diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'runtime/doc/change.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | runtime/doc/change.txt | 1425 |
1 files changed, 1425 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/runtime/doc/change.txt b/runtime/doc/change.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..2e56ccb5c --- /dev/null +++ b/runtime/doc/change.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1425 @@ +*change.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2004 May 08 + + + VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar + + +This file describes commands that delete or change text. In this context, +changing text means deleting the text and replacing it with other text using +one command. You can undo all of these commands. You can repeat the non-Ex +commands with the "." command. + +1. Deleting text |deleting| +2. Delete and insert |delete-insert| +3. Simple changes |simple-change| *changing* +4. Complex changes |complex-change| +5. Copying and moving text |copy-move| +6. Formatting text |formatting| + +For inserting text see |insert.txt|. + +============================================================================== +1. Deleting text *deleting* *E470* + +["x]<Del> or *<Del>* *x* *dl* +["x]x Delete [count] characters under and after the cursor + [into register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as + "dl". + The <Del> key does not take a [count]. Instead, it + deletes the last character of the count. + See |:fixdel| if the <Del> key does not do what you + want. See |'whichwrap'| for deleting a line break + (join lines). {Vi does not support <Del>} + + *X* *dh* +["x]X Delete [count] characters before the cursor [into + register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as "dh". + Also see |'whichwrap'|. + + *d* +["x]d{motion} Delete text that {motion} moves over [into register + x]. See below for exceptions. + + *dd* +["x]dd Delete [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|. + + *D* +["x]D Delete the characters under the cursor until the end + of the line and [count]-1 more lines [into register + x]; synonym for "d$". + (not |linewise|) + +{Visual}["x]x or *v_x* *v_d* *v_<Del>* +{Visual}["x]d or +{Visual}["x]<Del> Delete the highlighted text [into register x] (for + {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + +{Visual}["x]CTRL-H or *v_CTRL-H* *v_<BS>* +{Visual}["x]<BS> When in Select mode: Delete the highlighted text [into + register x]. + +{Visual}["x]X or *v_X* *v_D* *v_b_D* +{Visual}["x]D Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] (for + {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). In Visual block mode, + "D" deletes the highlighted text plus all text until + the end of the line. {not in Vi} + + *:d* *:de* *:del* *:delete* +:[range]d[elete] [x] Delete [range] lines (default: current line) [into + register x]. + +:[range]d[elete] [x] {count} + Delete {count} lines, starting with [range] + (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|) [into + register x]. + +These commands delete text. You can repeat them with the "." command +(except ":d") and undo them. Use Visual mode to delete blocks of text. See +|registers| for an explanation of registers. + +An exception for the d{motion} command: If the motion is not linewise, the +start and end of the motion are not in the same line, and there are only +blanks before the start and after the end of the motion, the delete becomes +linewise. This means that the delete also removes the line of blanks that you +might expect to remain. + +Trying to delete an empty region of text (e.g., "d0" in the first column) +is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag. + + *J* +J Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines. + Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces (see + below). + + *v_J* +{Visual}J Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two + lines. Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces + (see below). {not in Vi} + + *gJ* +gJ Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines. + Don't insert or remove any spaces. {not in Vi} + + *v_gJ* +{Visual}gJ Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two + lines. Don't insert or remove any spaces. {not in + Vi} + + *:j* *:join* +:[range]j[oin][!] Join [range] lines. Same as "J", except with [!] + the join does not insert or delete any spaces. + If a [range] has equal start and end values, this + command does nothing. The default behavior is to + join the current line with the line below it. + {not in Vi: !} + +:[range]j[oin][!] {count} + Join {count} lines, starting with [range] (default: + current line |cmdline-ranges|). Same as "J", except + with [!] the join does not insert or delete any + spaces. + {not in Vi: !} + +These commands delete the <EOL> between lines. This has the effect of joining +multiple lines into one line. You can repeat these commands (except ":j") and +undo them. + +These commands, except "gJ", insert one space in place of the <EOL> unless +there is trailing white space or the next line starts with a ')'. These +commands, except "gJ", delete any leading white space on the next line. If +the 'joinspaces' option is on, these commands insert two spaces after a '.', +'!' or '?' (but if 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, they insert two spaces +only after a '.'). +The 'B' and 'M' flags in 'formatoptions' change the behavior for inserting +spaces before and after a multi-byte character |fo-table|. + + +============================================================================== +2. Delete and insert *delete-insert* *replacing* + + *R* +R Enter Replace mode: Each character you type replaces + an existing character, starting with the character + under the cursor. Repeat the entered text [count]-1 + times. See |Replace-mode| for more details. + + *gR* +gR Enter Virtual Replace mode: Each character you type + replaces existing characters in screen space. So a + <Tab> may replace several characters at once. + Repeat the entered text [count]-1 times. See + |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more details. + {not available when compiled without the +vreplace + feature} + + *c* +["x]c{motion} Delete {motion} text [into register x] and start + insert. When 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag and + there is no text to delete (e.g., with "cTx" when the + cursor is just after an 'x'), an error occurs and + insert mode does not start (this is Vi compatible). + When 'cpoptions' does not include the 'E' flag, the + "c" command always starts insert mode, even if there + is no text to delete. + + *cc* +["x]cc Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start + insert |linewise|. If 'autoindent' is on, preserve + the indent of the first line. + + *C* +["x]C Delete from the cursor position to the end of the + line and [count]-1 more lines [into register x], and + start insert. Synonym for c$ (not |linewise|). + + *s* +["x]s Delete [count] characters [into register x] and start + insert (s stands for Substitute). Synonym for "cl" + (not |linewise|). + + *S* +["x]S Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start + insert. Synonym for "cc" |linewise|. + +{Visual}["x]c or *v_c* *v_s* +{Visual}["x]s Delete the highlighted text [into register x] and + start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not + in Vi} + + *v_r* +{Visual}["x]r{char} Replace all selected characters by {char}. + + *v_C* +{Visual}["x]C Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and + start insert. In Visual block mode it works + differently |v_b_C|. {not in Vi} + *v_S* +{Visual}["x]S Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and + start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not + in Vi} + *v_R* +{Visual}["x]R Currently just like {Visual}["x]S. In a next version + it might work differently. {not in Vi} + +Notes: +- You can end Insert and Replace mode with <Esc>. +- See the section "Insert and Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl| for the other + special characters in these modes. +- The effect of [count] takes place after Vim exits Insert or Replace mode. +- When the 'cpoptions' option contains '$' and the change is within one line, + Vim continues to show the text to be deleted and puts a '$' at the last + deleted character. + +See |registers| for an explanation of registers. + +Replace mode is just like Insert mode, except that every character you enter +deletes one character. If you reach the end of a line, Vim appends any +further characters (just like Insert mode). In Replace mode, the backspace +key restores the original text (if there was any). (See section "Insert and +Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl|). + + *cw* *cW* +Special case: "cw" and "cW" work the same as "ce" and "cE" if the cursor is +on a non-blank. This is because Vim interprets "cw" as change-word, and a +word does not include the following white space. {Vi: "cw" when on a blank +followed by other blanks changes only the first blank; this is probably a +bug, because "dw" deletes all the blanks; use the 'w' flag in 'cpoptions' to +make it work like Vi anyway} + +If you prefer "cw" to include the space after a word, use this mapping: > + :map cw dwi +< + *:c* *:ch* *:change* +:{range}c[hange] Replace lines of text with some different text. + Type a line containing only "." to stop replacing. + Without {range}, this command changes only the current + line. + +============================================================================== +3. Simple changes *simple-change* + + *r* +r{char} Replace the character under the cursor with {char}. + If {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, a line break replaces the + character. To replace with a real <CR>, use CTRL-V + <CR>. CTRL-V <NL> replaces with a <Nul>. + {Vi: CTRL-V <CR> still replaces with a line break, + cannot replace something with a <CR>} + If you give a [count], Vim replaces [count] characters + with [count] {char}s. When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, + however, Vim inserts only one <CR>: "5r<CR>" replaces + five characters with a single line break. + When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, Vim performs + autoindenting. This works just like deleting the + characters that are replaced and then doing + "i<CR><Esc>". + {char} can be entered as a digraph |digraph-arg|. + |:lmap| mappings apply to {char}. The CTRL-^ command + in Insert mode can be used to switch this on/off + |i_CTRL-^|. See |utf-8-char-arg| about using + composing characters when 'encoding' is Unicode. + + *gr* +gr{char} Replace the virtual characters under the cursor with + {char}. This replaces in screen space, not file + space. See |gR| and |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more + details. As with |r| a count may be given. + {char} can be entered like with |r|. + {not available when compiled without the +vreplace + feature} + + *digraph-arg* +The argument for Normal mode commands like |r| and |t| is a single character. +When 'cpo' doesn't contain the 'D' flag, this character can also be entered +like |digraphs|. First type CTRL-K and then the two digraph characters. +{not available when compiled without the |+digraphs| feature} + + *case* +The following commands change the case of letters. The currently active +|locale| is used. See |:language|. The LC_CTYPE value matters here. + + *~* +~ 'notildeop' option: Switch case of the character + under the cursor and move the cursor to the right. + If a [count] is given, do that many characters. {Vi: + no count} + +~{motion} 'tildeop' option: switch case of {motion} text. {Vi: + tilde cannot be used as an operator} + + *g~* +g~{motion} Switch case of {motion} text. {not in Vi} + +g~g~ *g~g~* *g~~* +g~~ Switch case of current line. {not in Vi}. + + *v_~* +{Visual}~ Switch case of highlighted text (for {Visual} see + |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *v_U* +{Visual}U Make highlighted text uppercase (for {Visual} see + |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *gU* *uppercase* +gU{motion} Make {motion} text uppercase. {not in Vi} + Example: > + :map! <C-F> <Esc>gUiw`]a +< This works in Insert mode: press CTRL-F to make the + word before the cursor uppercase. Handy to type + words in lowercase and then make them uppercase. + + +gUgU *gUgU* *gUU* +gUU Make current line uppercase. {not in Vi}. + + *v_u* +{Visual}u Make highlighted text lowercase (for {Visual} see + |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *gu* *lowercase* +gu{motion} Make {motion} text lowercase. {not in Vi} + +gugu *gugu* *guu* +guu Make current line lowercase. {not in Vi}. + + *g?* *rot13* +g?{motion} Rot13 encode {motion} text. {not in Vi} + + *v_g?* +{Visual}g? Rot13 encode the highlighted text (for {Visual} see + |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + +g?g? *g?g?* *g??* +g?? Rot13 encode current line. {not in Vi}. + + +Adding and subtracting ~ + *CTRL-A* +CTRL-A Add [count] to the number or alphabetic character at + or after the cursor. {not in Vi} + + *CTRL-X* +CTRL-X Subtract [count] from the number or alphabetic + character at or after the cursor. {not in Vi} + +The CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands work for (signed) decimal numbers, unsigned +octal and hexadecimal numbers and alphabetic characters. This depends on the +'nrformats' option. +- When 'nrformats' includes "alpha", Vim will change the alphabetic character + under or after the cursor. This is useful to make lists with an alphabetic + index. +- When 'nrformats' includes "hex", Vim assumes numbers starting with '0x' or + '0X' are hexadecimal. The case of the rightmost letter in the number + determines the case of the resulting hexadecimal number. If there is no + letter in the current number, Vim uses the previously detected case. +- When 'nrformats' includes "octal", Vim considers numbers starting with a '0' + to be octal. Other numbers are decimal and may have a preceding minus sign. + If the cursor is on a number, the commands apply to that number; otherwise + Vim uses the number to the right of the cursor. + +For numbers with leading zeros (including all octal and hexadecimal numbers), +Vim preserves the number of characters in the number when possible. CTRL-A on +"0077" results in "0100", CTRL-X on "0x100" results in "0x0ff". Note that +when 'nrformats' includes "octal", decimal numbers with leading zeros are +impossible because they are indistinguishable from octal numbers. + +The CTRL-A command is very useful in a macro. Example: Use the following +steps to make a numbered list. + +1. Create the first list entry, make sure it starts with a number. +2. qa - start recording into buffer 'a' +3. Y - yank the entry +4. p - put a copy of the entry below the first one +5. CTRL-A - increment the number +6. q - stop recording +7. <count>@a - repeat the yank, put and increment <count> times + + +SHIFTING LINES LEFT OR RIGHT *shift-left-right* + + *<* +<{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards. + + *<<* +<< Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards. + + *v_<* +{Visual}[count]< Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth' + leftwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in + Vi} + + *>* + >{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards. + + *>>* + >> Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards. + + *v_>* +{Visual}[count]> Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth' + rightwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in + Vi} + + *:<* +:[range]< Shift [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' left. Repeat '<' + for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's. + +:[range]< {count} Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' left, starting + with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|). + Repeat '<' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's. + +:[range]le[ft] [indent] left align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the + lines to [indent] (default 0). {not in Vi} + + *:>* +:[range]> Shift {count} [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' right. + Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's. + +:[range]> {count} Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' right, starting + with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|). + Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's. + +The ">" and "<" commands are handy for changing the indentation within +programs. Use the 'shiftwidth' option to set the size of the white space +which these commands insert or delete. Normally the 'shiftwidth' option is 8, +but you can set it to, say, 3 to make smaller indents. The shift leftwards +stops when there is no indent. The shift right does not affect empty lines. + +If the 'shiftround' option is on, the indent is rounded to a multiple of +'shiftwidth'. + +If the 'smartindent' option is on, or 'cindent' is on and 'cinkeys' contains +'#', shift right does not affect lines starting with '#' (these are supposed +to be C preprocessor lines that must stay in column 1). + +When the 'expandtab' option is off (this is the default) Vim uses <Tab>s as +much as possible to make the indent. You can use ">><<" to replace an indent +made out of spaces with the same indent made out of <Tab>s (and a few spaces +if necessary). If the 'expandtab' option is on, Vim uses only spaces. Then +you can use ">><<" to replace <Tab>s in the indent by spaces (or use +":retab!"). + +To move a line several 'shiftwidth's, use Visual mode or the ":" commands. +For example: > + Vjj4> move three lines 4 indents to the right + :<<< move current line 3 indents to the left + :>> 5 move 5 lines 2 indents to the right + :5>> move line 5 2 indents to the right + +============================================================================== +4. Complex changes *complex-change* + + *!* *filter* +!{motion}{filter} Filter {motion} text lines through the external + program {filter}. + + *!!* +!!{filter} Filter [count] lines through the external program + {filter}. + + *v_!* +{Visual}!{filter} Filter the highlighted lines through the external + program {filter} (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). + {not in Vi} + +:{range}![!]{filter} [!][arg] *:range!* + Filter {range} lines through the external program + {filter}. Vim replaces the optional bangs with the + latest given command and appends the optional [arg]. + Vim saves the output of the filter command in a + temporary file and then reads the file into the + buffer. Vim uses the 'shellredir' option to redirect + the filter output to the temporary file. + When the 'R' flag is included in 'cpoptions' marks in + the filtered lines are deleted, unless the + |:keepmarks| command is used. Example: > + :keepmarks '<,'>!sort +< When the number of lines after filtering is less than + before, marks in the missing lines are deleted anyway. + + *=* +={motion} Filter {motion} lines through the external program + given with the 'equalprg' option. When the 'equalprg' + option is empty (this is the default), use the + internal formatting function |C-indenting|. But when + 'indentexpr' is not empty, it will be used instead + |indent-expression|. + + *==* +== Filter [count] lines like with ={motion}. + + *v_=* +{Visual}= Filter the highlighted lines like with ={motion}. + {not in Vi} + +A filter is a program that accepts text at standard input, changes it in some +way, and sends it to standard output. You can use the commands above to send +some text through a filter. Examples of filters are "sort", which sorts lines +alphabetically, and "indent", which formats C program files (you need a +version of indent that works like a filter; not all versions do). The 'shell' +option specifies the shell Vim uses to execute the filter command (See also +the 'shelltype' option). You can repeat filter commands with ".". Vim does +not recognize a comment (starting with '"') after the ":!" command. + + + *:s* *:su* *:substitute* +:[range]s[ubstitute]/{pattern}/{string}/[&][c][e][g][p][r][i][I] [count] + For each line in [range] replace a match of {pattern} + with {string}. + For the {pattern} see |pattern|. + {string} can be a literal string, or something + special; see |sub-replace-special|. + When [range] and [count] are omitted, replace in the + current line only. + When [count] is given, replace in [count] lines, + starting with the last line in [range]. When [range] + is omitted start in the current line. + Also see |cmdline-ranges|. + See |:s_flags| for the flags. + +:[range]s[ubstitute] [c][e][g][p][r][i][I] [count] +:[range]&[&][c][e][g][p][r][i][I] [count] *:&* + Repeat last :substitute with same search pattern and + substitute string, but without the same flags. You + may add extra flags (see |:s_flags|). + Note that after ":substitute" the '&' flag can't be + used, it's recognized as a pattern separator. + The space between ":substitute" and the 'c', 'g' and + 'r' flags isn't required, but in scripts it's a good + idea to keep it to avoid confusion. + +:[range]~[&][c][e][g][p][r][i][I] [count] *:~* + Repeat last substitute with same substitute string + but with last used search pattern. This is like + ":&r". See |:s_flags| for the flags. + + *&* +& Synonym for ":s//~/" (repeat last substitute). Note + that the flags are not remembered, thus it might + actually work differently. You can use ":&&" to keep + the flags. + + *g&* +g& Synonym for ":%s//~/&" (repeat last substitute on all + lines with the same flags). + Mnemonic: global substitute. {not in Vi} + + *:snomagic* *:sno* +:[range]sno[magic] ... Same as ":substitute", but always use 'nomagic'. + {not in Vi} + + *:smagic* *:sm* +:[range]sm[agic] ... Same as ":substitute", but always use 'magic'. + {not in Vi} + + *:s_flags* +The flags that you can use for the substitute commands: + +[&] Must be the first one: Keep the flags from the previous substitute + command. Examples: > + :&& + :s/this/that/& +< Note that ":s" and ":&" don't keep the flags. + {not in Vi} + +[c] Confirm each substitution. Vim highlights the matching string (with + |hl-IncSearch|). You can type: *:s_c* + 'y' to substitute this match + 'l' to substitute this match and then quit ("last") + 'n' to skip this match + <Esc> to quit substituting + 'a' to substitute this and all remaining matches {not in Vi} + 'q' to quit substituting {not in Vi} + CTRL-E to scroll the screen up {not in Vi, not available when + compiled without the +insert_expand feature} + CTRL-Y to scroll the screen down {not in Vi, not available when + compiled without the +insert_expand feature} + If the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers the [c] flag and + toggles it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new + search pattern. + {not in Vi: highlighting of the match, other responses than 'y' or 'n'} + +[e] When the search pattern fails, do not issue an error message and, in + particular, continue in maps as if no error occurred. This is most + useful to prevent the "No match" error from breaking a mapping. Vim + does not suppress the following error messages, however: + Regular expressions can't be delimited by letters + \ should be followed by /, ? or & + No previous substitute regular expression + Trailing characters + Interrupted + {not in Vi} + +[g] Replace all occurrences in the line. Without this argument, + replacement occurs only for the first occurrence in each line. If + the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers this flag and toggles + it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new search + pattern. If the 'gdefault' option is on, this flag is on by default + and the [g] argument switches it off. + +[i] Ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase' options + are not used. + {not in Vi} + +[I] Don't ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase' + options are not used. + {not in Vi} + +[p] Print the line containing the last substitute. + {not in Vi} + +[r] Only useful in combination with ":&" or ":s" without arguments. ":&r" + works the same way as ":~": When the search pattern is empty, use the + previously used search pattern instead of the search pattern from the + last substitute or ":global". If the last command that did a search + was a substitute or ":global", there is no effect. If the last + command was a search command such as "/", use the pattern from that + command. + For ":s" with an argument this already happens: > + :s/blue/red/ + /green + :s//red/ or :~ or :&r +< The last commands will replace "green" with "red". > + :s/blue/red/ + /green + :& +< The last command will replace "blue" with "red". + {not in Vi} + +Note that there is no flag to change the "magicness" of the pattern. A +different command is used instead. The reason is that the flags can only be +found by skipping the pattern, and in order to skip the pattern the +"magicness" must be known. Catch 22! + +If the {pattern} for the substitute command is empty, the command uses the +pattern from the last substitute or ":global" command. With the [r] flag, the +command uses the pattern from the last substitute, ":global", or search +command. + +For compatibility with Vi these two exceptions are allowed: +"\/{string}/" and "\?{string}?" do the same as "//{string}/r". +"\&{string}&" does the same as "//{string}/". + *E146* +Instead of the '/' which surrounds the pattern and replacement string, you +can use any other character, but not an alphanumeric character, '\', '"' or +'|'. This is useful if you want to include a '/' in the search pattern or +replacement string. Example: > + :s+/+//+ + +For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|. + + *sub-replace-special* *:s\=* +When the {string} starts with "\=" it is evaluated as an expression, see +|sub-replace-expression|. Otherwise these characters in {string} have a +special meaning: + +magic nomagic action ~ + & \& replaced with the whole matched pattern *s/\&* + \& & replaced with & + \0 replaced with the whole matched pattern *\0* *s/\0* + \1 replaced with the matched pattern in the first + pair of () *s/\1* + \2 replaced with the matched pattern in the first + pair of () *s/\2* + .. .. *s/\3* + \9 replaced with the matched pattern in the ninth + pair of () *s/\9* + ~ \~ replaced with the {string} of the previous + substitute *s~* + \~ ~ replaced with ~ *s/\~* + \u next character made uppercase *s/\u* + \U following characters made uppercase, until \E *s/\U* + \l next character made lowercase *s/\l* + \L following characters made lowercase, until \E *s/\L* + \e end of \u, \U, \l and \L (NOTE: not <Esc>!) *s/\e* + \E end of \u, \U, \l and \L *s/\E* + <CR> split line in two at this point + (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s<CR>* + \r idem *s/\r* + \<CR> insert a carriage-return (CTRL-M) + (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s/\<CR>* + \n insert a <NL> (<NUL> in the file) + (does NOT break the line) *s/\n* + \b insert a <BS> *s/\b* + \t insert a <Tab> *s/\t* + \\ insert a single backslash *s/\\* + \x where x is any character not mentioned above: + Reserved for future expansion + +Examples: > + :s/a\|b/xxx\0xxx/g modifies "a b" to "xxxaxxx xxxbxxx" + :s/\([abc]\)\([efg]\)/\2\1/g modifies "af fa bg" to "fa fa gb" + :s/abcde/abc^Mde/ modifies "abcde" to "abc", "de" (two lines) + :s/$/\^M/ modifies "abcde" to "abcde^M" + +Note: In previous versions CTRL-V was handled in a special way. Since this is +not Vi compatible, this was removed. Use a backslash instead. + +command text result ~ +:s/aa/a^Ma/ aa a<line-break>a +:s/aa/a\^Ma/ aa a^Ma +:s/aa/a\\^Ma/ aa a\<line-break>a + +(you need to type CTRL-V <CR> to get a ^M here) + +The numbering of "\1", "\2" etc. is done based on which "\(" comes first in +the pattern (going left to right). When a parentheses group matches several +times, the last one will be used for "\1", "\2", etc. Example: > + :s/\(\(a[a-d] \)*\)/\2/ modifies "aa ab x" to "ab x" + +When using parentheses in combination with '|', like in \([ab]\)\|\([cd]\), +either the first or second pattern in parentheses did not match, so either +\1 or \2 is empty. Example: > + :s/\([ab]\)\|\([cd]\)/\1x/g modifies "a b c d" to "ax bx x x" +< + +Substitute with an expression *sub-replace-expression* + +When the substitute string starts with "\=" the remainer is interpreted as an +expression. This does not work recursively: a substitute() function inside +the expression cannot use "\=" for the substitute string. + +The special meaning for characters as mentioned at |sub-replace-special| does +not apply except "<CR>", "\<CR>" and "\\". Thus in the result of the +expression you need to use two backslashes get one, put a backslash before a +<CR> you want to insert and use a <CR> without a backslash where you want to +break the line. + +For convenience a <NL> character is also used as a line break. Prepend a +backslash to get a real <NL> character (which will be a NUL in the file). + +The whole matched text can be accessed with "submatch(0)". The text matched +with the first pair of () with "submatch(1)". Likewise for further +sub-matches in (). + +Be careful: The separation character must not appear in the expression! +Consider using a character like "@" or ":". There is no problem if the result +of the expression contains the separation character. + +Example: > + :s@\n@\="\r" . expand("$HOME") . "\r"@ +This replaces an end-of-line with a new line containing the value of $HOME. + + + *:pro* *:promptfind* +:promptf[ind] [string] + Put up a Search dialog. When [string] is given, it is + used as the initial search string. + {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI} + + *:promptr* *:promptrepl* +:promptr[epl] [string] + Put up a Search/Replace dialog. When [string] is + given, it is used as the initial search string. + {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI} + + *:ret* *:retab* +:[range]ret[ab][!] [new_tabstop] + Replace all sequences of white-space containing a + <Tab> with new strings of white-space using the new + tabstop value given. If you do not specify a new + tabstop size or it is zero, Vim uses the current value + of 'tabstop'. + The current value of 'tabstop' is always used to + compute the width of existing tabs. + With !, Vim also replaces strings of only normal + spaces with tabs where appropriate. + With 'expandtab' on, Vim replaces all tabs with the + appropriate number of spaces. + This command sets 'tabstop' to the new value given, + and if performed on the whole file, which is default, + should not make any visible change. + Careful: This command modifies any <Tab> characters + inside of strings in a C program. Use "\t" to avoid + this (that's a good habit anyway). + ":retab!" may also change a sequence of spaces by + <Tab> characters, which can mess up a printf(). + {not in Vi} + Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at + compile time. + + *retab-example* +Example for using autocommands and ":retab" to edit a file which is stored +with tabstops at 8 but edited with tabstops set at 4. Warning: white space +inside of strings can change! Also see 'softtabstop' option. > + + :auto BufReadPost *.xx retab! 4 + :auto BufWritePre *.xx retab! 8 + :auto BufWritePost *.xx retab! 4 + :auto BufNewFile *.xx set ts=4 + +============================================================================== +5. Copying and moving text *copy-move* + + *quote* +"{a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"} Use register {a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"} for next delete, yank + or put (use uppercase character to append with + delete and yank) ({.%#:} only work with put). + + *:reg* *:registers* +:reg[isters] Display the contents of all numbered and named + registers. {not in Vi} + +:reg[isters] {arg} Display the contents of the numbered and named + registers that are mentioned in {arg}. For example: > + :dis 1a +< to display registers '1' and 'a'. Spaces are allowed + in {arg}. {not in Vi} + + *:di* *:display* +:di[splay] [arg] Same as :registers. {not in Vi} + + *y* *yank* +["x]y{motion} Yank {motion} text [into register x]. When no + characters are to be yanked (e.g., "y0" in column 1), + this is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' + flag. + + *yy* +["x]yy Yank [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|. + + *Y* +["x]Y yank [count] lines [into register x] (synonym for + yy, |linewise|). If you like "Y" to work from the + cursor to the end of line (which is more logical, + but not Vi-compatible) use ":map Y y$". + + *v_y* +{Visual}["x]y Yank the highlighted text [into register x] (for + {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *v_Y* +{Visual}["x]Y Yank the highlighted lines [into register x] (for + {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *:y* *:yank* +:[range]y[ank] [x] Yank [range] lines [into register x]. + +:[range]y[ank] [x] {count} + Yank {count} lines, starting with last line number + in [range] (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|), + [into register x]. + + *p* *put* *E353* +["x]p Put the text [from register x] after the cursor + [count] times. {Vi: no count} + + *P* +["x]P Put the text [from register x] before the cursor + [count] times. {Vi: no count} + + *<MiddleMouse>* +["x]<MiddleMouse> Put the text from a register before the cursor [count] + times. Uses the "* register, unless another is + specified. Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' + contains 'n' or 'a'. + {not in Vi} + If you have a scrollwheel and often accidentally paste + text, you can use these mappings to disable the + pasting with the middle mouse button: > + :map <MiddleMouse> <Nop> + :imap <MiddleMouse> <Nop> +< You might want to disable the multi-click versions + too, see |double-click|. + + *gp* +["x]gp Just like "p", but leave the cursor just after the new + text. {not in Vi} + + *gP* +["x]gP Just like "P", but leave the cursor just after the new + text. {not in Vi} + + *:pu* *:put* +:[line]pu[t] [x] Put the text [from register x] after [line] (default + current line). This always works |linewise|, thus + this command can be used to put a yanked block as new + lines. + The register can also be '=' followed by an optional + expression. The expression continues until the end of + the command. You need to escape the '|' and '"' + characters to prevent them from terminating the + command. Example: > + :put ='path' . \",/test\" +< If there is no expression after '=', Vim uses the + previous expression. You can see it with ":dis =". + +:[line]pu[t]! [x] Put the text [from register x] before [line] (default + current line). + +["x]]p or *]p* *]<MiddleMouse>* +["x]]<MiddleMouse> Like "p", but adjust the indent to the current line. + Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n' + or 'a'. {not in Vi} + +["x][P or *[P* +["x]]P or *]P* +["x][p or *[p* *[<MiddleMouse>* +["x][<MiddleMouse> Like "P", but adjust the indent to the current line. + Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n' + or 'a'. {not in Vi} + +You can use these commands to copy text from one place to another. Do this +by first getting the text into a register with a yank, delete or change +command, then inserting the register contents with a put command. You can +also use these commands to move text from one file to another, because Vim +preserves all registers when changing buffers (the CTRL-^ command is a quick +way to toggle between two files). + + *linewise-register* *characterwise-register* +You can repeat the put commands with "." (except for :put) and undo them. If +the command that was used to get the text into the register was |linewise|, +Vim inserts the text below ("p") or above ("P") the line where the cursor is. +Otherwise Vim inserts the text after ("p") or before ("P") the cursor. With +the ":put" command, Vim always inserts the text in the next line. You can +exchange two characters with the command sequence "xp". You can exchange two +lines with the command sequence "ddp". You can exchange two words with the +command sequence "deep" (start with the cursor in the blank space before the +first word). You can use the "']" or "`]" command after the put command to +move the cursor to the end of the inserted text, or use "'[" or "`[" to move +the cursor to the start. + + *put-Visual-mode* *v_p* *v_P* +When using a put command like |p| or |P| in Visual mode, Vim will try to +replace the selected text with the contents of the register. Whether this +works well depends on the type of selection and the type of the text in the +register. With blockwise selection it also depends on the size of the block +and whether the corners are on an existing character. (implementation detail: +it actually works by first putting the register after the selection and then +deleting the selection). + + *blockwise-register* +If you use a blockwise Visual mode command to get the text into the register, +the block of text will be inserted before ("P") or after ("p") the cursor +column in the current and next lines. Vim makes the whole block of text start +in the same column. Thus the inserted text looks the same as when it was +yanked or deleted. Vim may replace some <Tab> characters with spaces to make +this happen. However, if the width of the block is not a multiple of a <Tab> +width and the text after the inserted block contains <Tab>s, that text may be +misaligned. + +Note that after a characterwise yank command, Vim leaves the cursor on the +first yanked character that is closest to the start of the buffer. This means +that "yl" doesn't move the cursor, but "yh" moves the cursor one character +left. +Rationale: In Vi the "y" command followed by a backwards motion would + sometimes not move the cursor to the first yanked character, + because redisplaying was skipped. In Vim it always moves to + the first character, as specified by Posix. +With a linewise yank command the cursor is put in the first line, but the +column is unmodified, thus it may not be on the first yanked character. + +There are nine types of registers: *registers* *E354* +1. The unnamed register "" +2. 10 numbered registers "0 to "9 +3. The small delete register "- +4. 26 named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z +5. four read-only registers ":, "., "% and "# +6. the expression register "= +7. The selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~ +8. The black hole register "_ +9. Last search pattern register "/ + +1. Unnamed register "" *quote_quote* *quotequote* +Vim fills this register with text deleted with the "d", "c", "s", "x" commands +or copied with the yank "y" command, regardless of whether or not a specific +register was used (e.g. "xdd). An exception is the '_' register: "_dd does +not store the deleted text in any register. Vim uses the contents of this +register for any put command (p or P) which does not specify a register. +Additionally you can access it with the name '"'. This means you have to type +two double quotes. Writing to the "" register writes to register "0. +{Vi: register contents are lost when changing files, no '"'} + +2. Numbered registers "0 to "9 *quote_number* *quote0* *quote1* + *quote2* *quote3* *quote4* *quote9* +Vim fills these registers with text from yank and delete commands. + Numbered register 0 contains the text from the most recent yank command, +unless the command specified another register with ["x]. + Numbered register 1 contains the text deleted by the most recent delete or +change command, unless the command specified another register or the text is +less than one line (the small delete register is used then). An exception is +made for these commands: |%|, |(|, |)|, |`|, |/|, |?|, |n|, |N|, |{| and |}|. +Register "1 is always used then (this is Vi compatible). The "- register is +used as well if the delete is within a line. + With each successive deletion or change, Vim shifts the previous contents +of register 1 into register 2, 2 into 3, and so forth, losing the previous +contents of register 9. +{Vi: numbered register contents are lost when changing files; register 0 does +not exist} + +3. Small delete register "- *quote_-* *quote-* +This register contains text from commands that delete less than one line, +except when the command specifies a register with ["x]. +{not in Vi} + +4. Named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z *quote_alpha* *quotea* +Vim fills these registers only when you say so. Specify them as lowercase +letters to replace their previous contents or as uppercase letters to append +to their previous contents. + +5. Read-only registers ":, "., "% and "# +These are '%', '#', ':' and '.'. You can use them only with the "p", "P", +and ":put" commands and with CTRL-R. {not in Vi} + *quote_.* *quote.* *E29* + ". Contains the last inserted text (the same as what is inserted + with the insert mode commands CTRL-A and CTRL-@). Note: this + doesn't work with CTRL-R on the command-line. It works a bit + differently, like inserting the text instead of putting it + ('textwidth' and other options affect what is inserted). + *quote_%* *quote%* + "% Contains the name of the current file. + *quote_#* *quote#* + "# Contains the name of the alternate file. + *quote_:* *quote:* *E30* + ": Contains the most recent executed command-line. Example: Use + "@:" to repeat the previous command-line command. + The command-line is only stored in this register when at least + one character of it was typed. Thus it remains unchanged if + the command was completely from a mapping. + {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist| + feature} + +6. Expression register "= *quote_=* *quote=* +This is not really a register that stores text, but is a way to use an +expression in commands which use a register. The expression register is +read-only; you cannot put text into it. After the '=', the cursor moves to +the command-line, where you can enter any expression (see |expression|). All +normal command-line editing commands are available, including a special +history for expressions. When you end the command-line by typing <CR>, Vim +computes the result of the expression. If you end it with <Esc>, Vim abandons +the expression. If you do not enter an expression, Vim uses the previous +expression (like with the "/" command). If the "= register is used for the +"p" command, the string is split up at <NL> characters. If the string ends in +a <NL>, it is regarded as a linewise register. {not in Vi} + +7. Selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~ +Use these register for storing and retrieving the selected text for the GUI. +See |quotestar| and |quoteplus|. When the clipboard is not available or not +working, the unnamed register is used instead. {not in Vi} + +Note that there is only a distinction between "* and "+ for X11 systems. For +an explanation of the difference, see |x11-selection|. Under MS-Windows, use +of "* and "+ is actually synonymous and refers to the |gui-clipboard|. + + *quote_~* *quote~* *<Drop>* +The read-only "~ register stores the dropped text from the last drag'n'drop +operation. When something has been dropped onto Vim, the "~ register is +filled in and the <Drop> pseudo key is sent for notification. You can remap +this key if you want; the default action (for all modes) is to insert the +contents of the "~ register at the cursor position. {not in Vi} +{only available when compiled with the |+dnd| feature, curently only with the +GTK GUI} + +Note: The "~ register is only used when dropping plain text onto Vim. +Drag'n'drop of URI lists is handled internally. + +8. Black hole register "_ *quote_* +When writing to this register, nothing happens. This can be used to delete +text without affecting the normal registers. When reading from this register, +nothing is returned. {not in Vi} + +9. Last search pattern register "/ *quote_/* *quote/* +Contains the most recent search-pattern. This is used for "n" and 'hlsearch'. +It is writable with ":let", you can change it to have 'hlsearch' highlight +other matches without actually searching. You can't yank or delete into this +register. {not in Vi} + + *@/* +You can write to a register with a ":let" command |:let-@|. Example: > + :let @/ = "the" + +If you use a put command without specifying a register, Vim uses the register +that was last filled (this is also the contents of the unnamed register). If +you are confused, use the ":dis" command to find out what Vim will put (this +command displays all named and numbered registers; the unnamed register is +labelled '"'). + +The next three commands always work on whole lines. + +:[range]co[py] {address} *:co* *:copy* + Copy the lines given by [range] to below the line + given by {address}. + + *:t* +:t Synonym for copy. + +:[range]m[ove] {address} *:m* *:mo* *:move* *E134* + Move the lines given by [range] to below the line + given by {address}. + +============================================================================== +6. Formatting text *formatting* + +:[range]ce[nter] [width] *:ce* *:center* + Center lines in [range] between [width] columns + (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0). + {not in Vi} + Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at + compile time. + +:[range]ri[ght] [width] *:ri* *:right* + Right-align lines in [range] at [width] columns + (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0). + {not in Vi} + Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at + compile time. + + *:le* *:left* +:[range]le[ft] [indent] + Left-align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the + lines to [indent] (default 0). {not in Vi} + Not available when |+ex_extra| feature was disabled at + compile time. + + *gq* +gq{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over. The + 'textwidth' option controls the length of each + formatted line (see below). If the 'textwidth' option + is 0, the formatted line length is the screen width + (with a maximum width of 79). {not in Vi} + The 'formatoptions' option controls the type of + formatting |fo-table|. + NOTE: The "Q" command formerly performed this + function. If you still want to use "Q" for + formatting, use this mapping: > + :nnoremap Q gq + +gqgq *gqgq* *gqq* +gqq Format the current line. {not in Vi} + + *v_gq* +{Visual}gq Format the highlighted text. (for {Visual} see + |Visual-mode|). {not in Vi} + + *gw* +gw{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over. Similar to + |gq| but puts the cursor back at the same position in + the text. However, 'formatprg' is not used. + {not in Vi} + +Example: To format the current paragraph use: *gqap* > + gqap + +The "gq" command leaves the cursor in the line where the motion command takes +the cursor. This allows you to repeat formatting repeated with ".". This +works well with "gqj" (format current and next line) and "gq}" (format until +end of paragraph). Note: When 'formatprg' is set, "gq" leaves the cursor on +the first formatted line (as with using a filter command). + +If you want to format the current paragraph and continue where you were, use: > + gwap +If you always want to keep paragraphs formatted you may want to add the 'a' +flag to 'formatoptions'. See |auto-format|. + +If the 'autoindent' option is on, Vim uses the indent of the first line for +the following lines. + +Formatting does not change empty lines (but it does change lines with only +white space!). + +The 'joinspaces' option is used when lines are joined together. + +You can set the 'formatprg' option to the name of an external program for Vim +to use for text formatting. The 'textwidth' and other options have no effect +on formatting by an external program. + + *right-justify* +There is no command in Vim to right justify text. You can do it with +an external command, like "par" (e.g.: "!}par" to format until the end of the +paragraph) or set 'formatprg' to "par". + + *format-comments* +Vim can format comments in a special way. Vim recognizes a comment by a +specific string at the start of the line (ignoring white space). Three types +of comments can be used: + +- A comment string that repeats at the start of each line. An example is the + type of comment used in shell scripts, starting with "#". +- A comment string that occurs only in the first line, not in the following + lines. An example is this list with dashes. +- Three-piece comments that have a start string, an end string, and optional + lines in between. The strings for the start, middle and end are different. + An example is the C-style comment: + /* + * this is a C comment + */ + +The 'comments' option is a comma-separated list of parts. Each part defines a +type of comment string. A part consists of: + {flags}:{string} + +{string} is the literal text that must appear. + +{flags}: + n Nested comment. Nesting with mixed parts is allowed. If 'comments' + is "n:),n:>" a line starting with "> ) >" is a comment. + + b Blank (<Space>, <Tab> or <EOL>) required after {string}. + + f Only the first line has the comment string. Do not repeat comment on + the next line, but preserve indentation (e.g., a bullet-list). + + s Start of three-piece comment + + m Middle of a three-piece comment + + e End of a three-piece comment + + l Left adjust middle with start or end (default). Only recognized when + used together with 's' or 'e'. + + r Right adjust middle with start or end. Only recognized when used + together with 's' or 'e'. + + O Don't use this one for the "O" command. + + x Allows three-piece comments to be ended by just typing the last + character of the end-comment string as the first character on a new + line, when the middle-comment string has already been inserted + automatically. See below for more details. + + {digits} + When together with 's' or 'e': add extra indent for the middle part. + This can be used to left-align the middle part with the start or end + and then add an offset. + + -{digits} + Like {digits} but reduce the indent. This only works when there is + some indent for the start or end part that can be removed. + +When a string has none of the 'f', 's', 'm' or 'e' flags, Vim assumes the +comment string repeats at the start of each line. The flags field may be +empty. + +Any blank space in the text before and after the {string} is part of the +{string}, so do not include leading or trailing blanks unless the blanks are a +required part of the comment string. + +When one comment leader is part of another, specify the part after the whole. +For example, to include both "-" and "->", use > + :set comments=f:->,f:- + +A three-piece comment must always be given as start,middle,end, with no other +parts in between. An example of a three-piece comment is > + sr:/*,mb:*,ex:*/ +for C-comments. To avoid recognizing "*ptr" as a comment, the middle string +includes the 'b' flag. For three-piece comments, Vim checks the text after +the start and middle strings for the end string. If Vim finds the end string, +the comment does not continue on the next line. Three-piece comments must +have a middle string because otherwise Vim can't recognize the middle lines. + +Notice the use of the "x" flag in the above three-piece comment definition. +When you hit Return in a C-comment, Vim will insert the middle comment leader +for the new line, e.g. " * ". To close this comment you just have to type "/" +before typing anything else on the new line. This will replace the +middle-comment leader with the end-comment leader, leaving just " */". There +is no need to hit BackSpace first. + +Examples: > + "b:*" Includes lines starting with "*", but not if the "*" is + followed by a non-blank. This avoids a pointer dereference + like "*str" to be recognized as a comment. + "n:>" Includes a line starting with ">", ">>", ">>>", etc. + "fb:-" Format a list that starts with "- ". + +By default, "b:#" is included. This means that a line that starts with +"#include" is not recognized as a comment line. But a line that starts with +"# define" is recognized. This is a compromise. + +Often the alignment can be changed from right alignment to a left alignment +with an additional space. For example, for Javadoc comments, this can be +used (insert a backslash before the space when using ":set"): > + s1:/*,mb:*,ex:*/ +Note that an offset is included with start, so that the middle part is left +aligned with the start and then an offset of one character added. This makes +it possible to left align the start and middle for this construction: > + /** + * comment + */ + +{not available when compiled without the |+comments| feature} + + *fo-table* +You can use the 'formatoptions' option to influence how Vim formats text. +'formatoptions' is a string that can contain any of the letters below. The +default setting is "tcq". You can separate the option letters with commas for +readability. + +letter meaning when present in 'formatoptions' ~ + +t Auto-wrap text using textwidth (does not apply to comments) +c Auto-wrap comments using textwidth, inserting the current comment + leader automatically. +r Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting + <Enter> in Insert mode. +o Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting 'o' or + 'O' in Normal mode. +q Allow formatting of comments with "gq". + Note that formatting will not change blank lines or lines containing + only the comment leader. A new paragraph starts after such a line, + or when the comment leader changes. +w Trailing white space indicates a paragraph continues in the next line. + A line that ends in a non-white character ends a paragraph. +a Automatic formatting of paragraphs. Every time text is inserted or + deleted the paragraph will be reformatted. See |auto-format|. + When the 'c' flag is present this only happens for recognized + comments. +n When formatting text, recognize numbered lists. The indent of the + text after the number is used for the next line. The number may + optionally be followed by '.', ':', ')', ']' or '}'. Note that + 'autoindent' must be set too. Doesn't work well together with "2". + Example: > + 1. the first item + wraps + 2. the second item +2 When formatting text, use the indent of the second line of a paragraph + for the rest of the paragraph, instead of the indent of the first + line. This supports paragraphs in which the first line has a + different indent than the rest. Note that 'autoindent' must be set + too. Example: > + first line of a paragraph + second line of the same paragraph + third line. +v Vi-compatible auto-wrapping in insert mode: Only break a line at a + blank that you have entered during the current insert command. (Note: + this is not 100% Vi compatible. Vi has some "unexpected features" or + bugs in this area. It uses the screen column instead of the line + column.) +b Like 'v', but only auto-wrap if you enter a blank at or before + the wrap margin. If the line was longer than 'textwidth' when you + started the insert, or you do not enter a blank in the insert before + reaching 'textwidth', Vim does not perform auto-wrapping. +l Long lines are not broken in insert mode: When a line was longer than + 'textwidth' when the insert command started, Vim does not + automatically format it. +m Also break at a multi-byte character above 255. This is useful for + Asian text where every character is a word on its own. +M When joining lines, don't insert a space before or after a multi-byte + character. Overrules the 'B' flag. +B When joining lines, don't insert a space between two multi-byte + characters. Overruled by the 'M' flag. +1 Don't break a line after a one-letter word. It's broken before it + instead (if possible). + + +With 't' and 'c' you can specify when Vim performs auto-wrapping: +value action ~ +"" no automatic formatting (you can use "gq" for manual formatting) +"t" automatic formatting of text, but not comments +"c" automatic formatting for comments, but not text (good for C code) +"tc" automatic formatting for text and comments + +Note that when 'textwidth' is 0, Vim does no formatting anyway (but does +insert comment leaders according to the 'comments' option). + +Note that when 'paste' is on, Vim does no formatting at all. + +Note that 'textwidth' can be non-zero even if Vim never performs auto-wrapping; +'textwidth' is still useful for formatting with "gq". + +If the 'comments' option includes "/*", "*" and/or "*/", then Vim has some +built in stuff to treat these types of comments a bit more cleverly. +Opening a new line before or after "/*" or "*/" (with 'r' or 'o' present in +'formatoptions') gives the correct start of the line automatically. The same +happens with formatting and auto-wrapping. Opening a line after a line +starting with "/*" or "*" and containing "*/", will cause no comment leader to +be inserted, and the indent of the new line is taken from the line containing +the start of the comment. +E.g.: + /* ~ + * Your typical comment. ~ + */ ~ + The indent on this line is the same as the start of the above + comment. + +All of this should be really cool, especially in conjunction with the new +:autocmd command to prepare different settings for different types of file. + +Some examples: + for C code (only format comments): > + :set fo=croq +< for Mail/news (format all, don't start comment with "o" command): > + :set fo=tcrq +< + +Automatic formatting *auto-format* + +When the 'a' flag is present in 'formatoptions' text is formatted +automatically when inserting text or deleting text. This works nice for +editing text paragraphs. A few hints on how to use this: + +- You need to properly define paragraphs. The simplest is paragraphs that are + separated by a blank line. When there is no separating blank line, consider + using the 'w' flag and adding a space at the end of each line in the + paragraphs except the last one. + +- You can set the 'formatoptions' based on the type of file |filetype| or + specifically for one file with a |modeline|. + +- Set 'formatoptions' to "aw2tq" to make text with indents like this: + + bla bla foobar bla + bla foobar bla foobar bla + bla bla foobar bla + bla foobar bla bla foobar + +- Add the 'c' flag to only auto-format comments. Useful in source code. + +And a few warnings: + +- When part of the text is not properly separated in paragraphs, making + changes in this text will cause it to be formatted anyway. Consider doing > + + :set fo-=a + +- When using the 'w' flag (trailing space means paragraph continues) and + deleting the last line of a paragraph with |dd|, the paragraph will be + joined with the next one. + +- Changed text is saved for undo. Formatting is also a change. Thus each + format action saves text for undo. This may consume quite a lot of memory. + +- Formatting a long paragraph and/or with complicated indenting may be slow. + + + vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: |