path: root/runtime/doc/pi_getscript.txt

*pi_getscript.txt*  For Vim version 7.2a.  Last change: 2008 Jan 07
>
		GETSCRIPT REFERENCE MANUAL  by Charles E. Campbell, Jr.
<
Authors:  Charles E. Campbell, Jr.  <NdrOchip@ScampbellPfamilyA.Mbiz>
	  (remove NOSPAM from the email address)
						*GetLatestVimScripts-copyright*
Copyright: (c) 2004-2006 by Charles E. Campbell, Jr.	*glvs-copyright*
           The VIM LICENSE applies to getscript.vim and
           pi_getscript.txt (see |copyright|) except use
           "getscript" instead of "Vim".  No warranty, express or implied.
	   Use At-Your-Own-Risk.

Getscript is a plugin that simplifies retrieval of the latest versions of the
scripts that you yourself use!  Typing |:GLVS| will invoke getscript; it will
then use the <GetLatestVimScripts.dat> (see |GetLatestVimScripts_dat|) file to
get the latest versions of scripts listed therein from http://vim.sf.net/.

==============================================================================
1. Contents				*glvs-contents* *glvs* *getscript*
   					*GetLatestVimScripts*

	1. Contents........................................: |glvs-contents|
	2. GetLatestVimScripts -- Getting Started..........: |glvs-install|
	3. GetLatestVimScripts Usage.......................: |glvs-usage|
	4. GetLatestVimScripts Data File...................: |glvs-data|
	5. GetLatestVimScripts Friendly Plugins............: |glvs-plugins|
	6. GetLatestVimScripts AutoInstall.................: |glvs-autoinstall|
	7. GetLatestViMScripts Options.....................: |glvs-options|
	8. GetLatestVimScripts Algorithm...................: |glvs-alg|
	9. GetLatestVimScripts History.....................: |glvs-hist|


==============================================================================
2. GetLatestVimScripts -- Getting Started		*getscript-start*
						*getlatestvimscripts-install*

	VERSION FROM VIM DISTRIBUTION			*glvs-dist-install*

Vim 7.0 does not include the GetLatestVimScripts.dist file which
serves as an example and a template.  So, you'll need to create
your own!  See |GetLatestVimScripts_dat|.

	VERSION FROM VIM SF NET				*glvs-install*

NOTE: The last step, that of renaming/moving the GetLatestVimScripts.dist
file, is for those who have just downloaded GetLatestVimScripts.tar.bz2 for
the first time.

The GetLatestVimScripts.dist file serves as an example and a template for your
own personal list.  Feel free to remove all the scripts mentioned within it;
the "important" part of it is the first two lines.

Your computer needs to have wget for GetLatestVimScripts to do its work.

	1. if compressed:  gunzip getscript.vba.gz
	2. Unix:
		vim getscript.vba
		:so %
		:q
		cd ~/.vim/GetLatest
		mv GetLatestVimScripts.dist GetLatestVimScripts.dat
		(edit GetLatestVimScripts.dat to install your own personal
		list of desired plugins -- see |GetLatestVimScripts_dat|)
	
	3. Windows:
		vim getscript.vba
		:so %
		:q
		cd **path-to-vimfiles**/GetLatest
		mv GetLatestVimScripts.dist GetLatestVimScripts.dat
		(edit GetLatestVimScripts.dat to install your own personal
		list of desired plugins -- see |GetLatestVimScripts_dat|)


==============================================================================
3. GetLatestVimScripts Usage				*glvs-usage* *:GLVS*

Unless its been defined elsewhere, >
	:GLVS
will invoke GetLatestVimScripts().  If some other plugin has defined that
command, then you may type
>
	:GetLatestVimScripts
<
The script will attempt to update and, if permitted, will automatically
install scripts from http://vim.sourceforge.net/.  To do so it will peruse a
file,
>
	.vim/GetLatest/GetLatestVimScripts.dat                    (unix)
<
or >
	..wherever..\vimfiles\GetLatest\GetLatestVimScripts.dat   (windows)
(see |glvs-data|), and examine plugins in your [.vim|vimfiles]/plugin
directory (see |glvs-plugins|).

Scripts which have been downloaded will appear in the
~/.vim/GetLatest (unix) or ..wherever..\vimfiles\GetLatest (windows)
subdirectory.  GetLatestVimScripts will attempt to automatically
install them if you have the following line in your <.vimrc>: >

	let g:GetLatestVimScripts_allowautoinstall=1

The <GetLatestVimScripts.dat> file will be automatically be updated to
reflect the latest version of script(s) so downloaded.
(also see |glvs-options|)


==============================================================================
4. GetLatestVimScripts Data File		*getscript-data* *glvs-data*
 						*:GetLatestVimScripts_dat*
The data file <GetLatestVimScripts.dat> must have for its first two lines
the following text:
>
	ScriptID SourceID Filename
	--------------------------
<
Following those two lines are three columns; the first two are numeric
followed by a text column.  The GetLatest/GetLatestVimScripts.dist file
contains an example of such a data file.  Anything following a #... is
ignored, so you may embed comments in the file.

The first number on each line gives the script's ScriptID.  When you're about
to use a web browser to look at scripts on http://vim.sf.net/, just before you
click on the script's link, you'll see a line resembling

	http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=40

The "40" happens to be a ScriptID that GetLatestVimScripts needs to
download the associated page.

The second number on each line gives the script's SourceID.  The SourceID
records the count of uploaded scripts as determined by vim.sf.net; hence it
serves to indicate "when" a script was uploaded.  Setting the SourceID to 1
insures that GetLatestVimScripts will assume that the script it has is
out-of-date.

The SourceID is extracted by GetLatestVimScripts from the script's page on
vim.sf.net; whenever its greater than the one stored in the
GetLatestVimScripts.dat file, the script will be downloaded
(see |GetLatestVimScripts_dat|).

If your script's author has included a special comment line in his/her plugin,
the plugin itself will be used by GetLatestVimScripts to build your
<GetLatestVimScripts.dat> file, including any dependencies on other scripts it
may have.  As an example, consider: >

	" GetLatestVimScripts: 884  1 :AutoInstall: AutoAlign.vim

This comment line tells getscript.vim to check vimscript #884 and that the
script is automatically installable.  Getscript will also use this line to
help build the GetLatestVimScripts.dat file, by including a line such as: >

	884 1 AutoAlign.vim
<
in it an AutoAlign.vim line isn't already in GetLatestVimScripts.dat file.
See |glvs-plugins| for more.  Thus, GetLatestVimScripts thus provides a
comprehensive ability to keep your plugins up-to-date!

						*GetLatestVimScripts_dat*
As an example of a <GetLatestVimScripts.dat> file:
>
    ScriptID SourceID Filename
    --------------------------
    294 1 Align.vim
    120 2 decho.vim
     40 3 DrawIt.tar.gz
    451 4 EasyAccents.vim
    195 5 engspchk.vim
    642 6 GetLatestVimScripts.vim
    489 7 Manpageview.vim
<
Note: the first two lines are required, but essentially act as comments.


==============================================================================
5. GetLatestVimScripts Friendly Plugins	*getscript-plugins* *glvs-plugins*

If a plugin author includes the following comment anywhere in their plugin,
GetLatestVimScripts will find it and use it to automatically build the user's
GetLatestVimScripts.dat files:
>
	                         src_id
	                            v
	" GetLatestVimScripts: ### ### yourscriptname
	                        ^
	                    scriptid
<
As an author, you should include such a line in to refer to your own script
plus any additional lines describing any plugin dependencies it may have.
Same format, of course!

If your command is auto-installable (see |glvs-autoinstall|), and most scripts
are, then you may include :AutoInstall: at the start of "yourscriptname".

GetLatestVimScripts commands for those scripts are then appended, if not
already present, to the user's GetLatest/GetLatestVimScripts.dat file.  Its a
relatively painless way to automate the acquisition of any scripts your
plugins depend upon.

Now, as an author, you probably don't want GetLatestVimScripts to download
your own scripts for you yourself, thereby overwriting your not-yet-released
hard work.  GetLatestVimScripts provides a solution for this:  put
>
	0 0 yourscriptname
<
into your <GetLatestVimScripts.dat> file and GetLatestVimScripts will skip
examining the "yourscriptname" scripts for those GetLatestVimScripts comment
lines.  As a result, those lines won't be inadvertently installed into your
<GetLatestVimScripts.dat> file and subsequently used to download your own
scripts.  This is especially important to do if you've included the
:AutoInstall: option.

Be certain to use the same "yourscriptname" in the "0 0 yourscriptname" line
as you've used in your GetLatestVimScripts comment!


==============================================================================
6. GetLatestVimScripts AutoInstall			*getscript-autoinstall*
							*glvs-autoinstall*

GetLatestVimScripts now supports "AutoInstall".  Not all scripts are
supportive of auto-install, as they may have special things you need to do to
install them (please refer to the script's "install" directions).  On the
other hand, most scripts will be auto-installable.

To let GetLatestVimScripts do an autoinstall, the data file's comment field
should begin with (surrounding blanks are ignored): >

	:AutoInstall:
<
Both colons are needed, and it should begin the comment (yourscriptname)
field.

One may prevent any autoinstalling by putting the following line in your
<.vimrc>: >

	let g:GetLatestVimScripts_allowautoinstall= 0
<
With :AutoInstall: enabled, as it is by default, files which end with

	---.tar.bz2  : decompressed & untarred in .vim/ directory
	---.vba.bz2  : decompressed in .vim/ directory, then vimball handles it
	---.vim.bz2  : decompressed & moved into .vim/plugin directory
	---.tar.gz   : decompressed & untarred in .vim/ directory
	---.vba.gz   : decompressed in .vim/ directory, then vimball handles it
	---.vim.gz   : decompressed & moved into .vim/plugin directory
	---.vba      : unzipped in .vim/ directory
	---.vim      : moved to .vim/plugin directory
	---.zip      : unzipped in .vim/ directory

and which merely need to have their components placed by the untar/gunzip or
move-to-plugin-directory process should be auto-installable.  Vimballs, of
course, should always be auto-installable.

When is a script not auto-installable?  Let me give an example:

	.vim/after/syntax/blockhl.vim

The <blockhl.vim> script provides block highlighting for C/C++ programs; it is
available at:

	http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=104

Currently, vim's after/syntax only supports by-filetype scripts (in
blockhl.vim's case, that's after/syntax/c.vim).  Hence, auto-install would
possibly overwrite the current user's after/syntax/c.vim file.

In my own case, I use <aftersyntax.vim> (renamed to after/syntax/c.vim) to
allow a after/syntax/c/ directory:

	http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=1023

The script allows multiple syntax files to exist separately in the
after/syntax/c subdirectory.  I can't bundle aftersyntax.vim in and build an
appropriate tarball for auto-install because of the potential for the
after/syntax/c.vim contained in it to overwrite a user's c.vim.


==============================================================================
7. GetLatestVimScripts Options					*glvs-options*
>
	g:GetLatestVimScripts_wget
<	default= "wget"
		This variable holds the name of the command for obtaining
		scripts.
>
	g:GetLatestVimScripts_options
<	default= "-q -O"
		This variable holds the options to be used with the
		g:GetLatestVimScripts_wget command.
>
 	g:getLatestVimScripts_allowautoinstall
<	default= 1
		This variable indicates whether GetLatestVimScripts is allowed
		to attempt to automatically install scripts.  Note that it
		doesn't understand vimballs (yet).  Furthermore, the plugin
		author has to have explicitly indicated that his/her plugin
		is automatically installable.


==============================================================================
8. GetLatestVimScripts Algorithm		*glvs-algorithm* *glvs-alg*

The Vim sourceforge page dynamically creates a page by keying off of the
so-called script-id.  Within the webpage of

	http://vim.sourceforge.net/scripts/script.php?script_id=40

is a line specifying the latest source-id (src_id).  The source identifier
numbers are always increasing, hence if the src_id is greater than the one
recorded for the script in GetLatestVimScripts then it's time to download a
newer copy of that script.

GetLatestVimScripts will then download the script and update its internal
database of script ids, source ids, and scriptnames.

The AutoInstall process will:

	Move the file from GetLatest/ to the following directory
		Unix   : $HOME/.vim
		Windows: $HOME\vimfiles
	if the downloaded file ends with ".bz2"
		bunzip2 it
	else if the downloaded file ends with ".gz"
		gunzip it
	if the resulting file ends with ".zip"
		unzip it
	else if the resulting file ends with ".tar"
		tar -oxvf it
	else if the resulting file ends with ".vim"
		move it to the plugin subdirectory


==============================================================================
9. GetLatestVimScripts History		*getscript-history* *glvs-hist* {{{1

v29 Jan 07, 2008 : * Bram M pointed out that cpo is a global option and that
                     getscriptPlugin.vim was setting it but not restoring it.
v28 Jan 02, 2008 : * improved shell quoting character handling, cygwin
		     interface, register-a bypass
    Oct 29, 2007   * Bill McCarthy suggested a change to getscript that avoids
                     creating pop-up windows
v24 Apr 16, 2007 : * removed save&restore of the fo option during script
                     loading
v23 Nov 03, 2006 : * ignores comments (#...)
                   * handles vimballs
v22 Oct 13, 2006 : * supports automatic use of curl if wget is not
                     available
v21 May 01, 2006 : * now takes advantage of autoloading.
v20 Dec 23, 2005 : * Eric Haarbauer found&fixed a bug with unzip use;
                     unzip needs the -o flag to overwrite.
v19 Nov 28, 2005 : * v18's GetLatestVimScript line accessed the wrong
                     script! Fixed.
v18 Mar 21, 2005 : * bugfix to automatic database construction
                   * bugfix - nowrapscan caused an error
                     (tnx to David Green for the fix)
    Apr 01, 2005   * if shell is bash, "mv" instead of "ren" used in
                     :AutoInstall:s, even though its o/s is windows
    Apr 01, 2005   * when downloading errors occurred, GLVS was
                     terminating early.  It now just goes on to trying
                     the next script (after trying three times to
                     download a script description page)
    Apr 20, 2005   * bugfix - when a failure to download occurred,
                     GetLatestVimScripts would stop early and claim that
                     everything was current.  Fixed.
v17 Aug 25, 2004 : * g:GetLatestVimScripts_allowautoinstall, which
                     defaults to 1, can be used to prevent all
                     :AutoInstall:
v16 Aug 25, 2004 : * made execution of bunzip2/gunzip/tar/zip silent
                   * fixed bug with :AutoInstall: use of helptags
v15 Aug 24, 2004 : * bugfix: the "0 0 comment" download prevention wasn't
                     always preventing downloads (just usually).  Fixed.
v14 Aug 24, 2004 : * bugfix -- helptags was using dotvim, rather than
                     s:dotvim.  Fixed.
v13 Aug 23, 2004 : * will skip downloading a file if its scriptid or srcid
                     is zero.  Useful for script authors; that way their
                     own GetLatestVimScripts activity won't overwrite
                     their scripts.
v12 Aug 23, 2004 : * bugfix - a "return" got left in the distribution that
                     was intended only for testing.  Removed, now works.
                   * :AutoInstall: implemented
v11 Aug 20, 2004 : * GetLatestVimScripts is now a plugin:
                   * :GetLatestVimScripts command
                   * (runtimepath)/GetLatest/GetLatestVimScripts.dat
                     now holds scripts that need updating
v10 Apr 19, 2004 : * moved history from script to doc
v9  Jan 23, 2004 :   windows (win32/win16/win95) will use
                     double quotes ("") whereas other systems will use
                     single quotes ('') around the urls in calls via wget
v8  Dec 01, 2003 :   makes three tries at downloading
v7  Sep 02, 2003 :   added error messages if "Click on..." or "src_id="
                     not found in downloaded webpage
                     Uses t_ti, t_te, and rs to make progress visible
v6  Aug 06, 2003 :   final status messages now display summary of work
                     ( "Downloaded someqty scripts" or
                       "Everything was current")
                     Now GetLatestVimScripts is careful about downloading
                     GetLatestVimScripts.vim itself!
                     (goes to <NEW_GetLatestVimScripts.vim>)
v5  Aug 04, 2003 :   missing an endif near bottom
v4  Jun 17, 2003 :   redraw! just before each "considering" message
v3  May 27, 2003 :   Protects downloaded files from errant shell
                     expansions with single quotes: '...'
v2  May 14, 2003 :   extracts name of item to be obtained from the
                     script file.  Uses it instead of comment field
                     for output filename; comment is used in the
                     "considering..." line and is now just a comment!
                   * Fixed a bug: a string-of-numbers is not the
                     same as a number, so I added zero to them
                     and they became numbers.  Fixes comparison.

==============================================================================
vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:fdm=marker