help]".
6316 H F Help buffer flag, text is ",HLP".
6317 w F Preview window flag, text is "[Preview]".
6318 W F Preview window flag, text is ",PRV".
6319 y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., "[vim]". See 'filetype'.
6320 Y F Type of file in the buffer, e.g., ",VIM". See 'filetype'.
6321 {not available when compiled without |+autocmd| feature}
6322 k S Value of "b:keymap_name" or 'keymap' when |:lmap| mappings are
6323 being used: "<keymap>"
6324 n N Buffer number.
6325 b N Value of byte under cursor.
6326 B N As above, in hexadecimal.
6327 o N Byte number in file of byte under cursor, first byte is 1.
6328 Mnemonic: Offset from start of file (with one added)
6329 {not available when compiled without |+byte_offset| feature}
6330 O N As above, in hexadecimal.
6331 N N Printer page number. (Only works in the 'printheader' option.)
6332 l N Line number.
6333 L N Number of lines in buffer.
6334 c N Column number.
6335 v N Virtual column number.
6336 V N Virtual column number as -{num}. Not displayed if equal to 'c'.
6337 p N Percentage through file in lines as in |CTRL-G|.
6338 P S Percentage through file of displayed window. This is like the
6339 percentage described for 'ruler'. Always 3 in length.
6340 a S Argument list status as in default title. ({current} of {max})
6341 Empty if the argument file count is zero or one.
6342 { NF Evaluate expression between '%{' and '}' and substitute result.
6343 Note that there is no '%' before the closing '}'.
6344 ( - Start of item group. Can be used for setting the width and
6345 alignment of a section. Must be followed by %) somewhere.
6346 ) - End of item group. No width fields allowed.
6347 T N For 'tabline': start of tab page N label. Use %T after the last
6348 label. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6349 X N For 'tabline': start of close tab N label. Use %X after the
6350 label, e.g.: %3Xclose%X. Use %999X for a "close current tab"
6351 mark. This information is used for mouse clicks.
6352 < - Where to truncate line if too long. Default is at the start.
6353 No width fields allowed.
6354 = - Separation point between left and right aligned items.
6355 No width fields allowed.
6356 # - Set highlight group. The name must follow and then a # again.
6357 Thus use %#HLname# for highlight group HLname. The same
6358 highlighting is used, also for the statusline of non-current
6359 windows.
6360 * - Set highlight group to User{N}, where {N} is taken from the
6361 minwid field, e.g. %1*. Restore normal highlight with %* or %0*.
6362 The difference between User{N} and StatusLine will be applied
6363 to StatusLineNC for the statusline of non-current windows.
6364 The number N must be between 1 and 9. See |hl-User1..9|
6366 When displaying a flag, Vim removes the leading comma, if any, when
6367 that flag comes right after plaintext. This will make a nice display
6368 when flags are used like in the examples below.
6370 When all items in a group becomes an empty string (i.e. flags that are
6371 not set) and a minwid is not set for the group, the whole group will
6372 become empty. This will make a group like the following disappear
6373 completely from the statusline when none of the flags are set. >
6374 :set statusline=...%(\ [%M%R%H]%)...
6375 <
6376 Beware that an expression is evaluated each and every time the status
6377 line is displayed. The current buffer and current window will be set
6378 temporarily to that of the window (and buffer) whose statusline is
6379 currently being drawn. The expression will evaluate in this context.
6380 The variable "actual_curbuf" is set to the 'bufnr()' number of the
6381 real current buffer.
6383 The 'statusline' option may be evaluated in the |sandbox|, see
6384 |sandbox-option|.
6386 It is not allowed to change text or jump to another window while
6387 evaluating 'statusline' |textlock|.
6389 If the statusline is not updated when you want it (e.g., after setting
6390 a variable that's used in an expression), you can force an update by
6391 setting an option without changing its value. Example: >
6392 :let &ro = &ro
6394 < A result of all digits is regarded a number for display purposes.
6395 Otherwise the result is taken as flag text and applied to the rules
6396 described above.
6398 Watch out for errors in expressions. They may render Vim unusable!
6399 If you are stuck, hold down ':' or 'Q' to get a prompt, then quit and
6400 edit your .vimrc or whatever with "vim -u NONE" to get it right.
6402 Examples:
6403 Emulate standard status line with 'ruler' set >
6404 :set statusline=%<%f\ %h%m%r%=%-14.(%l,%c%V%)\ %P
6405 < Similar, but add ASCII value of char under the cursor (like "ga") >
6406 :set statusline=%<%f%h%m%r%=%b\ 0x%B\ \ %l,%c%V\ %P
6407 < Display byte count and byte value, modified flag in red. >
6408 :set statusline=%<%f%=\ [%1*%M%*%n%R%H]\ %-19(%3l,%02c%03V%)%O'%02b'
6409 :hi User1 term=inverse,bold cterm=inverse,bold ctermfg=red
6410 < Display a ,GZ flag if a compressed file is loaded >
6411 :set statusline=...%r%{VarExists('b:gzflag','\ [GZ]')}%h...
6412 < In the |:autocmd|'s: >
6413 :let b:gzflag = 1
6414 < And: >
6415 :unlet b:gzflag
6416 < And define this function: >
6417 :function VarExists(var, val)
6418 : if exists(a:var) | return a:val | else | return '' | endif
6419 :endfunction
6420 <
6421 *'suffixes'* *'su'*
6422 'suffixes' 'su' string (default ".bak,~,.o,.h,.info,.swp,.obj")
6423 global
6424 {not in Vi}
6425 Files with these suffixes get a lower priority when multiple files
6426 match a wildcard. See |suffixes|. Commas can be used to separate the
6427 suffixes. Spaces after the comma are ignored. A dot is also seen as
6428 the start of a suffix. To avoid a dot or comma being recognized as a
6429 separator, precede it with a backslash (see |option-backslash| about
6430 including spaces and backslashes).
6431 See 'wildignore' for completely ignoring files.
6432 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6433 suffixes from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6434 uses another default.
6436 *'suffixesadd'* *'sua'*
6437 'suffixesadd' 'sua' string (default "")
6438 local to buffer
6439 {not in Vi}
6440 {not available when compiled without the
6441 |+file_in_path| feature}
6442 Comma separated list of suffixes, which are used when searching for a
6443 file for the "gf", "[I", etc. commands. Example: >
6444 :set suffixesadd=.java
6445 <
6446 *'swapfile'* *'swf'* *'noswapfile'* *'noswf'*
6447 'swapfile' 'swf' boolean (default on)
6448 local to buffer
6449 {not in Vi}
6450 Use a swapfile for the buffer. This option can be reset when a
6451 swapfile is not wanted for a specific buffer. For example, with
6452 confidential information that even root must not be able to access.
6453 Careful: All text will be in memory:
6454 - Don't use this for big files.
6455 - Recovery will be impossible!
6456 A swapfile will only be present when |'updatecount'| is non-zero and
6457 'swapfile' is set.
6458 When 'swapfile' is reset, the swap file for the current buffer is
6459 immediately deleted. When 'swapfile' is set, and 'updatecount' is
6460 non-zero, a swap file is immediately created.
6461 Also see |swap-file| and |'swapsync'|.
6463 This option is used together with 'bufhidden' and 'buftype' to
6464 specify special kinds of buffers. See |special-buffers|.
6466 *'swapsync'* *'sws'*
6467 'swapsync' 'sws' string (default "fsync")
6468 global
6469 {not in Vi}
6470 When this option is not empty a swap file is synced to disk after
6471 writing to it. This takes some time, especially on busy unix systems.
6472 When this option is empty parts of the swap file may be in memory and
6473 not written to disk. When the system crashes you may lose more work.
6474 On Unix the system does a sync now and then without Vim asking for it,
6475 so the disadvantage of setting this option off is small. On some
6476 systems the swap file will not be written at all. For a unix system
6477 setting it to "sync" will use the sync() call instead of the default
6478 fsync(), which may work better on some systems.
6479 The 'fsync' option is used for the actual file.
6481 *'switchbuf'* *'swb'*
6482 'switchbuf' 'swb' string (default "")
6483 global
6484 {not in Vi}
6485 This option controls the behavior when switching between buffers.
6486 Possible values (comma separated list):
6487 useopen If included, jump to the first open window that
6488 contains the specified buffer (if there is one).
6489 Otherwise: Do not examine other windows.
6490 This setting is checked with |quickfix| commands, when
6491 jumping to errors (":cc", ":cn", "cp", etc.). It is
6492 also used in all buffer related split commands, for
6493 example ":sbuffer", ":sbnext", or ":sbrewind".
6494 usetab Like "useopen", but also consider windows in other tab
6495 pages.
6496 split If included, split the current window before loading
6497 a buffer. Otherwise: do not split, use current window.
6498 Supported in |quickfix| commands that display errors.
6499 newtab Like "split", but open a new tab page. Overrules
6500 "split" when both are present.
6502 *'synmaxcol'* *'smc'*
6503 'synmaxcol' 'smc' number (default 3000)
6504 local to buffer
6505 {not in Vi}
6506 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6507 feature}
6508 Maximum column in which to search for syntax items. In long lines the
6509 text after this column is not highlighted and following lines may not
6510 be highlighted correctly, because the syntax state is cleared.
6511 This helps to avoid very slow redrawing for an XML file that is one
6512 long line.
6513 Set to zero to remove the limit.
6515 *'syntax'* *'syn'*
6516 'syntax' 'syn' string (default empty)
6517 local to buffer
6518 {not in Vi}
6519 {not available when compiled without the |+syntax|
6520 feature}
6521 When this option is set, the syntax with this name is loaded, unless
6522 syntax highlighting has been switched off with ":syntax off".
6523 Otherwise this option does not always reflect the current syntax (the
6524 b:current_syntax variable does).
6525 This option is most useful in a modeline, for a file which syntax is
6526 not automatically recognized. Example, in an IDL file:
6527 /* vim: set syntax=idl : */ ~
6528 When a dot appears in the value then this separates two filetype
6529 names. Example:
6530 /* vim: set syntax=c.doxygen : */ ~
6531 This will use the "c" syntax first, then the "doxygen" syntax.
6532 Note that the second one must be prepared to be loaded as an addition,
6533 otherwise it will be skipped. More than one dot may appear.
6534 To switch off syntax highlighting for the current file, use: >
6535 :set syntax=OFF
6536 < To switch syntax highlighting on according to the current value of the
6537 'filetype' option: >
6538 :set syntax=ON
6539 < What actually happens when setting the 'syntax' option is that the
6540 Syntax autocommand event is triggered with the value as argument.
6541 This option is not copied to another buffer, independent of the 's' or
6542 'S' flag in 'cpoptions'.
6543 Only normal file name characters can be used, "/\*?[|<>" are illegal.
6545 *'tabline'* *'tal'*
6546 'tabline' 'tal' string (default empty)
6547 global
6548 {not in Vi}
6549 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6550 feature}
6551 When nonempty, this option determines the content of the tab pages
6552 line at the top of the Vim window. When empty Vim will use a default
6553 tab pages line. See |setting-tabline| for more info.
6555 The tab pages line only appears as specified with the 'showtabline'
6556 option and only when there is no GUI tab line. When 'e' is in
6557 'guioptions' and the GUI supports a tab line 'guitablabel' is used
6558 instead.
6560 The value is evaluated like with 'statusline'. You can use
6561 |tabpagenr()|, |tabpagewinnr()| and |tabpagebuflist()| to figure out
6562 the text to be displayed. Use "%1T" for the first label, "%2T" for
6563 the second one, etc. Use "%X" items for closing labels.
6565 Keep in mind that only one of the tab pages is the current one, others
6566 are invisible and you can't jump to their windows.
6569 *'tabpagemax'* *'tpm'*
6570 'tabpagemax' 'tpm' number (default 10)
6571 global
6572 {not in Vi}
6573 {not available when compiled without the +windows
6574 feature}
6575 Maximum number of tab pages to be opened by the |-p| command line
6576 argument or the ":tab all" command. |tabpage|
6579 *'tabstop'* *'ts'*
6580 'tabstop' 'ts' number (default 8)
6581 local to buffer
6582 Number of spaces that a <Tab> in the file counts for. Also see
6583 |:retab| command, and 'softtabstop' option.
6585 Note: Setting 'tabstop' to any other value than 8 can make your file
6586 appear wrong in many places (e.g., when printing it).
6588 There are four main ways to use tabs in Vim:
6589 1. Always keep 'tabstop' at 8, set 'softtabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to 4
6590 (or 3 or whatever you prefer) and use 'noexpandtab'. Then Vim
6591 will use a mix of tabs and spaces, but typing <Tab> and <BS> will
6592 behave like a tab appears every 4 (or 3) characters.
6593 2. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use
6594 'expandtab'. This way you will always insert spaces. The
6595 formatting will never be messed up when 'tabstop' is changed.
6596 3. Set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to whatever you prefer and use a
6597 |modeline| to set these values when editing the file again. Only
6598 works when using Vim to edit the file.
6599 4. Always set 'tabstop' and 'shiftwidth' to the same value, and
6600 'noexpandtab'. This should then work (for initial indents only)
6601 for any tabstop setting that people use. It might be nice to have
6602 tabs after the first non-blank inserted as spaces if you do this
6603 though. Otherwise aligned comments will be wrong when 'tabstop' is
6604 changed.
6606 *'tagbsearch'* *'tbs'* *'notagbsearch'* *'notbs'*
6607 'tagbsearch' 'tbs' boolean (default on)
6608 global
6609 {not in Vi}
6610 When searching for a tag (e.g., for the |:ta| command), Vim can either
6611 use a binary search or a linear search in a tags file. Binary
6612 searching makes searching for a tag a LOT faster, but a linear search
6613 will find more tags if the tags file wasn't properly sorted.
6614 Vim normally assumes that your tags files are sorted, or indicate that
6615 they are not sorted. Only when this is not the case does the
6616 'tagbsearch' option need to be switched off.
6618 When 'tagbsearch' is on, binary searching is first used in the tags
6619 files. In certain situations, Vim will do a linear search instead for
6620 certain files, or retry all files with a linear search. When
6621 'tagbsearch' is off, only a linear search is done.
6623 Linear searching is done anyway, for one file, when Vim finds a line
6624 at the start of the file indicating that it's not sorted: >
6625 !_TAG_FILE_SORTED 0 /some comment/
6626 < [The whitespace before and after the '0' must be a single <Tab>]
6628 When a binary search was done and no match was found in any of the
6629 files listed in 'tags', and 'ignorecase' is set or a pattern is used
6630 instead of a normal tag name, a retry is done with a linear search.
6631 Tags in unsorted tags files, and matches with different case will only
6632 be found in the retry.
6634 If a tag file indicates that it is case-fold sorted, the second,
6635 linear search can be avoided for the 'ignorecase' case. Use a value
6636 of '2' in the "!_TAG_FILE_SORTED" line for this. A tag file can be
6637 case-fold sorted with the -f switch to "sort" in most unices, as in
6638 the command: "sort -f -o tags tags". For "Exuberant ctags" version
6639 5.3 or higher the -f or --fold-case-sort switch can be used for this
6640 as well. Note that case must be folded to uppercase for this to work.
6642 When 'tagbsearch' is off, tags searching is slower when a full match
6643 exists, but faster when no full match exists. Tags in unsorted tags
6644 files may only be found with 'tagbsearch' off.
6645 When the tags file is not sorted, or sorted in a wrong way (not on
6646 ASCII byte value), 'tagbsearch' should be off, or the line given above
6647 must be included in the tags file.
6648 This option doesn't affect commands that find all matching tags (e.g.,
6649 command-line completion and ":help").
6650 {Vi: always uses binary search in some versions}
6652 *'taglength'* *'tl'*
6653 'taglength' 'tl' number (default 0)
6654 global
6655 If non-zero, tags are significant up to this number of characters.
6657 *'tagrelative'* *'tr'* *'notagrelative'* *'notr'*
6658 'tagrelative' 'tr' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6659 global
6660 {not in Vi}
6661 If on and using a tags file in another directory, file names in that
6662 tags file are relative to the directory where the tags file is.
6663 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6664 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6666 *'tags'* *'tag'* *E433*
6667 'tags' 'tag' string (default "./tags,tags", when compiled with
6668 |+emacs_tags|: "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS")
6669 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6670 Filenames for the tag command, separated by spaces or commas. To
6671 include a space or comma in a file name, precede it with a backslash
6672 (see |option-backslash| about including spaces and backslashes).
6673 When a file name starts with "./", the '.' is replaced with the path
6674 of the current file. But only when the 'd' flag is not included in
6675 'cpoptions'. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|. Also see
6676 |tags-option|.
6677 "*", "**" and other wildcards can be used to search for tags files in
6678 a directory tree. See |file-searching|. {not available when compiled
6679 without the |+path_extra| feature}
6680 The |tagfiles()| function can be used to get a list of the file names
6681 actually used.
6682 If Vim was compiled with the |+emacs_tags| feature, Emacs-style tag
6683 files are also supported. They are automatically recognized. The
6684 default value becomes "./tags,./TAGS,tags,TAGS", unless case
6685 differences are ignored (MS-Windows). |emacs-tags|
6686 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6687 file names from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6688 uses another default.
6689 {Vi: default is "tags /usr/lib/tags"}
6691 *'tagstack'* *'tgst'* *'notagstack'* *'notgst'*
6692 'tagstack' 'tgst' boolean (default on)
6693 global
6694 {not in all versions of Vi}
6695 When on, the |tagstack| is used normally. When off, a ":tag" or
6696 ":tselect" command with an argument will not push the tag onto the
6697 tagstack. A following ":tag" without an argument, a ":pop" command or
6698 any other command that uses the tagstack will use the unmodified
6699 tagstack, but does change the pointer to the active entry.
6700 Resetting this option is useful when using a ":tag" command in a
6701 mapping which should not change the tagstack.
6703 *'term'* *E529* *E530* *E531*
6704 'term' string (default is $TERM, if that fails:
6705 in the GUI: "builtin_gui"
6706 on Amiga: "amiga"
6707 on BeOS: "beos-ansi"
6708 on Mac: "mac-ansi"
6709 on MiNT: "vt52"
6710 on MS-DOS: "pcterm"
6711 on OS/2: "os2ansi"
6712 on Unix: "ansi"
6713 on VMS: "ansi"
6714 on Win 32: "win32")
6715 global
6716 Name of the terminal. Used for choosing the terminal control
6717 characters. Environment variables are expanded |:set_env|.
6718 For example: >
6719 :set term=$TERM
6720 < See |termcap|.
6722 *'termbidi'* *'tbidi'*
6723 *'notermbidi'* *'notbidi'*
6724 'termbidi' 'tbidi' boolean (default off, on for "mlterm")
6725 global
6726 {not in Vi}
6727 {only available when compiled with the |+arabic|
6728 feature}
6729 The terminal is in charge of Bi-directionality of text (as specified
6730 by Unicode). The terminal is also expected to do the required shaping
6731 that some languages (such as Arabic) require.
6732 Setting this option implies that 'rightleft' will not be set when
6733 'arabic' is set and the value of 'arabicshape' will be ignored.
6734 Note that setting 'termbidi' has the immediate effect that
6735 'arabicshape' is ignored, but 'rightleft' isn't changed automatically.
6736 This option is reset when the GUI is started.
6737 For further details see |arabic.txt|.
6739 *'termencoding'* *'tenc'*
6740 'termencoding' 'tenc' string (default ""; with GTK+ 2 GUI: "utf-8"; with
6741 Macintosh GUI: "macroman")
6742 global
6743 {only available when compiled with the |+multi_byte|
6744 feature}
6745 {not in Vi}
6746 Encoding used for the terminal. This specifies what character
6747 encoding the keyboard produces and the display will understand. For
6748 the GUI it only applies to the keyboard ('encoding' is used for the
6749 display). Except for the Mac when 'macatsui' is off, then
6750 'termencoding' should be "macroman".
6751 In the Win32 console version the default value is the console codepage
6752 when it differs from the ANSI codepage.
6753 *E617*
6754 Note: This does not apply to the GTK+ 2 GUI. After the GUI has been
6755 successfully initialized, 'termencoding' is forcibly set to "utf-8".
6756 Any attempts to set a different value will be rejected, and an error
6757 message is shown.
6758 For the Win32 GUI 'termencoding' is not used for typed characters,
6759 because the Win32 system always passes Unicode characters.
6760 When empty, the same encoding is used as for the 'encoding' option.
6761 This is the normal value.
6762 Not all combinations for 'termencoding' and 'encoding' are valid. See
6763 |encoding-table|.
6764 The value for this option must be supported by internal conversions or
6765 iconv(). When this is not possible no conversion will be done and you
6766 will probably experience problems with non-ASCII characters.
6767 Example: You are working with the locale set to euc-jp (Japanese) and
6768 want to edit a UTF-8 file: >
6769 :let &termencoding = &encoding
6770 :set encoding=utf-8
6771 < You need to do this when your system has no locale support for UTF-8.
6773 *'terse'* *'noterse'*
6774 'terse' boolean (default off)
6775 global
6776 When set: Add 's' flag to 'shortmess' option (this makes the message
6777 for a search that hits the start or end of the file not being
6778 displayed). When reset: Remove 's' flag from 'shortmess' option. {Vi
6779 shortens a lot of messages}
6781 *'textauto'* *'ta'* *'notextauto'* *'nota'*
6782 'textauto' 'ta' boolean (Vim default: on, Vi default: off)
6783 global
6784 {not in Vi}
6785 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformats'.
6786 For backwards compatibility, when 'textauto' is set, 'fileformats' is
6787 set to the default value for the current system. When 'textauto' is
6788 reset, 'fileformats' is made empty.
6789 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
6790 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
6792 *'textmode'* *'tx'* *'notextmode'* *'notx'*
6793 'textmode' 'tx' boolean (MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: default on,
6794 others: default off)
6795 local to buffer
6796 {not in Vi}
6797 This option is obsolete. Use 'fileformat'.
6798 For backwards compatibility, when 'textmode' is set, 'fileformat' is
6799 set to "dos". When 'textmode' is reset, 'fileformat' is set to
6800 "unix".
6802 *'textwidth'* *'tw'*
6803 'textwidth' 'tw' number (default 0)
6804 local to buffer
6805 {not in Vi}
6806 Maximum width of text that is being inserted. A longer line will be
6807 broken after white space to get this width. A zero value disables
6808 this. 'textwidth' is set to 0 when the 'paste' option is set. When
6809 'textwidth' is zero, 'wrapmargin' may be used. See also
6810 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|.
6811 When 'formatexpr' is set it will be used to break the line.
6812 NOTE: This option is set to 0 when 'compatible' is set.
6814 *'thesaurus'* *'tsr'*
6815 'thesaurus' 'tsr' string (default "")
6816 global or local to buffer |global-local|
6817 {not in Vi}
6818 List of file names, separated by commas, that are used to lookup words
6819 for thesaurus completion commands |i_CTRL-X_CTRL-T|. Each line in
6820 the file should contain words with similar meaning, separated by
6821 non-keyword characters (white space is preferred). Maximum line
6822 length is 510 bytes.
6823 To obtain a file to be used here, check out the wordlist FAQ at
6824 http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk .
6825 To include a comma in a file name precede it with a backslash. Spaces
6826 after a comma are ignored, otherwise spaces are included in the file
6827 name. See |option-backslash| about using backslashes.
6828 The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
6829 directories from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
6830 uses another default.
6831 Backticks cannot be used in this option for security reasons.
6833 *'tildeop'* *'top'* *'notildeop'* *'notop'*
6834 'tildeop' 'top' boolean (default off)
6835 global
6836 {not in Vi}
6837 When on: The tilde command "~" behaves like an operator.
6838 NOTE: This option is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6840 *'timeout'* *'to'* *'notimeout'* *'noto'*
6841 'timeout' 'to' boolean (default on)
6842 global
6843 *'ttimeout'* *'nottimeout'*
6844 'ttimeout' boolean (default off)
6845 global
6846 {not in Vi}
6847 These two options together determine the behavior when part of a
6848 mapped key sequence or keyboard code has been received:
6850 'timeout' 'ttimeout' action ~
6851 off off do not time out
6852 on on or off time out on :mappings and key codes
6853 off on time out on key codes
6855 If both options are off, Vim will wait until either the complete
6856 mapping or key sequence has been received, or it is clear that there
6857 is no mapping or key sequence for the received characters. For
6858 example: if you have mapped "vl" and Vim has received 'v', the next
6859 character is needed to see if the 'v' is followed by an 'l'.
6860 When one of the options is on, Vim will wait for about 1 second for
6861 the next character to arrive. After that the already received
6862 characters are interpreted as single characters. The waiting time can
6863 be changed with the 'timeoutlen' option.
6864 On slow terminals or very busy systems timing out may cause
6865 malfunctioning cursor keys. If both options are off, Vim waits
6866 forever after an entered <Esc> if there are key codes that start
6867 with <Esc>. You will have to type <Esc> twice. If you do not have
6868 problems with key codes, but would like to have :mapped key
6869 sequences not timing out in 1 second, set the 'ttimeout' option and
6870 reset the 'timeout' option.
6872 NOTE: 'ttimeout' is reset when 'compatible' is set.
6874 *'timeoutlen'* *'tm'*
6875 'timeoutlen' 'tm' number (default 1000)
6876 global
6877 {not in all versions of Vi}
6878 *'ttimeoutlen'* *'ttm'*
6879 'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' number (default -1)
6880 global
6881 {not in Vi}
6882 The time in milliseconds that is waited for a key code or mapped key
6883 sequence to complete. Also used for CTRL-\ CTRL-N and CTRL-\ CTRL-G
6884 when part of a command has been typed.
6885 Normally only 'timeoutlen' is used and 'ttimeoutlen' is -1. When a
6886 different timeout value for key codes is desired set 'ttimeoutlen' to
6887 a non-negative number.
6889 ttimeoutlen mapping delay key code delay ~
6890 < 0 'timeoutlen' 'timeoutlen'
6891 >= 0 'timeoutlen' 'ttimeoutlen'
6893 The timeout only happens when the 'timeout' and 'ttimeout' options
6894 tell so. A useful setting would be >
6895 :set timeout timeoutlen=3000 ttimeoutlen=100
6896 < (time out on mapping after three seconds, time out on key codes after
6897 a tenth of a second).
6899 *'title'* *'notitle'*
6900 'title' boolean (default off, on when title can be restored)
6901 global
6902 {not in Vi}
6903 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6904 feature}
6905 When on, the title of the window will be set to the value of
6906 'titlestring' (if it is not empty), or to:
6907 filename [+=-] (path) - VIM
6908 Where:
6909 filename the name of the file being edited
6910 - indicates the file cannot be modified, 'ma' off
6911 + indicates the file was modified
6912 = indicates the file is read-only
6913 =+ indicates the file is read-only and modified
6914 (path) is the path of the file being edited
6915 - VIM the server name |v:servername| or "VIM"
6916 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles
6917 (currently Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and
6918 terminals with a non- empty 't_ts' option - these are Unix xterm and
6919 iris-ansi by default, where 't_ts' is taken from the builtin termcap).
6920 *X11*
6921 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6922 be restored if possible. The output of ":version" will include "+X11"
6923 when HAVE_X11 was defined, otherwise it will be "-X11". This also
6924 works for the icon name |'icon'|.
6925 But: When Vim was started with the |-X| argument, restoring the title
6926 will not work (except in the GUI).
6927 If the title cannot be restored, it is set to the value of 'titleold'.
6928 You might want to restore the title outside of Vim then.
6929 When using an xterm from a remote machine you can use this command:
6930 rsh machine_name xterm -display $DISPLAY &
6931 then the WINDOWID environment variable should be inherited and the
6932 title of the window should change back to what it should be after
6933 exiting Vim.
6935 *'titlelen'*
6936 'titlelen' number (default 85)
6937 global
6938 {not in Vi}
6939 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6940 feature}
6941 Gives the percentage of 'columns' to use for the length of the window
6942 title. When the title is longer, only the end of the path name is
6943 shown. A '<' character before the path name is used to indicate this.
6944 Using a percentage makes this adapt to the width of the window. But
6945 it won't work perfectly, because the actual number of characters
6946 available also depends on the font used and other things in the title
6947 bar. When 'titlelen' is zero the full path is used. Otherwise,
6948 values from 1 to 30000 percent can be used.
6949 'titlelen' is also used for the 'titlestring' option.
6951 *'titleold'*
6952 'titleold' string (default "Thanks for flying Vim")
6953 global
6954 {not in Vi}
6955 {only available when compiled with the |+title|
6956 feature}
6957 This option will be used for the window title when exiting Vim if the
6958 original title cannot be restored. Only happens if 'title' is on or
6959 'titlestring' is not empty.
6960 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
6961 security reasons.
6962 *'titlestring'*
6963 'titlestring' string (default "")
6964 global
6965 {not in Vi}
6966 {not available when compiled without the |+title|
6967 feature}
6968 When this option is not empty, it will be used for the title of the
6969 window. This happens only when the 'title' option is on.
6970 Only works if the terminal supports setting window titles (currently
6971 Amiga console, Win32 console, all GUI versions and terminals with a
6972 non-empty 't_ts' option).
6973 When Vim was compiled with HAVE_X11 defined, the original title will
6974 be restored if possible |X11|.
6975 When this option contains printf-style '%' items, they will be
6976 expanded according to the rules used for 'statusline'.
6977 Example: >
6978 :auto BufEnter * let &titlestring = hostname() . "/" . expand("%:p")
6979 :set title titlestring=%<%F%=%l/%L-%P titlelen=70
6980 < The value of 'titlelen' is used to align items in the middle or right
6981 of the available space.
6982 Some people prefer to have the file name first: >
6983 :set titlestring=%t%(\ %M%)%(\ (%{expand(\"%:~:.:h\")})%)%(\ %a%)
6984 < Note the use of "%{ }" and an expression to get the path of the file,
6985 without the file name. The "%( %)" constructs are used to add a
6986 separating space only when needed.
6987 NOTE: Use of special characters in 'titlestring' may cause the display
6988 to be garbled (e.g., when it contains a CR or NL character).
6989 {not available when compiled without the |+statusline| feature}
6991 *'toolbar'* *'tb'*
6992 'toolbar' 'tb' string (default "icons,tooltips")
6993 global
6994 {only for |+GUI_GTK|, |+GUI_Athena|, |+GUI_Motif| and
6995 |+GUI_Photon|}
6996 The contents of this option controls various toolbar settings. The
6997 possible values are:
6998 icons Toolbar buttons are shown with icons.
6999 text Toolbar buttons shown with text.
7000 horiz Icon and text of a toolbar button are
7001 horizontally arranged. {only in GTK+ 2 GUI}
7002 tooltips Tooltips are active for toolbar buttons.
7003 Tooltips refer to the popup help text which appears after the mouse
7004 cursor is placed over a toolbar button for a brief moment.
7006 If you want the toolbar to be shown with icons as well as text, do the
7007 following: >
7008 :set tb=icons,text
7009 < Motif and Athena cannot display icons and text at the same time. They
7010 will show icons if both are requested.
7012 If none of the strings specified in 'toolbar' are valid or if
7013 'toolbar' is empty, this option is ignored. If you want to disable
7014 the toolbar, you need to set the 'guioptions' option. For example: >
7015 :set guioptions-=T
7016 < Also see |gui-toolbar|.
7018 *'toolbariconsize'* *'tbis'*
7019 'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' string (default "small")
7020 global
7021 {not in Vi}
7022 {only in the GTK+ 2 GUI}
7023 Controls the size of toolbar icons. The possible values are:
7024 tiny Use tiny toolbar icons.
7025 small Use small toolbar icons (default).
7026 medium Use medium-sized toolbar icons.
7027 large Use large toolbar icons.
7028 The exact dimensions in pixels of the various icon sizes depend on
7029 the current theme. Common dimensions are large=32x32, medium=24x24,
7030 small=20x20 and tiny=16x16.
7032 If 'toolbariconsize' is empty, the global default size as determined
7033 by user preferences or the current theme is used.
7035 *'ttybuiltin'* *'tbi'* *'nottybuiltin'* *'notbi'*
7036 'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' boolean (default on)
7037 global
7038 {not in Vi}
7039 When on, the builtin termcaps are searched before the external ones.
7040 When off the builtin termcaps are searched after the external ones.
7041 When this option is changed, you should set the 'term' option next for
7042 the change to take effect, for example: >
7043 :set notbi term=$TERM
7044 < See also |termcap|.
7045 Rationale: The default for this option is "on", because the builtin
7046 termcap entries are generally better (many systems contain faulty
7047 xterm entries...).
7049 *'ttyfast'* *'tf'* *'nottyfast'* *'notf'*
7050 'ttyfast' 'tf' boolean (default off, on when 'term' is xterm, hpterm,
7051 sun-cmd, screen, rxvt, dtterm or
7052 iris-ansi; also on when running Vim in
7053 a DOS console)
7054 global
7055 {not in Vi}
7056 Indicates a fast terminal connection. More characters will be sent to
7057 the screen for redrawing, instead of using insert/delete line
7058 commands. Improves smoothness of redrawing when there are multiple
7059 windows and the terminal does not support a scrolling region.
7060 Also enables the extra writing of characters at the end of each screen
7061 line for lines that wrap. This helps when using copy/paste with the
7062 mouse in an xterm and other terminals.
7064 *'ttymouse'* *'ttym'*
7065 'ttymouse' 'ttym' string (default depends on 'term')
7066 global
7067 {not in Vi}
7068 {only in Unix and VMS, doesn't work in the GUI; not
7069 available when compiled without |+mouse|}
7070 Name of the terminal type for which mouse codes are to be recognized.
7071 Currently these strings are valid:
7072 *xterm-mouse*
7073 xterm xterm-like mouse handling. The mouse generates
7074 "<Esc>[Mscr", where "scr" is three bytes:
7075 "s" = button state
7076 "c" = column plus 33
7077 "r" = row plus 33
7078 This only works up to 223 columns! See "dec" for a
7079 solution.
7080 xterm2 Works like "xterm", but with the xterm reporting the
7081 mouse position while the mouse is dragged. This works
7082 much faster and more precise. Your xterm must at
7083 least at patchlevel 88 / XFree 3.3.3 for this to
7084 work. See below for how Vim detects this
7085 automatically.
7086 *netterm-mouse*
7087 netterm NetTerm mouse handling. The mouse generates
7088 "<Esc>}r,c<CR>", where "r,c" are two decimal numbers
7089 for the row and column.
7090 *dec-mouse*
7091 dec DEC terminal mouse handling. The mouse generates a
7092 rather complex sequence, starting with "<Esc>[".
7093 This is also available for an Xterm, if it was
7094 configured with "--enable-dec-locator".
7095 *jsbterm-mouse*
7096 jsbterm JSB term mouse handling.
7097 *pterm-mouse*
7098 pterm QNX pterm mouse handling.
7100 The mouse handling must be enabled at compile time |+mouse_xterm|
7101 |+mouse_dec| |+mouse_netterm|.
7102 Only "xterm"(2) is really recognized. NetTerm mouse codes are always
7103 recognized, if enabled at compile time. DEC terminal mouse codes
7104 are recognized if enabled at compile time, and 'ttymouse' is not
7105 "xterm" (because the xterm and dec mouse codes conflict).
7106 This option is automatically set to "xterm", when the 'term' option is
7107 set to a name that starts with "xterm", and 'ttymouse' is not "xterm"
7108 or "xterm2" already. The main use of this option is to set it to
7109 "xterm", when the terminal name doesn't start with "xterm", but it can
7110 handle xterm mouse codes.
7111 The "xterm2" value will be set if the xterm version is reported to be
7112 95 or higher. This only works when compiled with the |+termresponse|
7113 feature and if |t_RV| is set to the escape sequence to request the
7114 xterm version number. Otherwise "xterm2" must be set explicitly.
7115 If you do not want 'ttymouse' to be set to "xterm2" automatically, set
7116 t_RV to an empty string: >
7117 :set t_RV=
7118 <
7119 *'ttyscroll'* *'tsl'*
7120 'ttyscroll' 'tsl' number (default 999)
7121 global
7122 Maximum number of lines to scroll the screen. If there are more lines
7123 to scroll the window is redrawn. For terminals where scrolling is
7124 very slow and redrawing is not slow this can be set to a small number,
7125 e.g., 3, to speed up displaying.
7127 *'ttytype'* *'tty'*
7128 'ttytype' 'tty' string (default from $TERM)
7129 global
7130 Alias for 'term', see above.
7132 *'undolevels'* *'ul'*
7133 'undolevels' 'ul' number (default 100, 1000 for Unix, VMS,
7134 Win32 and OS/2)
7135 global
7136 {not in Vi}
7137 Maximum number of changes that can be undone. Since undo information
7138 is kept in memory, higher numbers will cause more memory to be used
7139 (nevertheless, a single change can use an unlimited amount of memory).
7140 Set to 0 for Vi compatibility: One level of undo and "u" undoes
7141 itself: >
7142 set ul=0
7143 < But you can also get Vi compatibility by including the 'u' flag in
7144 'cpoptions', and still be able to use CTRL-R to repeat undo.
7145 Set to a negative number for no undo at all: >
7146 set ul=-1
7147 < This helps when you run out of memory for a single change.
7148 Also see |undo-two-ways|.
7150 *'updatecount'* *'uc'*
7151 'updatecount' 'uc' number (default: 200)
7152 global
7153 {not in Vi}
7154 After typing this many characters the swap file will be written to
7155 disk. When zero, no swap file will be created at all (see chapter on
7156 recovery |crash-recovery|). 'updatecount' is set to zero by starting
7157 Vim with the "-n" option, see |startup|. When editing in readonly
7158 mode this option will be initialized to 10000.
7159 The swapfile can be disabled per buffer with |'swapfile'|.
7160 When 'updatecount' is set from zero to non-zero, swap files are
7161 created for all buffers that have 'swapfile' set. When 'updatecount'
7162 is set to zero, existing swap files are not deleted.
7163 Also see |'swapsync'|.
7164 This option has no meaning in buffers where |'buftype'| is "nofile"
7165 or "nowrite".
7167 *'updatetime'* *'ut'*
7168 'updatetime' 'ut' number (default 4000)
7169 global
7170 {not in Vi}
7171 If this many milliseconds nothing is typed the swap file will be
7172 written to disk (see |crash-recovery|). Also used for the
7173 |CursorHold| autocommand event.
7175 *'verbose'* *'vbs'*
7176 'verbose' 'vbs' number (default 0)
7177 global
7178 {not in Vi, although some versions have a boolean
7179 verbose option}
7180 When bigger than zero, Vim will give messages about what it is doing.
7181 Currently, these messages are given:
7182 >= 1 When the viminfo file is read or written.
7183 >= 2 When a file is ":source"'ed.
7184 >= 5 Every searched tags file and include file.
7185 >= 8 Files for which a group of autocommands is executed.
7186 >= 9 Every executed autocommand.
7187 >= 12 Every executed function.
7188 >= 13 When an exception is thrown, caught, finished, or discarded.
7189 >= 14 Anything pending in a ":finally" clause.
7190 >= 15 Every executed Ex command (truncated at 200 characters).
7192 This option can also be set with the "-V" argument. See |-V|.
7193 This option is also set by the |:verbose| command.
7195 When the 'verbosefile' option is set then the verbose messages are not
7196 displayed.
7198 *'verbosefile'* *'vfile'*
7199 'verbosefile' 'vfile' string (default empty)
7200 global
7201 {not in Vi}
7202 When not empty all messages are written in a file with this name.
7203 When the file exists messages are appended.
7204 Writing to the file ends when Vim exits or when 'verbosefile' is made
7205 empty.
7206 Setting 'verbosefile' to a new value is like making it empty first.
7207 The difference with |:redir| is that verbose messages are not
7208 displayed when 'verbosefile' is set.
7210 *'viewdir'* *'vdir'*
7211 'viewdir' 'vdir' string (default for Amiga, MS-DOS, OS/2 and Win32:
7212 "$VIM/vimfiles/view",
7213 for Unix: "~/.vim/view",
7214 for Macintosh: "$VIM:vimfiles:view"
7215 for VMS: "sys$login:vimfiles/view"
7216 for RiscOS: "Choices:vimfiles/view")
7217 global
7218 {not in Vi}
7219 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7220 feature}
7221 Name of the directory where to store files for |:mkview|.
7222 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7223 security reasons.
7225 *'viewoptions'* *'vop'*
7226 'viewoptions' 'vop' string (default: "folds,options,cursor")
7227 global
7228 {not in Vi}
7229 {not available when compiled without the +mksession
7230 feature}
7231 Changes the effect of the |:mkview| command. It is a comma separated
7232 list of words. Each word enables saving and restoring something:
7233 word save and restore ~
7234 cursor cursor position in file and in window
7235 folds manually created folds, opened/closed folds and local
7236 fold options
7237 options options and mappings local to a window or buffer (not
7238 global values for local options)
7239 slash backslashes in file names replaced with forward
7240 slashes
7241 unix with Unix end-of-line format (single <NL>), even when
7242 on Windows or DOS
7244 "slash" and "unix" are useful on Windows when sharing view files
7245 with Unix. The Unix version of Vim cannot source dos format scripts,
7246 but the Windows version of Vim can source unix format scripts.
7248 *'viminfo'* *'vi'* *E526* *E527* *E528*
7249 'viminfo' 'vi' string (Vi default: "", Vim default for MS-DOS,
7250 Windows and OS/2: '20,<50,s10,h,rA:,rB:,
7251 for Amiga: '20,<50,s10,h,rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:
7252 for others: '20,<50,s10,h)
7253 global
7254 {not in Vi}
7255 {not available when compiled without the |+viminfo|
7256 feature}
7257 When non-empty, the viminfo file is read upon startup and written
7258 when exiting Vim (see |viminfo-file|). The string should be a comma
7259 separated list of parameters, each consisting of a single character
7260 identifying the particular parameter, followed by a number or string
7261 which specifies the value of that parameter. If a particular
7262 character is left out, then the default value is used for that
7263 parameter. The following is a list of the identifying characters and
7264 the effect of their value.
7265 CHAR VALUE ~
7266 ! When included, save and restore global variables that start
7267 with an uppercase letter, and don't contain a lowercase
7268 letter. Thus "KEEPTHIS and "K_L_M" are stored, but "KeepThis"
7269 and "_K_L_M" are not. Only String and Number types are
7270 stored.
7271 " Maximum number of lines saved for each register. Old name of
7272 the '<' item, with the disadvantage that you need to put a
7273 backslash before the ", otherwise it will be recognized as the
7274 start of a comment!
7275 % When included, save and restore the buffer list. If Vim is
7276 started with a file name argument, the buffer list is not
7277 restored. If Vim is started without a file name argument, the
7278 buffer list is restored from the viminfo file. Buffers
7279 without a file name and buffers for help files are not written
7280 to the viminfo file.
7281 When followed by a number, the number specifies the maximum
7282 number of buffers that are stored. Without a number all
7283 buffers are stored.
7284 ' Maximum number of previously edited files for which the marks
7285 are remembered. This parameter must always be included when
7286 'viminfo' is non-empty.
7287 Including this item also means that the |jumplist| and the
7288 |changelist| are stored in the viminfo file.
7289 / Maximum number of items in the search pattern history to be
7290 saved. If non-zero, then the previous search and substitute
7291 patterns are also saved. When not included, the value of
7292 'history' is used.
7293 : Maximum number of items in the command-line history to be
7294 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7295 < Maximum number of lines saved for each register. If zero then
7296 registers are not saved. When not included, all lines are
7297 saved. '"' is the old name for this item.
7298 Also see the 's' item below: limit specified in Kbyte.
7299 @ Maximum number of items in the input-line history to be
7300 saved. When not included, the value of 'history' is used.
7301 c When included, convert the text in the viminfo file from the
7302 'encoding' used when writing the file to the current
7303 'encoding'. See |viminfo-encoding|.
7304 f Whether file marks need to be stored. If zero, file marks ('0
7305 to '9, 'A to 'Z) are not stored. When not present or when
7306 non-zero, they are all stored. '0 is used for the current
7307 cursor position (when exiting or when doing ":wviminfo").
7308 h Disable the effect of 'hlsearch' when loading the viminfo
7309 file. When not included, it depends on whether ":nohlsearch"
7310 has been used since the last search command.
7311 n Name of the viminfo file. The name must immediately follow
7312 the 'n'. Must be the last one! If the "-i" argument was
7313 given when starting Vim, that file name overrides the one
7314 given here with 'viminfo'. Environment variables are expanded
7315 when opening the file, not when setting the option.
7316 r Removable media. The argument is a string (up to the next
7317 ','). This parameter can be given several times. Each
7318 specifies the start of a path for which no marks will be
7319 stored. This is to avoid removable media. For MS-DOS you
7320 could use "ra:,rb:", for Amiga "rdf0:,rdf1:,rdf2:". You can
7321 also use it for temp files, e.g., for Unix: "r/tmp". Case is
7322 ignored. Maximum length of each 'r' argument is 50
7323 characters.
7324 s Maximum size of an item in Kbyte. If zero then registers are
7325 not saved. Currently only applies to registers. The default
7326 "s10" will exclude registers with more than 10 Kbyte of text.
7327 Also see the '<' item above: line count limit.
7329 Example: >
7330 :set viminfo='50,<1000,s100,:0,n~/vim/viminfo
7331 <
7332 '50 Marks will be remembered for the last 50 files you
7333 edited.
7334 <1000 Contents of registers (up to 1000 lines each) will be
7335 remembered.
7336 s100 Registers with more than 100 Kbyte text are skipped.
7337 :0 Command-line history will not be saved.
7338 n~/vim/viminfo The name of the file to use is "~/vim/viminfo".
7339 no / Since '/' is not specified, the default will be used,
7340 that is, save all of the search history, and also the
7341 previous search and substitute patterns.
7342 no % The buffer list will not be saved nor read back.
7343 no h 'hlsearch' highlighting will be restored.
7345 When setting 'viminfo' from an empty value you can use |:rviminfo| to
7346 load the contents of the file, this is not done automatically.
7348 This option cannot be set from a |modeline| or in the |sandbox|, for
7349 security reasons.
7351 *'virtualedit'* *'ve'*
7352 'virtualedit' 've' string (default "")
7353 global
7354 {not in Vi}
7355 {not available when compiled without the
7356 |+virtualedit| feature}
7357 A comma separated list of these words:
7358 block Allow virtual editing in Visual block mode.
7359 insert Allow virtual editing in Insert mode.
7360 all Allow virtual editing in all modes.
7361 onemore Allow the cursor to move just past the end of the line
7363 Virtual editing means that the cursor can be positioned where there is
7364 no actual character. This can be halfway into a tab or beyond the end
7365 of the line. Useful for selecting a rectangle in Visual mode and
7366 editing a table.
7367 "onemore" is not the same, it will only allow moving the cursor just
7368 after the last character of the line. This makes some commands more
7369 consistent. Previously the cursor was always past the end of the line
7370 if the line was empty. But it is far from Vi compatible. It may also
7371 break some plugins or Vim scripts. For example because |l| can move
7372 the cursor after the last character. Use with care!
7373 Using the |$| command will move to the last character in the line, not
7374 past it. This may actually move the cursor to the left!
7375 It doesn't make sense to combine "all" with "onemore", but you will
7376 not get a warning for it.
7378 *'visualbell'* *'vb'* *'novisualbell'* *'novb'* *beep*
7379 'visualbell' 'vb' boolean (default off)
7380 global
7381 {not in Vi}
7382 Use visual bell instead of beeping. The terminal code to display the
7383 visual bell is given with 't_vb'. When no beep or flash is wanted,
7384 use ":set vb t_vb=".
7385 Note: When the GUI starts, 't_vb' is reset to its default value. You
7386 might want to set it again in your |gvimrc|.
7387 In the GUI, 't_vb' defaults to "<Esc>|f", which inverts the display
7388 for 20 msec. If you want to use a different time, use "<Esc>|40f",
7389 where 40 is the time in msec.
7390 Does not work on the Amiga, you always get a screen flash.
7391 Also see 'errorbells'.
7393 *'warn'* *'nowarn'*
7394 'warn' boolean (default on)
7395 global
7396 Give a warning message when a shell command is used while the buffer
7397 has been changed.
7399 *'weirdinvert'* *'wiv'* *'noweirdinvert'* *'nowiv'*
7400 'weirdinvert' 'wiv' boolean (default off)
7401 global
7402 {not in Vi}
7403 This option has the same effect as the 't_xs' terminal option.
7404 It is provided for backwards compatibility with version 4.x.
7405 Setting 'weirdinvert' has the effect of making 't_xs' non-empty, and
7406 vice versa. Has no effect when the GUI is running.
7408 *'whichwrap'* *'ww'*
7409 'whichwrap' 'ww' string (Vim default: "b,s", Vi default: "")
7410 global
7411 {not in Vi}
7412 Allow specified keys that move the cursor left/right to move to the
7413 previous/next line when the cursor is on the first/last character in
7414 the line. Concatenate characters to allow this for these keys:
7415 char key mode ~
7416 b <BS> Normal and Visual
7417 s <Space> Normal and Visual
7418 h "h" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7419 l "l" Normal and Visual (not recommended)
7420 < <Left> Normal and Visual
7421 > <Right> Normal and Visual
7422 ~ "~" Normal
7423 [ <Left> Insert and Replace
7424 ] <Right> Insert and Replace
7425 For example: >
7426 :set ww=<,>,[,]
7427 < allows wrap only when cursor keys are used.
7428 When the movement keys are used in combination with a delete or change
7429 operator, the <EOL> also counts for a character. This makes "3h"
7430 different from "3dh" when the cursor crosses the end of a line. This
7431 is also true for "x" and "X", because they do the same as "dl" and
7432 "dh". If you use this, you may also want to use the mapping
7433 ":map <BS> X" to make backspace delete the character in front of the
7434 cursor.
7435 When 'l' is included and it is used after an operator at the end of a
7436 line then it will not move to the next line. This makes "dl", "cl",
7437 "yl" etc. work normally.
7438 NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7439 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7441 *'wildchar'* *'wc'*
7442 'wildchar' 'wc' number (Vim default: <Tab>, Vi default: CTRL-E)
7443 global
7444 {not in Vi}
7445 Character you have to type to start wildcard expansion in the
7446 command-line, as specified with 'wildmode'.
7447 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7448 The character is not recognized when used inside a macro. See
7449 'wildcharm' for that.
7450 Although 'wc' is a number option, you can set it to a special key: >
7451 :set wc=<Esc>
7452 < NOTE: This option is set to the Vi default value when 'compatible' is
7453 set and to the Vim default value when 'compatible' is reset.
7455 *'wildcharm'* *'wcm'*
7456 'wildcharm' 'wcm' number (default: none (0))
7457 global
7458 {not in Vi}
7459 'wildcharm' works exactly like 'wildchar', except that it is
7460 recognized when used inside a macro. You can find "spare" command-line
7461 keys suitable for this option by looking at |ex-edit-index|. Normally
7462 you'll never actually type 'wildcharm', just use it in mappings that
7463 automatically invoke completion mode, e.g.: >
7464 :set wcm=<C-Z>
7465 :cnoremap ss so $vim/sessions/*.vim<C-Z>
7466 < Then after typing :ss you can use CTRL-P & CTRL-N.
7468 *'wildignore'* *'wig'*
7469 'wildignore' 'wig' string (default "")
7470 global
7471 {not in Vi}
7472 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7473 feature}
7474 A list of file patterns. A file that matches with one of these
7475 patterns is ignored when completing file or directory names.
7476 The pattern is used like with |:autocmd|, see |autocmd-patterns|.
7477 Also see 'suffixes'.
7478 Example: >
7479 :set wildignore=*.o,*.obj
7480 < The use of |:set+=| and |:set-=| is preferred when adding or removing
7481 a pattern from the list. This avoids problems when a future version
7482 uses another default.
7484 *'wildmenu'* *'wmnu'* *'nowildmenu'* *'nowmnu'*
7485 'wildmenu' 'wmnu' boolean (default off)
7486 global
7487 {not in Vi}
7488 {not available if compiled without the |+wildmenu|
7489 feature}
7490 When 'wildmenu' is on, command-line completion operates in an enhanced
7491 mode. On pressing 'wildchar' (usually <Tab>) to invoke completion,
7492 the possible matches are shown just above the command line, with the
7493 first match highlighted (overwriting the status line, if there is
7494 one). Keys that show the previous/next match, such as <Tab> or
7495 CTRL-P/CTRL-N, cause the highlight to move to the appropriate match.
7496 When 'wildmode' is used, "wildmenu" mode is used where "full" is
7497 specified. "longest" and "list" do not start "wildmenu" mode.
7498 If there are more matches than can fit in the line, a ">" is shown on
7499 the right and/or a "<" is shown on the left. The status line scrolls
7500 as needed.
7501 The "wildmenu" mode is abandoned when a key is hit that is not used
7502 for selecting a completion.
7503 While the "wildmenu" is active the following keys have special
7504 meanings:
7506 <Left> <Right> - select previous/next match (like CTRL-P/CTRL-N)
7507 <Down> - in filename/menu name completion: move into a
7508 subdirectory or submenu.
7509 <CR> - in menu completion, when the cursor is just after a
7510 dot: move into a submenu.
7511 <Up> - in filename/menu name completion: move up into
7512 parent directory or parent menu.
7514 This makes the menus accessible from the console |console-menus|.
7516 If you prefer the <Left> and <Right> keys to move the cursor instead
7517 of selecting a different match, use this: >
7518 :cnoremap <Left> <Space><BS><Left>
7519 :cnoremap <Right> <Space><BS><Right>
7520 <
7521 The "WildMenu" highlighting is used for displaying the current match
7522 |hl-WildMenu|.
7524 *'wildmode'* *'wim'*
7525 'wildmode' 'wim' string (Vim default: "full")
7526 global
7527 {not in Vi}
7528 Completion mode that is used for the character specified with
7529 'wildchar'. It is a comma separated list of up to four parts. Each
7530 part specifies what to do for each consecutive use of 'wildchar'. The
7531 first part specifies the behavior for the first use of 'wildchar',
7532 The second part for the second use, etc.
7533 These are the possible values for each part:
7534 "" Complete only the first match.
7535 "full" Complete the next full match. After the last match,
7536 the original string is used and then the first match
7537 again.
7538 "longest" Complete till longest common string. If this doesn't
7539 result in a longer string, use the next part.
7540 "longest:full" Like "longest", but also start 'wildmenu' if it is
7541 enabled.
7542 "list" When more than one match, list all matches.
7543 "list:full" When more than one match, list all matches and
7544 complete first match.
7545 "list:longest" When more than one match, list all matches and
7546 complete till longest common string.
7547 When there is only a single match, it is fully completed in all cases.
7549 Examples: >
7550 :set wildmode=full
7551 < Complete first full match, next match, etc. (the default) >
7552 :set wildmode=longest,full
7553 < Complete longest common string, then each full match >
7554 :set wildmode=list:full
7555 < List all matches and complete each full match >
7556 :set wildmode=list,full
7557 < List all matches without completing, then each full match >
7558 :set wildmode=longest,list
7559 < Complete longest common string, then list alternatives.
7560 More info here: |cmdline-completion|.
7562 *'wildoptions'* *'wop'*
7563 'wildoptions' 'wop' string (default "")
7564 global
7565 {not in Vi}
7566 {not available when compiled without the |+wildignore|
7567 feature}
7568 A list of words that change how command line completion is done.
7569 Currently only one word is allowed:
7570 tagfile When using CTRL-D to list matching tags, the kind of
7571 tag and the file of the tag is listed. Only one match
7572 is displayed per line. Often used tag kinds are:
7573 d #define
7574 f function
7575 Also see |cmdline-completion|.
7577 *'winaltkeys'* *'wak'*
7578 'winaltkeys' 'wak' string (default "menu")
7579 global
7580 {not in Vi}
7581 {only used in Win32, Motif, GTK and Photon GUI}
7582 Some GUI versions allow the access to menu entries by using the ALT
7583 key in combination with a character that appears underlined in the
7584 menu. This conflicts with the use of the ALT key for mappings and
7585 entering special characters. This option tells what to do:
7586 no Don't use ALT keys for menus. ALT key combinations can be
7587 mapped, but there is no automatic handling. This can then be
7588 done with the |:simalt| command.
7589 yes ALT key handling is done by the windowing system. ALT key
7590 combinations cannot be mapped.
7591 menu Using ALT in combination with a character that is a menu
7592 shortcut key, will be handled by the windowing system. Other
7593 keys can be mapped.
7594 If the menu is disabled by excluding 'm' from 'guioptions', the ALT
7595 key is never used for the menu.
7596 This option is not used for <F10>; on Win32 and with GTK <F10> will
7597 select the menu, unless it has been mapped.
7599 *'window'* *'wi'*
7600 'window' 'wi' number (default screen height - 1)
7601 global
7602 Window height. Do not confuse this with the height of the Vim window,
7603 use 'lines' for that.
7604 Used for |CTRL-F| and |CTRL-B| when there is only one window and the
7605 value is smaller than 'lines' minus one. The screen will scroll
7606 'window' minus two lines, with a minimum of one.
7607 When 'window' is equal to 'lines' minus one CTRL-F and CTRL-B scroll
7608 in a much smarter way, taking care of wrapping lines.
7609 When resizing the Vim window, the value is smaller than 1 or more than
7610 or equal to 'lines' it will be set to 'lines' minus 1.
7611 {Vi also uses the option to specify the number of displayed lines}
7613 *'winheight'* *'wh'* *E591*
7614 'winheight' 'wh' number (default 1)
7615 global
7616 {not in Vi}
7617 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7618 feature}
7619 Minimal number of lines for the current window. This is not a hard
7620 minimum, Vim will use fewer lines if there is not enough room. If the
7621 focus goes to a window that is smaller, its size is increased, at the
7622 cost of the height of other windows.
7623 Set 'winheight' to a small number for normal editing.
7624 Set it to 999 to make the current window fill most of the screen.
7625 Other windows will be only 'winminheight' high. This has the drawback
7626 that ":all" will create only two windows. To avoid "vim -o 1 2 3 4"
7627 to create only two windows, set the option after startup is done,
7628 using the |VimEnter| event: >
7629 au VimEnter * set winheight=999
7630 < Minimum value is 1.
7631 The height is not adjusted after one of the commands that change the
7632 height of the current window.
7633 'winheight' applies to the current window. Use 'winminheight' to set
7634 the minimal height for other windows.
7636 *'winfixheight'* *'wfh'* *'nowinfixheight'* *'nowfh'*
7637 'winfixheight' 'wfh' boolean (default off)
7638 local to window
7639 {not in Vi}
7640 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7641 feature}
7642 Keep the window height when windows are opened or closed and
7643 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|. Set by default for the
7644 |preview-window| and |quickfix-window|.
7645 The height may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7647 *'winfixwidth'* *'wfw'* *'nowinfixwidth'* *'nowfw'*
7648 'winfixwidth' 'wfw' boolean (default off)
7649 local to window
7650 {not in Vi}
7651 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7652 feature}
7653 Keep the window width when windows are opened or closed and
7654 'equalalways' is set. Also for |CTRL-W_=|.
7655 The width may be changed anyway when running out of room.
7657 *'winminheight'* *'wmh'*
7658 'winminheight' 'wmh' number (default 1)
7659 global
7660 {not in Vi}
7661 {not available when compiled without the +windows
7662 feature}
7663 The minimal height of a window, when it's not the current window.
7664 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7665 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero lines (i.e. just a
7666 status bar) if necessary. They will return to at least one line when
7667 they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere to go.)
7668 Use 'winheight' to set the minimal height of the current window.
7669 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7670 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7671 windows. A value of 0 to 3 is reasonable.
7673 *'winminwidth'* *'wmw'*
7674 'winminwidth' 'wmw' number (default 1)
7675 global
7676 {not in Vi}
7677 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7678 feature}
7679 The minimal width of a window, when it's not the current window.
7680 This is a hard minimum, windows will never become smaller.
7681 When set to zero, windows may be "squashed" to zero columns (i.e. just
7682 a vertical separator) if necessary. They will return to at least one
7683 line when they become active (since the cursor has to have somewhere
7684 to go.)
7685 Use 'winwidth' to set the minimal width of the current window.
7686 This option is only checked when making a window smaller. Don't use a
7687 large number, it will cause errors when opening more than a few
7688 windows. A value of 0 to 12 is reasonable.
7690 *'winwidth'* *'wiw'* *E592*
7691 'winwidth' 'wiw' number (default 20)
7692 global
7693 {not in Vi}
7694 {not available when compiled without the +vertsplit
7695 feature}
7696 Minimal number of columns for the current window. This is not a hard
7697 minimum, Vim will use fewer columns if there is not enough room. If
7698 the current window is smaller, its size is increased, at the cost of
7699 the width of other windows. Set it to 999 to make the current window
7700 always fill the screen. Set it to a small number for normal editing.
7701 The width is not adjusted after one of the commands to change the
7702 width of the current window.
7703 'winwidth' applies to the current window. Use 'winminwidth' to set
7704 the minimal width for other windows.
7706 *'wrap'* *'nowrap'*
7707 'wrap' boolean (default on)
7708 local to window
7709 {not in Vi}
7710 This option changes how text is displayed. It doesn't change the text
7711 in the buffer, see 'textwidth' for that.
7712 When on, lines longer than the width of the window will wrap and
7713 displaying continues on the next line. When off lines will not wrap
7714 and only part of long lines will be displayed. When the cursor is
7715 moved to a part that is not shown, the screen will scroll
7716 horizontally.
7717 The line will be broken in the middle of a word if necessary. See
7718 'linebreak' to get the break at a word boundary.
7719 To make scrolling horizontally a bit more useful, try this: >
7720 :set sidescroll=5
7721 :set listchars+=precedes:<,extends:>
7722 < See 'sidescroll', 'listchars' and |wrap-off|.
7724 *'wrapmargin'* *'wm'*
7725 'wrapmargin' 'wm' number (default 0)
7726 local to buffer
7727 Number of characters from the right window border where wrapping
7728 starts. When typing text beyond this limit, an <EOL> will be inserted
7729 and inserting continues on the next line.
7730 Options that add a margin, such as 'number' and 'foldcolumn', cause
7731 the text width to be further reduced. This is Vi compatible.
7732 When 'textwidth' is non-zero, this option is not used.
7733 See also 'formatoptions' and |ins-textwidth|. {Vi: works differently
7734 and less usefully}
7736 *'wrapscan'* *'ws'* *'nowrapscan'* *'nows'*
7737 'wrapscan' 'ws' boolean (default on) *E384* *E385*
7738 global
7739 Searches wrap around the end of the file. Also applies to |]s| and
7740 |[s|, searching for spelling mistakes.
7742 *'write'* *'nowrite'*
7743 'write' boolean (default on)
7744 global
7745 {not in Vi}
7746 Allows writing files. When not set, writing a file is not allowed.
7747 Can be used for a view-only mode, where modifications to the text are
7748 still allowed. Can be reset with the |-m| or |-M| command line
7749 argument. Filtering text is still possible, even though this requires
7750 writing a temporary file.
7752 *'writeany'* *'wa'* *'nowriteany'* *'nowa'*
7753 'writeany' 'wa' boolean (default off)
7754 global
7755 Allows writing to any file with no need for "!" override.
7757 *'writebackup'* *'wb'* *'nowritebackup'* *'nowb'*
7758 'writebackup' 'wb' boolean (default on with |+writebackup| feature, off
7759 otherwise)
7760 global
7761 {not in Vi}
7762 Make a backup before overwriting a file. The backup is removed after
7763 the file was successfully written, unless the 'backup' option is
7764 also on. Reset this option if your file system is almost full. See
7765 |backup-table| for another explanation.
7766 When the 'backupskip' pattern matches, a backup is not made anyway.
7767 NOTE: This option is set to the default value when 'compatible' is
7768 set.
7770 *'writedelay'* *'wd'*
7771 'writedelay' 'wd' number (default 0)
7772 global
7773 {not in Vi}
7774 The number of microseconds to wait for each character sent to the
7775 screen. When non-zero, characters are sent to the terminal one by
7776 one. For MS-DOS pcterm this does not work. For debugging purposes.
7778 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: