*change.txt* For Vim version 6.1. Last change: 2002 Sep 16
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* ["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*X* *dh* ["x]X Delete<Del>}[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-Hor *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 '' and '' 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 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.
*=*
={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}.
{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*
:[range]sno[magic] ... Same as ":substitute", but always use 'nomagic'.
{not in Vi}
*:smagic*
:[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+/+//+
{string} starts with "\=" it is evaluated as an expression. The
special meaning for characters as mentioned below does not apply then, 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.
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.
Some characters in {string} have a special meaning:
magic nomagic action
& \& replaced with the whole matched pattern
\& & replaced with &
\0 replaced with the whole matched pattern *\0*
\1 replaced with the matched pattern in the first pair of ()
\2 replaced with the matched pattern in the second pair of ()
.. ..
\9 replaced with the matched pattern in the ninth pair of ()
~ \~ replaced with the {string} of the previous substitute
\~ ~ replaced with
\u next character made uppercase
\U following characters made uppercase, until \E
\l next character made lowercase
\L following characters made lowercase, until \E
\e end of \u, \U, \l and \L (NOTE: not <Esc>!)
\E end of \u, \U, \l and \L
<CR> split line in two at this point (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V
<Enter>)
\r idem
\<CR> insert a carriage-return (CTRL-M) (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V
<Enter>)
\n insert a <NL> (<NUL> in the file) (does NOT break the line)
\b insert a <BS>
\t insert a <Tab>
\\ insert a single backslash
\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"
', 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"
*: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, 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}
*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 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.
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 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 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|.
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"
[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 gqgqgq *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}Example: To format the current paragraph use:gqapThe "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 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 issr:/*,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 "*" isfollowed by a non-blank. This avoids a pointer dereferencelike "*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:*/Notethat 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".Notethat 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 '}'.Notethat 'autoindent' must be set too. Example:1. the first itemwraps2. the second item2 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.Notethat 'autoindent' must be set too. Example:first line of a paragraphsecond line of the same paragraphthird 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 commentsNotethat when 'textwidth' is 0, Vim does no formatting anyway (but does insert comment leaders according to the 'comments' option).Notethat when 'paste' is on, Vim does no formatting at all.Notethat '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=tcrqAutomatic 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:
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