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diff --git a/runtime/doc/usr_21.txt b/runtime/doc/usr_21.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..a277b1375 --- /dev/null +++ b/runtime/doc/usr_21.txt @@ -0,0 +1,456 @@ +*usr_21.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2004 Mar 29 + + VIM USER MANUAL - by Bram Moolenaar + + Go away and come back + + +This chapter goes into mixing the use of other programs with Vim. Either by +executing program from inside Vim or by leaving Vim and coming back later. +Furthermore, this is about the ways to remember the state of Vim and restore +it later. + +|21.1| Suspend and resume +|21.2| Executing shell commands +|21.3| Remembering information; viminfo +|21.4| Sessions +|21.5| Views +|21.6| Modelines + + Next chapter: |usr_22.txt| Finding the file to edit + Previous chapter: |usr_20.txt| Typing command-line commands quickly +Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt| + +============================================================================== +*21.1* Suspend and resume + +Like most Unix programs Vim can be suspended by pressing CTRL-Z. This stops +Vim and takes you back to the shell it was started in. You can then do any +other commands until you are bored with them. Then bring back Vim with the +"fg" command. > + + CTRL-Z + {any sequence of shell commands} + fg + +You are right back where you left Vim, nothing has changed. + In case pressing CTRL-Z doesn't work, you can also use ":suspend". +Don't forget to bring Vim back to the foreground, you would lose any changes +that you made! + +Only Unix has support for this. On other systems Vim will start a shell for +you. This also has the functionality of being able to execute shell commands. +But it's a new shell, not the one that you started Vim from. + When you are running the GUI you can't go back to the shell where Vim was +started. CTRL-Z will minimize the Vim window instead. + +============================================================================== +*21.2* Executing shell commands + +To execute a single shell command from Vim use ":!{command}". For example, to +see a directory listing: > + + :!ls + :!dir + +The first one is for Unix, the second one for MS-Windows. + Vim will execute the program. When it ends you will get a prompt to hit +<Enter>. This allows you to have a look at the output from the command before +returning to the text you were editing. + The "!" is also used in other places where a program is run. Let's take +a look at an overview: + + :!{program} execute {program} + :r !{program} execute {program} and read its output + :w !{program} execute {program} and send text to its input + :[range]!{program} filter text through {program} + +Notice that the precense of a range before "!{program}" makes a big +difference. Without it executes the program normally, with the range a number +of text lines is filtered through the program. + +Executing a whole row of programs this way is possible. But a shell is much +better at it. You can start a new shell this way: > + + :shell + +This is similar to using CTRL-Z to suspend Vim. The difference is that a new +shell is started. + +When using the GUI the shell will be using the Vim window for its input and +output. Since Vim is not a terminal emulator, this will not work perfectly. +If you have trouble, try toggling the 'guipty' option. If this still doesn't +work well enough, start a new terminal to run the shell in. For example with: +> + :!xterm& + +============================================================================== +*21.3* Remembering information; viminfo + +After editing for a while you will have text in registers, marks in various +files, a command line history filled with carefully crafted commands. When +you exit Vim all of this is lost. But you can get it back! + +The viminfo file is designed to store status information: + + Command-line and Search pattern history + Text in registers + Marks for various files + The buffer list + Global variables + +Each time you exit Vim it will store this information in a file, the viminfo +file. When Vim starts again, the viminfo file is read and the information +restored. + +The 'viminfo' option is set by default to restore a limited number of items. +You might want to set it to remember more information. This is done through +the following command: > + + :set viminfo=string + +The string specifies what to save. The syntax of this string is an option +character followed by an argument. The option/argument pairs are separated by +commas. + Take a look at how you can build up your own viminfo string. First, the ' +option is used to specify how many files for which you save marks (a-z). Pick +a nice even number for this option (1000, for instance). Your command now +looks like this: > + + :set viminfo='1000 + +The f option controls whether global marks (A-Z and 0-9) are stored. If this +option is 0, none are stored. If it is 1 or you do not specify an f option, +the marks are stored. You want this feature, so now you have this: > + + :set viminfo='1000,f1 + +The < option controls how many lines are saved for each of the registers. By +default, all the lines are saved. If 0, nothing is saved. To avoid adding +thousands of lines to your viminfo file (which might never get used and makes +starting Vim slower) you use a maximum of 500 lines: > + + :set viminfo='1000,f1,<500 +< +Other options you might want to use: + : number of lines to save from the command line history + @ number of lines to save from the input line history + / number of lines to save from the search history + r removable media, for which no marks will be stored (can be + used several times) + ! global variables that start with an uppercase letter and + don't contain lowercase letters + h disable 'hlsearch' highlighting when starting + % the buffer list (only restored when starting Vim without file + arguments) + c convert the text using 'encoding' + n name used for the viminfo file (must be the last option) + +See the 'viminfo' option and |viminfo-file| for more information. + +When you run Vim multiple times, the last one exiting will store its +information. This may cause information that previously exiting Vims stored +to be lost. Each item can be remembered only once. + + +GETTING BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE + +You are halfway editing a file and it's time to leave for holidays. You exit +Vim and go enjoy yourselves, forgetting all about your work. After a couple +of weeks you start Vim, and type: +> + '0 + +And you are right back where you left Vim. So you can get on with your work. + Vim creates a mark each time you exit Vim. The last one is '0. The +position that '0 pointed to is made '1. And '1 is made to '2, and so forth. +Mark '9 is lost. + The ":marks" command is useful to find out where '0 to '9 will take you. + + +MOVE INFO FROM ONE VIM TO ANOTHER + +You can use the ":wviminfo" and ":rviminfo" commands to save and restore the +information while still running Vim. This is useful for exchanging register +contents between two instances of Vim, for example. In the first Vim do: > + + :wviminfo! ~/tmp/viminfo + +And in the second Vim do: > + + :rviminfo! ~/tmp/viminfo + +Obviously, the "w" stands for "write" and the "r" for "read". + The ! character is used by ":wviminfo" to forcefully overwrite an existing +file. When it is omitted, and the file exists, the information is merged into +the file. + The ! character used for ":rviminfo" means that all the information is +used, this may overwrite existing information. Without the ! only information +that wasn't set is used. + These commands can also be used to store info and use it again later. You +could make a directory full of viminfo files, each containing info for a +different purpose. + +============================================================================== +*21.4* Sessions + +Suppose you are editing along, and it is the end of the day. You want to quit +work and pick up where you left off the next day. You can do this by saving +your editing session and restoring it the next day. + A Vim session contains all the information about what you are editing. +This includes things such as the file list, window layout, global variables, +options and other information. (Exactly what is remembered is controlled by +the 'sessionoptions' option, described below.) + The following command creates a session file: > + + :mksession vimbook.vim + +Later if you want to restore this session, you can use this command: > + + :source vimbook.vim + +If you want to start Vim and restore a specific session, you can use the +following command: > + + vim -S vimbook.vim + +This tells Vim to read a specific file on startup. The 'S' stands for +session (actually, you can source any Vim script with -S, thus it might as +well stand for "source"). + +The windows that were open are restored, with the same position and size as +before. Mappings and option values are like before. + What exactly is restored depends on the 'sessionoptions' option. The +default value is "blank,buffers,curdir,folds,help,options,winsize". + + blank keep empty windows + buffers all buffers, not only the ones in a window + curdir the current directory + folds folds, also manually created ones + help the help window + options all options and mappings + winsize window sizes + +Change this to your liking. To also restore the size of the Vim window, for +example, use: > + + :set sessionoptions+=resize + + +SESSION HERE, SESSION THERE + +The obvious way to use sessions is when working on different projects. +Suppose you store you session files in the directory "~/.vim". You are +currently working on the "secret" project and have to switch to the "boring" +project: > + + :wall + :mksession! ~/.vim/secret.vim + :source ~/.vim/boring.vim + +This first uses ":wall" to write all modified files. Then the current session +is saved, using ":mksession!". This overwrites the previous session. The +next time you load the secret session you can continue where you were at this +point. And finally you load the new "boring" session. + +If you open help windows, split and close various window, and generally mess +up the window layout, you can go back to the last saved session: > + + :source ~/.vim/boring.vim + +Thus you have complete control over whether you want to continue next time +where you are now, by saving the current setup in a session, or keep the +session file as a starting point. + Another way of using sessions is to create a window layout that you like to +use, and save this in a session. Then you can go back to this layout whenever +you want. + For example, this is a nice layout to use: + + +----------------------------------------+ + | VIM - main help file | + | | + |Move around: Use the cursor keys, or "h| + |help.txt================================| + |explorer | | + |dir |~ | + |dir |~ | + |file |~ | + |file |~ | + |file |~ | + |file |~ | + |~/=========|[No File]===================| + | | + +----------------------------------------+ + +This has a help window at the top, so that you can read this text. The narrow +vertical window on the left contains a file explorer. This is a Vim plugin +that lists the contents of a directory. You can select files to edit there. +More about this in the next chapter. + Create this from a just started Vim with: > + + :help + CTRL-W w + :vertical split ~/ + +You can resize the windows a bit to your liking. Then save the session with: +> + :mksession ~/.vim/mine.vim + +Now you can start Vim with this layout: > + + vim -S ~/.vim/mine.vim + +Hint: To open a file you see listed in the explorer window in the empty +window, move the cursor to the filename and press "O". Double clicking with +the mouse will also do this. + + +UNIX AND MS-WINDOWS + +Some people have to do work on MS-Windows systems one day and on Unix another +day. If you are one of them, consider adding "slash" and "unix" to +'sessionoptions'. The session files will then be written in a format that can +be used on both systems. This is the command to put in your vimrc file: > + + :set sessionoptions+=unix,slash + +Vim will use the Unix format then, because the MS-Windows Vim can read and +write Unix files, but Unix Vim can't read MS-Windows format session files. +Similarly, MS-Windows Vim understands file names with / to separate names, but +Unix Vim doesn't understand \. + + +SESSIONS AND VIMINFO + +Sessions store many things, but not the position of marks, contents of +registers and the command line history. You need to use the viminfo feature +for these things. + In most situations you will want to use sessions separately from viminfo. +This can be used to switch to another session, but keep the command line +history. And yank text into registers in one session, and paste it back in +another session. + You might prefer to keep the info with the session. You will have to do +this yourself then. Example: > + + :mksession! ~/.vim/secret.vim + :wviminfo! ~/.vim/secret.viminfo + +And to restore this again: > + + :source ~/.vim/secret.vim + :rviminfo! ~/.vim/secret.viminfo + +============================================================================== +*21.5* Views + +A session stores the looks of the whole of Vim. When you want to store the +properties for one window only, use a view. + The use of a view is for when you want to edit a file in a specific way. +For example, you have line numbers enabled with the 'number' option and +defined a few folds. Just like with sessions, you can remember this view on +the file and restore it later. Actually, when you store a session, it stores +the view of each window. + There are two basic ways to use views. The first is to let Vim pick a name +for the view file. You can restore the view when you later edit the same +file. To store the view for the current window: > + + :mkview + +Vim will decide where to store the view. When you later edit the same file +you get the view back with this command: > + + :loadview + +That's easy, isn't it? + Now you want to view the file without the 'number' option on, or with all +folds open, you can set the options to make the window look that way. Then +store this view with: > + + :mkview 1 + +Obviously, you can get this back with: > + + :loadview 1 + +Now you can switch between the two views on the file by using ":loadview" with +and without the "1" argument. + You can store up to ten views for the same file this way, one unnumbered +and nine numbered 1 to 9. + + +A VIEW WITH A NAME + +The second basic way to use views is by storing the view in a file with a name +you chose. This view can be loaded while editing another file. Vim will then +switch to editing the file specified in the view. Thus you can use this to +quickly switch to editing another file, with all its options set as you saved +them. + For example, to save the view of the current file: > + + :mkview ~/.vim/main.vim + +You can restore it with: > + + :source ~/.vim/main.vim + +============================================================================== +*21.6* Modelines + +When editing a specific file, you might set options specifically for that +file. Typing these commands each time is boring. Using a session or view for +editing a file doesn't work when sharing the file between several people. + The solution for this situation is adding a modeline to the file. This is +a line of text that tells Vim the values of options, to be used in this file +only. + A typical example is a C program where you make indents by a multiple of 4 +spaces. This requires setting the 'shiftwidth' option to 4. This modeline +will do that: + + /* vim:set shiftwidth=4: */ ~ + +Put this line as one of the first or last five lines in the file. When +editing the file, you will notice that 'shiftwidth' will have been set to +four. When editing another file, it's set back to the default value of eight. + For some files the modeline fits well in the header, thus it can be put at +the top of the file. For text files and other files where the modeline gets +in the way of the normal contents, put it at the end of the file. + +The 'modelines' option specifies how many lines at the start and end of the +file are inspected for containing a modeline. To inspect ten lines: > + + :set modelines=10 + +The 'modeline' option can be used to switch this off. Do this when you are +working as root or don't trust the files you are editing: > + + :set nomodeline + +Use this format for the modeline: + + any-text vim:set {option}={value} ... : any-text ~ + +The "any-text" indicates that you can put any text before and after the part +that Vim will use. This allows making it look like a comment, like what was +done above with /* and */. + The " vim:" part is what makes Vim recognize this line. The must be white +space before "vim", or "vim" must be at the start of the line. Thus using +something like "gvim:" will not work. + The part between the colons is a ":set" command. It works the same way as +typing the ":set" command, except that you need to insert a backslash before a +colon (otherwise it would be seen as the end of the modeline). + +Another example: + + // vim:set textwidth=72 dir=c\:\tmp: use c:\tmp here ~ + +There is an extra backslash before the first colon, so that it's included in +the ":set" command. The text after the second colon is ignored, thus a remark +can be placed there. + +For more details see |modeline|. + +============================================================================== + +Next chapter: |usr_22.txt| Finding the file to edit + +Copyright: see |manual-copyright| vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: |