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1 *term.txt* For Vim version 5.8. Last change: 2000 Dec 02
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
7 Terminal information *terminal-info*
9 Vim uses information about the terminal you are using to fill the screen and
10 recognize what keys you hit. If this information is not correct the screen
11 may be messed up or keys may not be recognized. The actions which have to be
12 performed on the screen are accomplished by outputting a string of
13 characters. Special keys produce a string of characters. These strings are
14 stored in the terminal options, see |terminal-options|.
16 NOTE: Most of this is not used when running the |GUI|.
18 1. Startup |startup-terminal|
19 2. Terminal options |terminal-options|
20 3. Window size |window-size|
21 4. Slow and fast terminals |slow-fast-terminal|
22 5. Using the mouse |mouse-using|
24 ==============================================================================
25 1. Startup *startup-terminal*
27 When Vim is started a default terminal type is assumed. For the Amiga this is
28 a standard CLI window, for MS-DOS the pc terminal, for Unix an ansi terminal.
29 A few other terminal types are always available, see below |builtin-terms|.
31 You can give the terminal name with the '-T' Vim argument. If it is not given
32 Vim will try to get the name from the TERM environment variable.
34 *termcap* *terminfo*
35 On Unix the terminfo database or termcap file is used. This is referred to as
36 "termcap" in all the documentation. At compile time, when running configure,
37 the choice whether to use terminfo or termcap is done automatically. When
38 running Vim the output of ":version" will show |+terminfo| if terminfo is
39 used. Also see |xterm-screens|.
41 On non-Unix systems a termcap is only available if Vim was compiled with
42 TERMCAP defined.
44 *builtin-terms* *builtin_terms*
45 Which builtin terminals are available depends on a few defines in feature.h,
46 which needs to be set at compile time:
47 define output of ":version" terminals builtin ~
48 NO_BUILTIN_TCAPS -builtin_terms none
49 SOME_BUILTIN_TCAPS +builtin_terms most common ones (default)
50 ALL_BUILTIN_TCAPS ++builtin_terms all available
52 You can see a list of available builtin terminals with ":set term=xxx" (when
53 not running the GUI). Also see |+builtin_terms|.
55 If the termcap code is included Vim will try to get the strings for the
56 terminal you are using from the termcap file and the builtin termcaps. Both
57 are always used, if an entry for the terminal you are using is present. Which
58 one is used first depends on the 'ttybuiltin' option:
60 'ttybuiltin' on 1: builtin termcap 2: external termcap
61 'ttybuiltin' off 1: external termcap 2: builtin termcap
63 If an option is missing in one of them, it will be obtained from the other
64 one. If an option is present in both, the one first encountered is used.
66 Which external termcap file is used varies from system to system and may
67 depend on the environment variables "TERMCAP" and "TERMPATH". See "man
68 tgetent".
70 Settings depending on terminal *term-dependent-settings*
72 If you want to set options or mappings, depending on the terminal name, you
73 can do this best in your .vimrc. Example:
75 > if &term == "xterm"
76 > ... xterm maps and settings ...
77 > elseif &term =~ "vt10."
78 > ... vt100, vt102 maps and settings ...
79 > endif
81 *raw-terminal-mode*
82 For normal editing the terminal will be put into "raw" mode. The strings
83 defined with 't_ti' and 't_ks' will be sent to the terminal. Normally this
84 puts the terminal in a state where the termcap codes are valid and activates
85 the cursor and function keys. When Vim exits the terminal will be put back
86 into the mode it was before Vim started. The strings defined with 't_te' and
87 't_ke' will be sent to the terminal. On the Amiga with commands that execute
88 an external command (e.g., "!!") the terminal will be put into Normal mode for
89 a moment. This means that you can stop the output to the screen by hitting a
90 printing key. Output resumes when you hit <BS>.
92 *cs7-problem*
93 Note: If the terminal settings are changed after running Vim, you might have
94 an illegal combination of settings. This has been reported on Solaris 2.5
95 with "stty cs8 parenb", which is restored as "stty cs7 parenb". Use
96 "stty cs8 -parenb -istrip" instead, this is restored correctly.
98 Some termcap entries are wrong in the sense that after sending 't_ks' the
99 cursor keys send codes different from the codes defined in the termcap. To
100 avoid this you can set 't_ks' (and 't_ke') to empty strings. This must be
101 done during initialization (see |initialization|), otherwise its too late.
103 Some termcap entries assume that the highest bit is always reset. For
104 example: The cursor-up entry for the amiga could be ":ku=\EA:". But the Amiga
105 really sends "\233A". This works fine if the highest bit is reset, e.g., when
106 using an Amiga over a serial line. If the cursor keys don't work, try the
107 entry ":ku=\233A:".
109 Some termcap entries have the entry ":ku=\E[A:". But the Amiga really sends
110 "\233A". On output "\E[" and "\233" are often equivalent, on input they
111 aren't. You will have to change the termcap entry, or change the key code with
112 the :set command to fix this.
114 Many cursor key codes start with an <Esc>. Vim must find out if this a single
115 hit of the <Esc> key or the start of a cursor key sequence. It waits for a
116 next character to arrive. If it does not arrive within one second a single
117 <Esc> is assumed. On very slow systems this may fail, causing cursor keys not
118 to work sometimes. If you discover this problem reset the 'timeout' option.
119 Vim will wait for the next character to arrive after an <Esc>. If you want to
120 enter a single <Esc> you must type it twice. Resetting the 'esckeys' option
121 avoids this problems in Insert mode, but you lose the possibility to use
122 cursor and function keys in Insert mode.
124 On the Amiga the recognition of window resizing is activated only when the
125 terminal name is "amiga" or "builtin_amiga".
127 Some terminals have confusing codes for the cursor keys. The televideo 925 is
128 such a terminal. It sends a CTRL-H for cursor-left. This would make it
129 impossible to distinguish a backspace and cursor-left. To avoid this problem
130 CTRL-H is never recognized as cursor-left.
132 *vt100-cursor-keys* *xterm-cursor-keys*
133 Other terminals (e.g., vt100 and xterm) have cursor keys that send <Esc>OA,
134 <Esc>OB, etc. Unfortunately these are valid commands in insert mode: Stop
135 insert, Open a new line above the new one, start inserting 'A', 'B', etc.
136 Instead of performing these commands Vim will erroneously recognize this typed
137 key sequence as a cursor key movement. To avoid this and make Vim do what you
138 want in either case you could use these settings:
139 :set notimeout " don't timeout on mappings
140 :set ttimeout " do timeout on terminal key codes
141 :set timeoutlen=100 " timemout in 100 msec
142 This requires the key-codes to be send within 100msec in order to recognize
143 them as a cursor key. When you type you normally are not that fast, so they
144 are recognized as individual typed commands, even though Vim receives the same
145 sequence of bytes.
147 *vt100-function-keys* *xterm-function-keys*
148 An xterm can send function keys F1 to F4 in two modes: vt100 compatible or
149 not. Because Vim cannot know what the xterm is sending, both types of keys
150 are recognized. The same happens for the <Home> and <End> keys.
151 normal vt100 ~
152 <F1> t_k1 <Esc>[11~ <xF1> <Esc>OP *<xF1>-xterm*
153 <F2> t_k2 <Esc>[12~ <xF2> <Esc>OQ *<xF2>-xterm*
154 <F3> t_k3 <Esc>[13~ <xF3> <Esc>OR *<xF3>-xterm*
155 <F4> t_k4 <Esc>[14~ <xF4> <Esc>OS *<xF4>-xterm*
156 <Home> t_kh <Esc>[7~ <xHome> <Esc>OH *<xHome>-xterm*
157 <End> t_@7 <Esc>[4~ <xEnd> <Esc>OF *<xEnd>-xterm*
159 When Vim starts, <xF1> is mapped to <F1>, <xF2> to <F2> etc. This means that
160 by default both codes to the same thing. If you make a mapping for <xF2>,
161 because your terminal does have two keys, the default mapping is overwritten,
162 thus you can use the <F2> and <xF2> keys for something different.
164 *xterm-shifted-keys*
165 Newer versions of xterm support shifted function keys and special keys. Vim
166 recognizes most of them. Use ":set termcap" to check which are supported and
167 what the codes are. Mostly these are not in a termcap, they are only
168 supported by the builtin_xterm termcap.
170 *xterm-scroll-region*
171 The default termcap entry for xterm on sun and other platforms does not
172 contain the entry for scroll regions. Add ":cs=\E[%i%d;%dr:" to the xterm
173 entry in /etc/termcap and everything should work.
175 *xterm-end-home-keys*
176 On some systems (at least on FreeBSD with X386 3.1.2) the codes that the <End>
177 and <Home> keys send contain a <Nul> character. To make these keys send the
178 proper key code, add these lines to your ~/.Xdefaults file:
180 *VT100.Translations: #override \n\
181 <Key>Home: string("0x1b") string("[7~") \n\
182 <Key>End: string("0x1b") string("[8~")
184 *xterm-8bit*
185 Xterm can be run in a mode where it uses 8bit escape sequences. The CSI ode
186 is used instead of <Esc>[. The advantage is that an <Esc> can quickly be
187 recognized in Insert mode, because it can't be confused with the start of a
188 special key.
189 For the builtin termcap entries, Vim checks if the 'term' option contains
190 "8bit" anywhere. It then uses 8-bit characters for the termcap entries, the
191 mouse and a few other things. You would normally set $TERM in your shell to
192 "xterm-8bit" and Vim picks this up and adjusts to the 8-bit setting
193 automatically.
195 ==============================================================================
196 2. Terminal options *terminal-options*
198 The terminal options can be set just like normal options. But they are not
199 shown with the ":set all" command. Instead use ":set termcap".
201 It is always possible to change individual strings by setting the
202 appropriate option. For example:
203 > :set t_ce=^V^[[K (CTRL-V, <Esc>, [, K)
205 {Vi: no terminal options. You have to exit Vi, edit the termcap entry and
206 try again}
208 The options are listed below. The associated termcap code is always equal to
209 the last two characters of the option name. Two termcap codes are required:
210 Cursor positioning and clear screen.
212 The options 't_da', 't_db', 't_ms', 't_xs' represent flags in the termcap.
213 When the termcap flag is present, the option will be set to "y". But any
214 non-empty string means that the flag is set. An empty string means that the
215 flag is not set. 't_CS' works like this too, but it isn't a termcap flag.
217 OUTPUT CODES
218 option meaning ~
220 t_AB set background color (ANSI) *t_AB* *'t_AB'*
221 t_AF set foreground color (ANSI) *t_AF* *'t_AF'*
222 t_AL add number of blank lines *t_AL* *'t_AL'*
223 t_al add new blank line *t_al* *'t_al'*
224 t_bc backspace character *t_bc* *'t_bc'*
225 t_cd clear to end of screen *t_cd* *'t_cd'*
226 t_ce clear to end of line *t_ce* *'t_ce'*
227 t_cl clear screen (required!) *t_cl* *'t_cl'*
228 t_cm cursor motion (required!) *t_cm* *'t_cm'*
229 t_Co number of colors *t_Co* *'t_Co'*
230 t_CS if non-empty, cursor relative to scroll region *t_CS* *'t_CS'*
231 t_cs define scrolling region *t_cs* *'t_cs'*
232 t_da if non-empty, lines from above scroll down *t_da* *'t_da'*
233 t_db if non-empty, lines from below scroll up *t_db* *'t_db'*
234 t_DL delete number of lines *t_DL* *'t_DL'*
235 t_dl delete line *t_dl* *'t_dl'*
236 t_fs set window title end (from status line) *t_fs* *'t_fs'*
237 t_ke out of "keypad transmit" mode *t_ke* *'t_ke'*
238 t_ks put terminal in "keypad transmit" mode *t_ks* *'t_ks'*
239 t_le move cursor one char left *t_le* *'t_le'*
240 t_mb blinking mode *t_mb* *'t_mb'*
241 t_md bold mode *t_md* *'t_md'*
242 t_me Normal mode (undoes t_mr, t_mb and t_md) *t_me* *'t_me'*
243 t_mr reverse (invert) mode *t_mr* *'t_mr'*
244 *t_ms* *'t_ms'*
245 t_ms if non-empty, cursor can be moved in standout/inverse mode
246 t_nd non destructive space character *t_nd* *'t_nd'*
247 t_op reset to original color pair *t_op* *'t_op'*
248 t_RI cursor number of chars right *t_RI* *'t_RI'*
249 t_Sb set background color *t_Sb* *'t_Sb'*
250 t_Sf set foreground color *t_Sf* *'t_Sf'*
251 t_se standout end *t_se* *'t_se'*
252 t_so standout mode *t_so* *'t_so'*
253 t_sr scroll reverse (backward) *t_sr* *'t_sr'*
254 t_te out of "termcap" mode *t_te* *'t_te'*
255 t_ti put terminal in "termcap" mode *t_ti* *'t_ti'*
256 t_ts set window title start (to status line) *t_ts* *'t_ts'*
257 t_ue underline end *t_ue* *'t_ue'*
258 t_us underline mode *t_us* *'t_us'*
259 t_vb visual bell *t_vb* *'t_vb'*
260 t_ve cursor visible *t_ve* *'t_ve'*
261 t_vi cursor invisible *t_vi* *'t_vi'*
262 t_vs cursor very visible *t_vs* *'t_vs'*
263 *t_xs* *'t_xs'*
264 t_xs if non-empty, standout not erased by overwriting (hpterm)
265 t_ZH italics mode *t_ZH* *'t_ZH'*
266 t_ZR italics end *t_ZR* *'t_ZR'*
268 Added by Vim (there are no standard codes for these):
269 t_IS set icon text start *t_IS* *'t_IS'*
270 t_IE set icon text end *t_IE* *'t_IE'*
271 t_WP set window position (Y, X) in pixels *t_WP* *'t_WP'*
272 t_WS set window size (height, width) in characters *t_WS* *'t_WS'*
273 t_RV request terminal version string (for xterm) *t_RV* *'t_RV'*
275 KEY CODES
276 Note: Use the <> form if possible
278 option name meaning ~
280 t_ku <Up> arrow up *t_ku* *'t_ku'*
281 t_kd <Down> arrow down *t_kd* *'t_kd'*
282 t_kr <Right> arrow right *t_kr* *'t_kr'*
283 t_kl <Left> arrow left *t_kl* *'t_kl'*
284 <S-Up> shift arrow up
285 <S-Down> shift arrow down
286 t_%i <S-Right> shift arrow right *t_%i* *'t_%i'*
287 t_#4 <S-Left> shift arrow left *t_#4* *'t_#4'*
288 t_k1 <F1> function key 1 *t_k1* *'t_k1'*
289 <xF1> alternate F1 *<xF1>*
290 t_k2 <F2> function key 2 *<F2>* *t_k2* *'t_k2'*
291 <xF2> alternate F2 *<xF2>*
292 t_k3 <F3> function key 3 *<F3>* *t_k3* *'t_k3'*
293 <xF3> alternate F3 *<xF3>*
294 t_k4 <F4> function key 4 *<F4>* *t_k4* *'t_k4'*
295 <xF4> alternate F4 *<xF4>*
296 t_k5 <F5> function key 5 *<F5>* *t_k5* *'t_k5'*
297 t_k6 <F6> function key 6 *<F6>* *t_k6* *'t_k6'*
298 t_k7 <F7> function key 7 *<F7>* *t_k7* *'t_k7'*
299 t_k8 <F8> function key 8 *<F8>* *t_k8* *'t_k8'*
300 t_k9 <F9> function key 9 *<F9>* *t_k9* *'t_k9'*
301 t_k; <F10> function key 10 *<F10>* *t_k;* *'t_k;'*
302 t_F1 <F11> function key 11 *<F11>* *t_F1* *'t_F1'*
303 t_F2 <F12> function key 12 *<F12>* *t_F2* *'t_F2'*
304 t_F3 <F13> function key 13 *<F13>* *t_F3* *'t_F3'*
305 t_F4 <F14> function key 14 *<F14>* *t_F4* *'t_F4'*
306 t_F5 <F15> function key 15 *<F15>* *t_F5* *'t_F5'*
307 t_F6 <F16> function key 16 *<F16>* *t_F6* *'t_F6'*
308 t_F7 <F17> function key 17 *<F17>* *t_F7* *'t_F7'*
309 t_F8 <F18> function key 18 *<F18>* *t_F8* *'t_F8'*
310 t_F9 <F19> function key 19 *<F19>* *t_F9* *'t_F9'*
311 <S-F1> shifted function key 1
312 <S-xF1> alternate <S-F1> *<S-xF1>*
313 <S-F2> shifted function key 2 *<S-F2>*
314 <S-xF2> alternate <S-F2> *<S-xF2>*
315 <S-F3> shifted function key 3 *<S-F3>*
316 <S-xF3> alternate <S-F3> *<S-xF3>*
317 <S-F4> shifted function key 4 *<S-F4>*
318 <S-xF4> alternate <S-F4> *<S-xF4>*
319 <S-F5> shifted function key 5 *<S-F5>*
320 <S-F6> shifted function key 6 *<S-F6>*
321 <S-F7> shifted function key 7 *<S-F7>*
322 <S-F8> shifted function key 8 *<S-F8>*
323 <S-F9> shifted function key 9 *<S-F9>*
324 <S-F10> shifted function key 10 *<S-F10>*
325 <S-F11> shifted function key 11 *<S-F11>*
326 <S-F12> shifted function key 12 *<S-F12>*
327 <S-Tab> shifted Tab key *<S-Tab>*
328 t_%1 <Help> help key *t_%1* *'t_%1'*
329 t_&8 <Undo> undo key *t_&8* *'t_&8'*
330 t_kI <Insert> insert key *t_kI* *'t_kI'*
331 t_kD <Del> delete key *t_kD* *'t_kD'*
332 t_kb <BS> backspace key *t_kb* *'t_kb'*
333 t_kh <Home> home key *t_kh* *'t_kh'*
334 t_#2 <S-Home> shifted home key *<S-Home>* *t_#2* *'t_#2'*
335 <xHome> alternate home key *<xHome>*
336 t_@7 <End> end key *t_@7* *'t_@7'*
337 t_*7 <S-End> shifted end key *<S-End>* *t_star7* *'t_star7'*
338 <xEnd> alternate end key *<xEnd>*
339 t_kP <PageUp> page-up key *t_kP* *'t_kP'*
340 t_kN <PageDown> page-down key *t_kN* *'t_kN'*
341 t_K1 <kHome> keypad home key *t_K1* *'t_K1'*
342 t_K4 <kEnd> keypad end key *t_K4* *'t_K4'*
343 t_K3 <kPageUp> keypad page-up key *t_K3* *'t_K3'*
344 t_K5 <kPageDown> keypad page-down key *t_K5* *'t_K5'*
345 t_K6 <kPlus> keypad plus key *<kPlus>* *t_K6* *'t_K6'*
346 t_K7 <kMinus> keypad minus key *<kMinus>* *t_K7* *'t_K7'*
347 t_K8 <kDivide> keypad divide *<kDivide>* *t_K8* *'t_K8'*
348 t_K9 <kMultiply> keypad multiply *<kMultiply>* *t_K9* *'t_K9'*
349 t_KA <kEnter> keypad enter key *<kEnter>* *t_KA* *'t_KA'*
350 <Mouse> leader of mouse code *<Mouse>*
352 Note about t_so and t_mr: When the termcap entry "so" is not present the
353 entry for "mr" is used. And vice versa. The same is done for "se" and "me".
354 If your terminal supports both inversion and standout mode, you can see two
355 different modes. If you terminal supports only one of the modes, both will
356 look the same.
358 *termcap-colors*
359 Note about colors: The 't_Co' option tells Vim the number of colors available.
360 When it is non-zero, the 't_AB' and 't_AF' options are used to set the color.
361 If one of these is not available, 't_Sb' and 't_Sf' are used.
363 *termcap-title*
364 The 't_ts' and 't_fs' options are used to set the window title if the terminal
365 allows title setting via sending strings. They are sent before and after the
366 title string, respectively. Similar 't_IS' and 't_IE' are used to set the
367 icon text. These are Vim-internal extensions of the Unix termcap, so they
368 cannot be obtained from an external termcap. However, the builtin termcap
369 contains suitable entries for xterm and iris-ansi, so you don't need to set
370 them here.
371 *hpterm*
372 If inversion or other highlighting does not work correctly, try setting the
373 't_xs' option to a non-empty string. This makes the 't_ce' code be used to
374 remove highlighting from a line. This is required for "hpterm". Setting the
375 'weirdinvert' option has the same effect as making 't_xs' non-empty, and vice
376 versa.
378 Some termcaps do not include an entry for 'cs' (scroll region), although the
379 terminal does support it. For example: xterm on a sun. You can use the
380 builtin_xterm or define t_cs yourself. For example:
381 > :set t_cs=^V^[[%i%d;%dr
383 Where ^V is CTRL-V and ^[ is <Esc>.
385 Unfortunately it is not possible to deduce from the termcap how cursor
386 positioning should be done when using a scrolling region: Relative to the
387 beginning of the screen or relative to the beginning of the scrolling region.
388 Most terminals use the first method. A known exception is the MS-DOS console
389 (pcterm). The 't_CS' option should be set to any string when cursor
390 positioning is relative to the start of the scrolling region. It should be
391 set to an empty string otherwise. It is default "yes" when 'term' is
392 "pcterm".
394 Note for xterm users: The shifted cursor keys normally don't work. You can
395 make them work with the xmodmap command and some mappings in Vim.
397 Give these commands in the xterm:
398 xmodmap -e "keysym Up = Up F13"
399 xmodmap -e "keysym Down = Down F16"
400 xmodmap -e "keysym Left = Left F18"
401 xmodmap -e "keysym Right = Right F19"
403 And use these mappings in Vim:
404 :map <t_F3> <S-Up>
405 :map! <t_F3> <S-Up>
406 :map <t_F6> <S-Down>
407 :map! <t_F6> <S-Down>
408 :map <t_F8> <S-Left>
409 :map! <t_F8> <S-Left>
410 :map <t_F9> <S-Right>
411 :map! <t_F9> <S-Right>
413 Instead of, say, <S-Up> you can use any other command that you want to use the
414 shift-cursor-up key for. (Note: To help people that have a Sun keyboard with
415 left side keys F14 is not used because it is confused with the undo key; F15
416 is not used, because it does a window-to-front; F17 is not used, because it
417 closes the window. On other systems you can probably use them)
419 ==============================================================================
420 3. Window size *window-size*
422 [This is about the size of the whole window Vim is using, not a window that is
423 created with the :split command]
425 If you are running Vim on an Amiga and the terminal name is "amiga" or
426 "builtin_amiga", the amiga-specific window resizing will be enabled. On Unix
427 systems three methods are tried to get the window size:
429 - an ioctl call (TIOCGSIZE or TIOCGWINSZ, depends on your system)
430 - the environment variables "LINES" and "COLUMNS"
431 - from the termcap entries "li" and "co"
433 If everything fails a default size of 24 lines and 80 columns is assumed. If
434 a window-resize signal is received the size will be set again. If the window
435 size is wrong you can use the 'lines' and 'columns' options to set the
436 correct values.
438 One command can be used to set the screen size:
440 *:mod* *:mode*
441 :mod[e] [mode]
443 Without argument this only detects the screen size and redraws the screen.
444 With MS-DOS it is possible to switch screen mode. [mode] can be one of these
445 values:
446 "bw40" 40 columns black&white
447 "c40" 40 columns color
448 "bw80" 80 columns black&white
449 "c80" 80 columns color (most people use this)
450 "mono" 80 columns monochrome
451 "c4350" 43 or 50 lines EGA/VGA mode
452 number mode number to use, depends on your video card
454 ==============================================================================
455 4. Slow and fast terminals *slow-fast-terminal*
456 *slow-terminal*
458 If you have a fast terminal you may like to set the 'ruler' option. The
459 cursor position is shown in the status line. If you are using horizontal
460 scrolling ('wrap' option off) consider setting 'sidescroll' to a small
461 number.
463 If you have a slow terminal you may want to reset the 'showcmd' option.
464 The command characters will not be shown in the status line. If the terminal
465 scrolls very slowly, set the 'scrolljump' to 5 or so. If the cursor is moved
466 off the screen (e.g., with "j") Vim will scroll 5 lines at a time. Another
467 possibility is to reduce the number of lines that Vim uses with the command
468 "z{height}<CR>".
470 If the characters from the terminal are arriving with more than 1 second
471 between them you might want to set the 'timeout' and/or 'ttimeout' option.
472 See the "Options" chapter |options|.
474 If your terminal does not support a scrolling region, but it does support
475 insert/delete line commands, scrolling with multiple windows may make the
476 lines jump up and down. If you don't want this set the 'ttyfast' option.
477 This will redraw the window instead of scroll it.
479 If your terminal scrolls very slowly, but redrawing is not slow, set the
480 'ttyscroll' option to a small number, e.g., 3. This will make Vim redraw the
481 screen instead of scrolling, when there are more than 3 lines to be scrolled.
483 If you are using Vim over a slow serial line, you might want to try running
484 Vim inside the "screen" program. Screen will optimize the terminal I/O quite
485 a bit.
487 If you are testing termcap options, but you cannot see what is happening,
488 you might want to set the 'writedelay' option. When non-zero, one character
489 is sent to the terminal at a time (does not work for MS-DOS). This makes the
490 screen updating a lot slower, making it possible to see what is happening.
492 ==============================================================================
493 5. Using the mouse *mouse-using*
495 This section is about using the mouse on a terminal or a terminal window. How
496 to use the mouse in a GUI window is explained in |gui-mouse|. For scrolling
497 with a mouse wheel see |scroll-mouse-wheel|.
499 Don't forget to enable the mouse with this commands:
500 > :set mouse=a
501 Otherwise Vim won't recognize the mouse in all modes (See 'mouse').
503 Currently the mouse is supported for Unix in an xterm window, in a Linux
504 console (with GPM |gpm-mouse|), for MS-DOS and in a Windows console.
505 Mouse clicks can be used to position the cursor, select an area and paste.
507 These characters in the 'mouse' option tell in which situations the mouse will
508 be used by Vim:
509 n Normal mode
510 v Visual mode
511 i Insert mode
512 c Command-line mode
513 h all previous modes when in a help file
514 a all previous modes
515 r for |hit-return| prompt
516 A auto-select in Visual mode
518 The default for 'mouse' is empty, the mouse is not used. Normally you would do
519 > :set mouse=a
520 to start using the mouse (this is equivalent to setting 'mouse' to "nvich").
521 If you only want to use the mouse in a few modes or also want to use it for
522 the two questions you will have to concatenate the letters for those modes.
523 For example:
524 > :set mouse=nv
525 Will make the mouse work in Normal mode and Visual mode.
526 > :set mouse=h
527 Will make the mouse work in help files only (so you can use "g<LeftMouse>" to
528 jump to tags).
530 Whether the selection that is started with the mouse is in Visual mode or
531 Select mode depends on whethere "mouse" in included in the 'selectmode'
532 option.
534 In an xterm, with the currently active mode included in the 'mouse' option,
535 normal mouse clicks are used by Vim, mouse clicks with the shift or ctrl key
536 pressed go to the xterm. With the currently active mode not included in
537 'mouse' all mouse clicks go to the xterm.
539 *xterm-clipboard*
540 In the Athena and Motif GUI versions, when running in an xterm and there is
541 access to the X-server (DISPLAY is set), the copy and paste will behave like
542 in the GUI. If not, the middle mouse button will insert the unnamed register.
543 In that case, here is how you copy and paste a piece of text:
545 Copy/paste with the mouse and Visual mode ('mouse' option must be set, see
546 above):
547 1. Press left mouse button on first letter of text, move mouse pointer to last
548 letter of the text and release the button. This will start Visual mode and
549 highlight the selected area.
550 2. Press "y" to yank the Visual text in the unnamed register.
551 3. Click the left mouse button at the insert position.
552 4. Click the middle mouse button.
554 Shortcut: If the insert position is on the screen at the same time as the
555 Visual text, you can do 2, 3 and 4 all in one: Click the middle mouse button
556 at the insert position.
558 *xterm-copy-paste*
559 NOTE: In some (older) xterms, it's not possible to move the cursor past column
560 95. This is an xterm problem, not Vim's. Get a newer xterm |color-xterm|.
562 Copy/paste in xterm with (current mode NOT included in 'mouse'):
563 1. Press left mouse button on first letter of text, move mouse pointer to last
564 letter of the text and release the button.
565 2. Use normal Vim commands to put the cursor at the insert position.
566 3. Press "a" to start Insert mode.
567 4. Click the middle mouse button.
568 5. Press ESC to end Insert mode.
569 (The same can be done with anything in 'mouse' if you keep the shift key
570 pressed while using the mouse)
572 Note: if you lose the 8th bit when pasting (special characters are translated
573 into other characters), you may have to do "stty cs8 -istrip -parenb" in your
574 shell before starting Vim.
576 Thus in an xterm the shift and ctrl keys cannot be used with the mouse. To
577 make it possible to do the mouse commands that require the ctrl modifier, the
578 "g" key can be typed before using the mouse:
579 "g<LeftMouse>" is "<C-LeftMouse> (jump to tag under mouse click)
580 "g<RightMouse>" is "<C-RightMouse> ("CTRL-T")
582 *mouse-mode-table* *mouse-overview*
583 A short overview of what the mouse buttons do, when 'mousemodel' is "extend":
585 Normal Mode:
586 event position selection change action ~
587 cursor window ~
588 <LeftMouse> yes end yes
589 <C-LeftMouse> yes end yes "CTRL-]" (2)
590 <S-LeftMouse> yes no change yes "*" (2) *<S-LeftMouse>*
591 <LeftDrag> yes start or extend (1) no *<LeftDrag>*
592 <LeftRelease> yes start or extend (1) no
593 <MiddleMouse> yes if not active no put
594 <MiddleMouse> yes if active no yank and put
595 <RightMouse> yes start or extend yes
596 <S-RightMouse> yes no change yes "#" (2) *<S-RightMouse>*
597 <C-RightMouse> no no change no "CTRL-T"
598 <RightDrag> yes extend no *<RightDrag>*
599 <RightRelease> yes extend no *<RightRelease>*
601 Insert or Replace Mode:
602 event position selection change action ~
603 cursor window ~
604 <LeftMouse> yes (cannot be active) yes
605 <C-LeftMouse> yes (cannot be active) yes "CTRL-O^]" (2)
606 <S-LeftMouse> yes (cannot be active) yes "CTRL-O*" (2)
607 <LeftDrag> yes start or extend (1) no like CTRL-O (1)
608 <LeftRelease> yes start or extend (1) no like CTRL-O (1)
609 <MiddleMouse> no (cannot be active) no put register
610 <RightMouse> yes start or extend yes like CTRL-O
611 <S-RightMouse> yes (cannot be active) yes "CTRL-O#" (2)
612 <C-RightMouse> no (cannot be active) no "CTRL-O CTRL-T"
614 In a help window:
615 event position selection change action ~
616 cursor window ~
617 <2-LeftMouse> yes (cannot be active) no "^]" (jump to help tag)
619 When 'mousemodel' is "popup", these are different:
621 Normal Mode:
622 event position selection change action ~
623 cursor window ~
624 <S-LeftMouse> yes start or extend (1) no
625 <RightMouse> no popup menu no
627 Insert or Replace Mode:
628 event position selection change action ~
629 cursor window ~
630 <S-LeftMouse> yes start or extend (1) no like CTRL-O (1)
631 <RightMouse> no popup menu no
633 (1) only if mouse pointer moved since press
634 (2) only if click is in same buffer
636 Clicking the left mouse button causes the cursor to be positioned. If the
637 click is in another window that window is made the active window. When
638 editing the command-line the cursor can only be positioned on the
639 command-line. When in Insert mode Vim remains in Insert mode. If 'scrolloff'
640 is set, and the cursor is positioned within 'scrolloff' lines from the window
641 border, the text is scrolled.
643 A selection can be started by pressing the left mouse button on the first
644 character, moving the mouse to the last character, then releasing the mouse
645 button. You will not always see the selection until you release the button,
646 only in some versions (GUI, MS-DOS, WIN32) will the dragging be shown
647 immediately. Note that you can make the text scroll by moving the mouse at
648 least one character in the first/last line in the window when 'scrolloff' is
649 non-zero.
651 In Normal, Visual and Select mode clicking the right mouse button causes the
652 Visual area to be extended. When 'mousemodel' is "popup", the left button has
653 to be used while keeping the shift key pressed. When clicking in a window
654 which is editing another buffer, the Visual or Select mode is stopped.
656 *double-click*
657 Double, triple and quadruple clicks are supported when the GUI is active,
658 for MS-DOS and Win32, and for an xterm (if the gettimeofday() function is
659 available). For selecting text, extra clicks extend the selection:
660 click select ~
661 double word *<2-LeftMouse>*
662 triple line *<3-LeftMouse>*
663 quadruple rectangular block *<4-LeftMouse>*
664 Exception: In a Help window a double click jumps to help for the word that is
665 clicked on.
666 For MS-DOS and xterm the time for double clicking can be set with the
667 'mousetime' option. For the other systems this time is defined outside of
668 Vim.
669 An example, for using a double click to jump to the tag under the cursor:
670 > :map <2-LeftMouse> :exe "tag ". expand("<cword>")<CR>
672 *gpm-mouse*
673 The GPM mouse is only supported when the |+mouse_gpm| feature was enabled at
674 compile time. The GPM mouse driver (Linux console) does not support quadruple
675 clicks.
677 In Insert mode, when a selection is started, Vim goes into Normal mode
678 temporarily. When Visual or Select mode ends, it returns to Insert mode.
679 This is like using CTRL-O in Insert mode. Select mode is used when the
680 'selectmode' option contains "mouse".
682 *drag-status-line*
683 When working with several windows, the size of the windows can be changed by
684 dragging the status line with the mouse. Point the mouse at a status line,
685 press the left button, move the mouse to the new position of the status line,
686 release the button. Just clicking the mouse in a status line makes that window
687 the current window, without moving the cursor. If by selecting a window it
688 will change position or size, the dragging of the status line will look
689 confusing, but it will work (just try it).
691 Mouse clicks can be mapped. The codes for mouse clicks are:
692 code mouse button normal action ~
693 <LeftMouse> left pressed set cursor position
694 <LeftDrag> left moved while pressed extend selection
695 <LeftRelease> left released set selection end
696 <MiddleMouse> middle pressed paste text at cursor position
697 <MiddleDrag> middle moved while pressed -
698 <MiddleRelease> middle released -
699 <RightMouse> right pressed extend selection
700 <RightDrag> right moved while pressed extend selection
701 <RightRelease> right released set selection end
703 Examples:
704 > :noremap <MiddleMouse> <LeftMouse><MiddleMouse>
705 Paste at the position of the middle mouse button click (otherwise the paste
706 would be done at the cursor position).
708 > :noremap <LeftRelease> <LeftRelease>y
709 Immediately yank the selection, when using Visual mode.
711 Note the use of ":noremap" instead of "map" to avoid a recursive mapping.
713 *mouse-swap-buttons*
714 To swap the meaning of the left and right mouse buttons:
715 > :noremap <LeftMouse> <RightMouse>
716 > :noremap <LeftDrag> <RightDrag>
717 > :noremap <LeftRelease> <RightRelease>
718 > :noremap <RightMouse> <LeftMouse>
719 > :noremap <RightDrag> <LeftDrag>
720 > :noremap <RightRelease> <LeftRelease>
721 > :noremap g<LeftMouse> <C-RightMouse>
722 > :noremap g<RightMouse> <C-LeftMouse>
723 > :noremap! <LeftMouse> <RightMouse>
724 > :noremap! <LeftDrag> <RightDrag>
725 > :noremap! <LeftRelease> <RightRelease>
726 > :noremap! <RightMouse> <LeftMouse>
727 > :noremap! <RightDrag> <LeftDrag>
728 > :noremap! <RightRelease> <LeftRelease>
730 vim:tw=78:ts=8:sw=8: