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+*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: