xref: /vim-8.2.3635/runtime/doc/repeat.txt (revision cf2d8dee)
1*repeat.txt*    For Vim version 7.4.  Last change: 2016 Mar 26
2
3
4		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Bram Moolenaar
5
6
7Repeating commands, Vim scripts and debugging			*repeating*
8
9Chapter 26 of the user manual introduces repeating |usr_26.txt|.
10
111. Single repeats		|single-repeat|
122. Multiple repeats		|multi-repeat|
133. Complex repeats		|complex-repeat|
144. Using Vim scripts		|using-scripts|
155. Using Vim packages		|packages|
166. Creating Vim packages	|package-create|
177. Debugging scripts		|debug-scripts|
188. Profiling			|profiling|
19
20==============================================================================
211. Single repeats					*single-repeat*
22
23							*.*
24.			Repeat last change, with count replaced with [count].
25			Also repeat a yank command, when the 'y' flag is
26			included in 'cpoptions'.  Does not repeat a
27			command-line command.
28
29Simple changes can be repeated with the "." command.  Without a count, the
30count of the last change is used.  If you enter a count, it will replace the
31last one.  |v:count| and |v:count1| will be set.
32
33If the last change included a specification of a numbered register, the
34register number will be incremented.  See |redo-register| for an example how
35to use this.
36
37Note that when repeating a command that used a Visual selection, the same SIZE
38of area is used, see |visual-repeat|.
39
40							*@:*
41@:			Repeat last command-line [count] times.
42			{not available when compiled without the
43			|+cmdline_hist| feature}
44
45
46==============================================================================
472. Multiple repeats					*multi-repeat*
48
49						*:g* *:global* *E147* *E148*
50:[range]g[lobal]/{pattern}/[cmd]
51			Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
52			lines within [range] where {pattern} matches.
53
54:[range]g[lobal]!/{pattern}/[cmd]
55			Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
56			lines within [range] where {pattern} does NOT match.
57
58							*:v* *:vglobal*
59:[range]v[global]/{pattern}/[cmd]
60			Same as :g!.
61
62Instead of the '/' which surrounds the {pattern}, you can use any other
63single byte character, but not an alphabetic character, '\', '"' or '|'.
64This is useful if you want to include a '/' in the search pattern or
65replacement string.
66
67For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|.
68
69NOTE [cmd] may contain a range; see |collapse| and |edit-paragraph-join| for
70examples.
71
72The global commands work by first scanning through the [range] lines and
73marking each line where a match occurs (for a multi-line pattern, only the
74start of the match matters).
75In a second scan the [cmd] is executed for each marked line with its line
76number prepended.  For ":v" and ":g!" the command is executed for each not
77marked line.  If a line is deleted its mark disappears.
78The default for [range] is the whole buffer (1,$).  Use "CTRL-C" to interrupt
79the command.  If an error message is given for a line, the command for that
80line is aborted and the global command continues with the next marked or
81unmarked line.
82
83To repeat a non-Ex command, you can use the ":normal" command: >
84	:g/pat/normal {commands}
85Make sure that {commands} ends with a whole command, otherwise Vim will wait
86for you to type the rest of the command for each match.  The screen will not
87have been updated, so you don't know what you are doing.  See |:normal|.
88
89The undo/redo command will undo/redo the whole global command at once.
90The previous context mark will only be set once (with "''" you go back to
91where the cursor was before the global command).
92
93The global command sets both the last used search pattern and the last used
94substitute pattern (this is vi compatible).  This makes it easy to globally
95replace a string:
96	:g/pat/s//PAT/g
97This replaces all occurrences of "pat" with "PAT".  The same can be done with:
98	:%s/pat/PAT/g
99Which is two characters shorter!
100
101When using "global" in Ex mode, a special case is using ":visual" as a
102command.  This will move to a matching line, go to Normal mode to let you
103execute commands there until you use |Q| to return to Ex mode.  This will be
104repeated for each matching line.  While doing this you cannot use ":global".
105To abort this type CTRL-C twice.
106
107==============================================================================
1083. Complex repeats					*complex-repeat*
109
110							*q* *recording*
111q{0-9a-zA-Z"}		Record typed characters into register {0-9a-zA-Z"}
112			(uppercase to append).  The 'q' command is disabled
113			while executing a register, and it doesn't work inside
114			a mapping and |:normal|.
115
116			Note: If the register being used for recording is also
117			used for |y| and |p| the result is most likely not
118			what is expected, because the put will paste the
119			recorded macro and the yank will overwrite the
120			recorded macro. {Vi: no recording}
121
122q			Stops recording.  (Implementation note: The 'q' that
123			stops recording is not stored in the register, unless
124			it was the result of a mapping)  {Vi: no recording}
125
126							*@*
127@{0-9a-z".=*+}		Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} [count]
128			times.  Note that register '%' (name of the current
129			file) and '#' (name of the alternate file) cannot be
130			used.
131			The register is executed like a mapping, that means
132			that the difference between 'wildchar' and 'wildcharm'
133			applies.
134			For "@=" you are prompted to enter an expression.  The
135			result of the expression is then executed.
136			See also |@:|.  {Vi: only named registers}
137
138							*@@* *E748*
139@@			Repeat the previous @{0-9a-z":*} [count] times.
140
141:[addr]*{0-9a-z".=+}						*:@* *:star*
142:[addr]@{0-9a-z".=*+}	Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} as an Ex
143			command.  First set cursor at line [addr] (default is
144			current line).  When the last line in the register does
145			not have a <CR> it will be added automatically when
146			the 'e' flag is present in 'cpoptions'.
147			Note that the ":*" command is only recognized when the
148			'*' flag is present in 'cpoptions'.  This is NOT the
149			default when 'nocompatible' is used.
150			For ":@=" the last used expression is used.  The
151			result of evaluating the expression is executed as an
152			Ex command.
153			Mappings are not recognized in these commands.
154			{Vi: only in some versions} Future: Will execute the
155			register for each line in the address range.
156
157							*:@:*
158:[addr]@:		Repeat last command-line.  First set cursor at line
159			[addr] (default is current line).  {not in Vi}
160
161							*:@@*
162:[addr]@@		Repeat the previous :@{0-9a-z"}.  First set cursor at
163			line [addr] (default is current line).  {Vi: only in
164			some versions}
165
166==============================================================================
1674. Using Vim scripts					*using-scripts*
168
169For writing a Vim script, see chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.
170
171					*:so* *:source* *load-vim-script*
172:so[urce] {file}	Read Ex commands from {file}.  These are commands that
173			start with a ":".
174			Triggers the |SourcePre| autocommand.
175
176:so[urce]! {file}	Read Vim commands from {file}.  These are commands
177			that are executed from Normal mode, like you type
178			them.
179			When used after |:global|, |:argdo|, |:windo|,
180			|:bufdo|, in a loop or when another command follows
181			the display won't be updated while executing the
182			commands.
183			{not in Vi}
184
185							*:ru* *:runtime*
186:ru[ntime][!] [where] {file} ..
187			Read Ex commands from {file} in each directory given
188			by 'runtimepath' and/or 'packpath'.  There is no error
189			for non-existing files.
190
191			Example: >
192				:runtime syntax/c.vim
193
194<			There can be multiple {file} arguments, separated by
195			spaces.  Each {file} is searched for in the first
196			directory from 'runtimepath', then in the second
197			directory, etc.  Use a backslash to include a space
198			inside {file} (although it's better not to use spaces
199			in file names, it causes trouble).
200
201			When [!] is included, all found files are sourced.
202			When it is not included only the first found file is
203			sourced.
204
205			When [where] is omitted only 'runtimepath' is used.
206			Other values:
207				START	search under "start" in 'packpath'
208				OPT 	search under "opt" in 'packpath'
209				PACK	search under "start" and "opt" in
210					'packpath'
211				ALL	first use 'runtimepath', then search
212					under "start" and "opt" in 'packpath'
213
214			When {file} contains wildcards it is expanded to all
215			matching files.  Example: >
216				:runtime! plugin/*.vim
217<			This is what Vim uses to load the plugin files when
218			starting up.  This similar command: >
219				:runtime plugin/*.vim
220<			would source the first file only.
221
222			When 'verbose' is one or higher, there is a message
223			when no file could be found.
224			When 'verbose' is two or higher, there is a message
225			about each searched file.
226			{not in Vi}
227
228							*:pa* *:packadd* *E919*
229:pa[ckadd][!] {name}	Search for an optional plugin directory in 'packpath'
230			and source any plugin files found.  The directory must
231			match:
232				pack/*/opt/{name} ~
233			The directory is added to 'runtimepath' if it wasn't
234			there yet.
235
236			Note that {name} is the directory name, not the name
237			of the .vim file.  If the "{name}/plugin" directory
238			contains more than one file they are all sourced.
239
240			If the filetype detection was not enabled yet (this
241			is usually done with a "syntax enable" or "filetype
242			on" command in your .vimrc file), this will also look
243			for "{name}/ftdetect/*.vim" files.
244
245			When the optional ! is added no plugin files or
246			ftdetect scripts are loaded, only the matching
247			directories are added to 'runtimepath'.  This is
248			useful in your .vimrc.  The plugins will then be
249			loaded during initialization, see |load-plugins|.
250
251			Also see |pack-add|.
252
253						*:packl* *:packloadall*
254:packloadall[!]		Load all packages in the "start" directories under
255			'packpath'.  The directories found are added to
256			'runtimepath'.
257			This is normally done automatically during startup,
258			after loading your .vimrc file.  With this command it
259			can be done earlier.
260			Packages will be loaded only once.  After this command
261			it won't happen again.  When the optional ! is added
262			this command will load packages even when done before.
263			An Error only causes sourcing the script where it
264			happens to be aborted, further plugins will be loaded.
265			See |packages|.
266
267:scripte[ncoding] [encoding]		*:scripte* *:scriptencoding* *E167*
268			Specify the character encoding used in the script.
269			The following lines will be converted from [encoding]
270			to the value of the 'encoding' option, if they are
271			different.  Examples: >
272				scriptencoding iso-8859-5
273				scriptencoding cp932
274<
275			When [encoding] is empty, no conversion is done.  This
276			can be used to restrict conversion to a sequence of
277			lines: >
278				scriptencoding euc-jp
279				... lines to be converted ...
280				scriptencoding
281				... not converted ...
282
283<			When conversion isn't supported by the system, there
284			is no error message and no conversion is done.
285
286			Don't use "ucs-2" or "ucs-4", scripts cannot be in
287			these encodings (they would contain NUL bytes).
288			When a sourced script starts with a BOM (Byte Order
289			Mark) in utf-8 format Vim will recognize it, no need
290			to use ":scriptencoding utf-8" then.
291
292			When compiled without the |+multi_byte| feature this
293			command is ignored.
294			{not in Vi}
295
296						*:scr* *:scriptnames*
297:scr[iptnames]		List all sourced script names, in the order they were
298			first sourced.  The number is used for the script ID
299			|<SID>|.
300			{not in Vi} {not available when compiled without the
301			|+eval| feature}
302
303						*:fini* *:finish* *E168*
304:fini[sh]		Stop sourcing a script.  Can only be used in a Vim
305			script file.  This is a quick way to skip the rest of
306			the file.  If it is used after a |:try| but before the
307			matching |:finally| (if present), the commands
308			following the ":finally" up to the matching |:endtry|
309			are executed first.  This process applies to all
310			nested ":try"s in the script.  The outermost ":endtry"
311			then stops sourcing the script.  {not in Vi}
312
313All commands and command sequences can be repeated by putting them in a named
314register and then executing it.  There are two ways to get the commands in the
315register:
316- Use the record command "q".  You type the commands once, and while they are
317  being executed they are stored in a register.  Easy, because you can see
318  what you are doing.  If you make a mistake, "p"ut the register into the
319  file, edit the command sequence, and then delete it into the register
320  again.  You can continue recording by appending to the register (use an
321  uppercase letter).
322- Delete or yank the command sequence into the register.
323
324Often used command sequences can be put under a function key with the ':map'
325command.
326
327An alternative is to put the commands in a file, and execute them with the
328':source!' command.  Useful for long command sequences.  Can be combined with
329the ':map' command to put complicated commands under a function key.
330
331The ':source' command reads Ex commands from a file line by line.  You will
332have to type any needed keyboard input.  The ':source!' command reads from a
333script file character by character, interpreting each character as if you
334typed it.
335
336Example: When you give the ":!ls" command you get the |hit-enter| prompt.  If
337you ':source' a file with the line "!ls" in it, you will have to type the
338<Enter> yourself.  But if you ':source!' a file with the line ":!ls" in it,
339the next characters from that file are read until a <CR> is found.  You will
340not have to type <CR> yourself, unless ":!ls" was the last line in the file.
341
342It is possible to put ':source[!]' commands in the script file, so you can
343make a top-down hierarchy of script files.  The ':source' command can be
344nested as deep as the number of files that can be opened at one time (about
34515).  The ':source!' command can be nested up to 15 levels deep.
346
347You can use the "<sfile>" string (literally, this is not a special key) inside
348of the sourced file, in places where a file name is expected.  It will be
349replaced by the file name of the sourced file.  For example, if you have a
350"other.vimrc" file in the same directory as your ".vimrc" file, you can source
351it from your ".vimrc" file with this command: >
352	:source <sfile>:h/other.vimrc
353
354In script files terminal-dependent key codes are represented by
355terminal-independent two character codes.  This means that they can be used
356in the same way on different kinds of terminals.  The first character of a
357key code is 0x80 or 128, shown on the screen as "~@".  The second one can be
358found in the list |key-notation|.  Any of these codes can also be entered
359with CTRL-V followed by the three digit decimal code.  This does NOT work for
360the <t_xx> termcap codes, these can only be used in mappings.
361
362							*:source_crnl* *W15*
363MS-DOS, Win32 and OS/2: Files that are read with ":source" normally have
364<CR><NL> <EOL>s.  These always work.  If you are using a file with <NL> <EOL>s
365(for example, a file made on Unix), this will be recognized if 'fileformats'
366is not empty and the first line does not end in a <CR>.  This fails if the
367first line has something like ":map <F1> :help^M", where "^M" is a <CR>.  If
368the first line ends in a <CR>, but following ones don't, you will get an error
369message, because the <CR> from the first lines will be lost.
370
371Mac Classic: Files that are read with ":source" normally have <CR> <EOL>s.
372These always work.  If you are using a file with <NL> <EOL>s (for example, a
373file made on Unix), this will be recognized if 'fileformats' is not empty and
374the first line does not end in a <CR>.  Be careful not to use a file with <NL>
375linebreaks which has a <CR> in first line.
376
377On other systems, Vim expects ":source"ed files to end in a <NL>.  These
378always work.  If you are using a file with <CR><NL> <EOL>s (for example, a
379file made on MS-DOS), all lines will have a trailing <CR>.  This may cause
380problems for some commands (e.g., mappings).  There is no automatic <EOL>
381detection, because it's common to start with a line that defines a mapping
382that ends in a <CR>, which will confuse the automaton.
383
384							*line-continuation*
385Long lines in a ":source"d Ex command script file can be split by inserting
386a line continuation symbol "\" (backslash) at the start of the next line.
387There can be white space before the backslash, which is ignored.
388
389Example: the lines >
390	:set comments=sr:/*,mb:*,el:*/,
391		     \://,
392		     \b:#,
393		     \:%,
394		     \n:>,
395		     \fb:-
396are interpreted as if they were given in one line:
397	:set comments=sr:/*,mb:*,el:*/,://,b:#,:%,n:>,fb:-
398
399All leading whitespace characters in the line before a backslash are ignored.
400Note however that trailing whitespace in the line before it cannot be
401inserted freely; it depends on the position where a command is split up
402whether additional whitespace is allowed or not.
403
404When a space is required it's best to put it right after the backslash.  A
405space at the end of a line is hard to see and may be accidentally deleted. >
406	:syn match Comment
407		\ "very long regexp"
408		\ keepend
409
410There is a problem with the ":append" and ":insert" commands: >
411   :1append
412   \asdf
413   .
414The backslash is seen as a line-continuation symbol, thus this results in the
415command: >
416   :1appendasdf
417   .
418To avoid this, add the 'C' flag to the 'cpoptions' option: >
419   :set cpo+=C
420   :1append
421   \asdf
422   .
423   :set cpo-=C
424
425Note that when the commands are inside a function, you need to add the 'C'
426flag when defining the function, it is not relevant when executing it. >
427   :set cpo+=C
428   :function Foo()
429   :1append
430   \asdf
431   .
432   :endfunction
433   :set cpo-=C
434
435Rationale:
436	Most programs work with a trailing backslash to indicate line
437	continuation.  Using this in Vim would cause incompatibility with Vi.
438	For example for this Vi mapping: >
439		:map xx  asdf\
440<	Therefore the unusual leading backslash is used.
441
442==============================================================================
4435. Using Vim packages					*packages*
444
445A Vim package is a directory that contains one or more plugins.  The
446advantages over normal plugins:
447- A package can be downloaded as an archive and unpacked in its own directory.
448  Thus the files are not mixed with files of other plugins.  That makes it
449  easy to update and remove.
450- A package can be a git, mercurial, etc. repository.  That makes it really
451  easy to update.
452- A package can contain multiple plugins that depend on each other.
453- A package can contain plugins that are automatically loaded on startup and
454  ones that are only loaded when needed with `:packadd`.
455
456
457Using a package and loading automatically ~
458
459Let's assume your Vim files are in the "~/.vim" directory and you want to add a
460package from a zip archive "/tmp/foopack.zip":
461	% mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/foo
462	% cd ~/.vim/pack/foo
463	% unzip /tmp/foopack.zip
464
465The directory name "foo" is arbitrary, you can pick anything you like.
466
467You would now have these files under ~/.vim:
468	pack/foo/README.txt
469	pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim
470	pack/foo/start/foobar/syntax/some.vim
471	pack/foo/opt/foodebug/plugin/debugger.vim
472
473When Vim starts up, after processing your .vimrc, it scans all directories in
474'packpath' for plugins under the "pack/*/start" directory and loads them.  The
475directory is added to 'runtimepath'.
476
477In the example Vim will find "pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim" and adds
478"~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar" to 'runtimepath'.
479
480If the "foobar" plugin kicks in and sets the 'filetype' to "some", Vim will
481find the syntax/some.vim file, because its directory is in 'runtimepath'.
482
483Vim will also load ftdetect files, if there are any.
484
485Note that the files under "pack/foo/opt" are not loaded automatically, only the
486ones under "pack/foo/start".  See |pack-add| below for how the "opt" directory
487is used.
488
489Loading packages automatically will not happen if loading plugins is disabled,
490see |load-plugins|.
491
492To load packages earlier, so that 'runtimepath' gets updated: >
493	:packloadall
494This also works when loading plugins is disabled.  The automatic loading will
495only happen once.
496
497
498Using a single plugin and loading it automatically ~
499
500If you don't have a package but a single plugin, you need to create the extra
501directory level:
502	% mkdir -p ~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar
503	% cd ~/.vim/pack/foo/start/foobar
504	% unzip /tmp/someplugin.zip
505
506You would now have these files:
507	pack/foo/start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim
508	pack/foo/start/foobar/syntax/some.vim
509
510From here it works like above.
511
512
513Optional plugins ~
514							*pack-add*
515To load an optional plugin from a pack use the `:packadd` command: >
516	:packadd foodebug
517This searches for "pack/*/opt/foodebug" in 'packpath' and will find
518~/.vim/pack/foo/opt/foodebug/plugin/debugger.vim and source it.
519
520This could be done if some conditions are met.  For example, depending on
521whether Vim supports a feature or a dependency is missing.
522
523You can also load an optional plugin at startup, by putting this command in
524your |.vimrc|: >
525	:packadd! foodebug
526The extra "!" is so that the plugin isn't loaded with Vim was started with
527|--noplugin|.
528
529It is perfectly normal for a package to only have files in the "opt"
530directory.  You then need to load each plugin when you want to use it.
531
532
533Where to put what ~
534
535Since color schemes, loaded with `:colorscheme`, are found below
536"pack/*/start" and "pack/*/opt", you could put them anywhere.  We recommend
537you put them below "pack/*/opt", for example
538".vim/pack/mycolors/opt/dark/colors/very_dark.vim".
539
540Filetype plugins should go under "pack/*/start", so that they are always
541found.  Unless you have more than one plugin for a file type and want to
542select which one to load with `:packadd`.  E.g. depending on the compiler
543version: >
544	if foo_compiler_version > 34
545	  packadd foo_new
546	else
547	  packadd foo_old
548	endif
549
550The "after" directory is most likely not useful in a package.  It's not
551disallowed though.
552
553==============================================================================
5546. Creating Vim packages				*package-create*
555
556This assumes you write one or more plugins that you distribute as a package.
557
558If you have two unrelated plugins you would use two packages, so that Vim
559users can chose what they include or not.  Or you can decide to use one
560package with optional plugins, and tell the user to add the ones he wants with
561`:packadd`.
562
563Decide how you want to distribute the package.  You can create an archive or
564you could use a repository.  An archive can be used by more users, but is a
565bit harder to update to a new version.  A repository can usually be kept
566up-to-date easily, but it requires a program like "git" to be available.
567You can do both, github can automatically create an archive for a release.
568
569Your directory layout would be like this:
570   start/foobar/plugin/foo.vim    	" always loaded, defines commands
571   start/foobar/plugin/bar.vim    	" always loaded, defines commands
572   start/foobar/autoload/foo.vim  	" loaded when foo command used
573   start/foobar/doc/foo.txt       	" help for foo.vim
574   start/foobar/doc/tags          	" help tags
575   opt/fooextra/plugin/extra.vim  	" optional plugin, defines commands
576   opt/fooextra/autoload/extra.vim  	" loaded when extra command used
577   opt/fooextra/doc/extra.txt  	        " help for extra.vim
578   opt/fooextra/doc/tags  	        " help tags
579
580This allows for the user to do: >
581	mkdir ~/.vim/pack/myfoobar
582	cd ~/.vim/pack/myfoobar
583	git clone https://github.com/you/foobar.git
584
585Here "myfoobar" is a name that the user can choose, the only condition is that
586it differs from other packages.
587
588In your documentation you explain what the plugins do, and tell the user how
589to load the optional plugin: >
590	:packadd! fooextra
591
592You could add this packadd command in one of your plugins, to be executed when
593the optional plugin is needed.
594
595Run the `:helptags` command to generate the doc/tags file.  Including this
596generated file in the package means that the user can drop the package in his
597pack directory and the help command works right away.  Don't forget to re-run
598the command after changing the plugin help: >
599	:helptags path/start/foobar/doc
600	:helptags path/opt/fooextra/doc
601
602==============================================================================
6037. Debugging scripts					*debug-scripts*
604
605Besides the obvious messages that you can add to your scripts to find out what
606they are doing, Vim offers a debug mode.  This allows you to step through a
607sourced file or user function and set breakpoints.
608
609NOTE: The debugging mode is far from perfect.  Debugging will have side
610effects on how Vim works.  You cannot use it to debug everything.  For
611example, the display is messed up by the debugging messages.
612{Vi does not have a debug mode}
613
614An alternative to debug mode is setting the 'verbose' option.  With a bigger
615number it will give more verbose messages about what Vim is doing.
616
617
618STARTING DEBUG MODE						*debug-mode*
619
620To enter debugging mode use one of these methods:
6211. Start Vim with the |-D| argument: >
622	vim -D file.txt
623<  Debugging will start as soon as the first vimrc file is sourced.  This is
624   useful to find out what is happening when Vim is starting up.  A side
625   effect is that Vim will switch the terminal mode before initialisations
626   have finished, with unpredictable results.
627   For a GUI-only version (Windows, Macintosh) the debugging will start as
628   soon as the GUI window has been opened.  To make this happen early, add a
629   ":gui" command in the vimrc file.
630								*:debug*
6312. Run a command with ":debug" prepended.  Debugging will only be done while
632   this command executes.  Useful for debugging a specific script or user
633   function.  And for scripts and functions used by autocommands.  Example: >
634	:debug edit test.txt.gz
635
6363. Set a breakpoint in a sourced file or user function.  You could do this in
637   the command line: >
638	vim -c "breakadd file */explorer.vim" .
639<  This will run Vim and stop in the first line of the "explorer.vim" script.
640   Breakpoints can also be set while in debugging mode.
641
642In debugging mode every executed command is displayed before it is executed.
643Comment lines, empty lines and lines that are not executed are skipped.  When
644a line contains two commands, separated by "|", each command will be displayed
645separately.
646
647
648DEBUG MODE
649
650Once in debugging mode, the usual Ex commands can be used.  For example, to
651inspect the value of a variable: >
652	echo idx
653When inside a user function, this will print the value of the local variable
654"idx".  Prepend "g:" to get the value of a global variable: >
655	echo g:idx
656All commands are executed in the context of the current function or script.
657You can also set options, for example setting or resetting 'verbose' will show
658what happens, but you might want to set it just before executing the lines you
659are interested in: >
660	:set verbose=20
661
662Commands that require updating the screen should be avoided, because their
663effect won't be noticed until after leaving debug mode.  For example: >
664	:help
665won't be very helpful.
666
667There is a separate command-line history for debug mode.
668
669The line number for a function line is relative to the start of the function.
670If you have trouble figuring out where you are, edit the file that defines
671the function in another Vim, search for the start of the function and do
672"99j".  Replace "99" with the line number.
673
674Additionally, these commands can be used:
675							*>cont*
676	cont		Continue execution until the next breakpoint is hit.
677							*>quit*
678	quit		Abort execution.  This is like using CTRL-C, some
679			things might still be executed, doesn't abort
680			everything.  Still stops at the next breakpoint.
681							*>next*
682	next		Execute the command and come back to debug mode when
683			it's finished.  This steps over user function calls
684			and sourced files.
685							*>step*
686	step		Execute the command and come back to debug mode for
687			the next command.  This steps into called user
688			functions and sourced files.
689							*>interrupt*
690	interrupt	This is like using CTRL-C, but unlike ">quit" comes
691			back to debug mode for the next command that is
692			executed.  Useful for testing |:finally| and |:catch|
693			on interrupt exceptions.
694							*>finish*
695	finish		Finish the current script or user function and come
696			back to debug mode for the command after the one that
697			sourced or called it.
698							*>bt*
699							*>backtrace*
700							*>where*
701	backtrace	Show the call stacktrace for current debugging session.
702	bt
703	where
704							*>frame*
705	frame N		Goes to N backtrace level. + and - signs make movement
706			relative.  E.g., ":frame +3" goes three frames up.
707							*>up*
708	up		Goes one level up from call stacktrace.
709							*>down*
710	down		Goes one level down from call stacktrace.
711
712About the additional commands in debug mode:
713- There is no command-line completion for them, you get the completion for the
714  normal Ex commands only.
715- You can shorten them, up to a single character, unless more than one command
716  starts with the same letter.  "f" stands for "finish", use "fr" for "frame".
717- Hitting <CR> will repeat the previous one.  When doing another command, this
718  is reset (because it's not clear what you want to repeat).
719- When you want to use the Ex command with the same name, prepend a colon:
720  ":cont", ":next", ":finish" (or shorter).
721
722The backtrace shows the hierarchy of function calls, e.g.:
723	>bt ~
724	  3 function One[3] ~
725	  2 Two[3] ~
726	->1 Three[3] ~
727	  0 Four ~
728	line 1: let four = 4 ~
729
730The "->" points to the current frame.  Use "up", "down" and "frame N" to
731select another frame.
732
733In the current frame you can evaluate the local function variables.  There is
734no way to see the command at the current line yet.
735
736
737DEFINING BREAKPOINTS
738							*:breaka* *:breakadd*
739:breaka[dd] func [lnum] {name}
740		Set a breakpoint in a function.  Example: >
741			:breakadd func Explore
742<		Doesn't check for a valid function name, thus the breakpoint
743		can be set before the function is defined.
744
745:breaka[dd] file [lnum] {name}
746		Set a breakpoint in a sourced file.  Example: >
747			:breakadd file 43 .vimrc
748
749:breaka[dd] here
750		Set a breakpoint in the current line of the current file.
751		Like doing: >
752			:breakadd file <cursor-line> <current-file>
753<		Note that this only works for commands that are executed when
754		sourcing the file, not for a function defined in that file.
755
756The [lnum] is the line number of the breakpoint.  Vim will stop at or after
757this line.  When omitted line 1 is used.
758
759							*:debug-name*
760{name} is a pattern that is matched with the file or function name.  The
761pattern is like what is used for autocommands.  There must be a full match (as
762if the pattern starts with "^" and ends in "$").  A "*" matches any sequence
763of characters.  'ignorecase' is not used, but "\c" can be used in the pattern
764to ignore case |/\c|.  Don't include the () for the function name!
765
766The match for sourced scripts is done against the full file name.  If no path
767is specified the current directory is used.  Examples: >
768	breakadd file explorer.vim
769matches "explorer.vim" in the current directory. >
770	breakadd file *explorer.vim
771matches ".../plugin/explorer.vim", ".../plugin/iexplorer.vim", etc. >
772	breakadd file */explorer.vim
773matches ".../plugin/explorer.vim" and "explorer.vim" in any other directory.
774
775The match for functions is done against the name as it's shown in the output
776of ":function".  For local functions this means that something like "<SNR>99_"
777is prepended.
778
779Note that functions are first loaded and later executed.  When they are loaded
780the "file" breakpoints are checked, when they are executed the "func"
781breakpoints.
782
783
784DELETING BREAKPOINTS
785						*:breakd* *:breakdel* *E161*
786:breakd[el] {nr}
787		Delete breakpoint {nr}.  Use |:breaklist| to see the number of
788		each breakpoint.
789
790:breakd[el] *
791		Delete all breakpoints.
792
793:breakd[el] func [lnum] {name}
794		Delete a breakpoint in a function.
795
796:breakd[el] file [lnum] {name}
797		Delete a breakpoint in a sourced file.
798
799:breakd[el] here
800		Delete a breakpoint at the current line of the current file.
801
802When [lnum] is omitted, the first breakpoint in the function or file is
803deleted.
804The {name} must be exactly the same as what was typed for the ":breakadd"
805command.  "explorer", "*explorer.vim" and "*explorer*" are different.
806
807
808LISTING BREAKPOINTS
809							*:breakl* *:breaklist*
810:breakl[ist]
811		List all breakpoints.
812
813
814OBSCURE
815
816						*:debugg* *:debuggreedy*
817:debugg[reedy]
818		Read debug mode commands from the normal input stream, instead
819		of getting them directly from the user.  Only useful for test
820		scripts.  Example: >
821		  echo 'q^Mq' | vim -e -s -c debuggreedy -c 'breakadd file script.vim' -S script.vim
822
823:0debugg[reedy]
824		Undo ":debuggreedy": get debug mode commands directly from the
825		user, don't use typeahead for debug commands.
826
827==============================================================================
8288. Profiling						*profile* *profiling*
829
830Profiling means that Vim measures the time that is spent on executing
831functions and/or scripts.  The |+profile| feature is required for this.
832It is only included when Vim was compiled with "huge" features.
833{Vi does not have profiling}
834
835You can also use the |reltime()| function to measure time.  This only requires
836the |+reltime| feature, which is present more often.
837
838For profiling syntax highlighting see |:syntime|.
839
840For example, to profile the one_script.vim script file: >
841	:profile start /tmp/one_script_profile
842	:profile file one_script.vim
843	:source one_script.vim
844	:exit
845
846
847:prof[ile] start {fname}			*:prof* *:profile* *E750*
848		Start profiling, write the output in {fname} upon exit.
849		"~/" and environment variables in {fname} will be expanded.
850		If {fname} already exists it will be silently overwritten.
851		The variable |v:profiling| is set to one.
852
853:prof[ile] pause
854		Don't profile until the following ":profile continue".  Can be
855		used when doing something that should not be counted (e.g., an
856		external command).  Does not nest.
857
858:prof[ile] continue
859		Continue profiling after ":profile pause".
860
861:prof[ile] func {pattern}
862		Profile function that matches the pattern {pattern}.
863		See |:debug-name| for how {pattern} is used.
864
865:prof[ile][!] file {pattern}
866		Profile script file that matches the pattern {pattern}.
867		See |:debug-name| for how {pattern} is used.
868		This only profiles the script itself, not the functions
869		defined in it.
870		When the [!] is added then all functions defined in the script
871		will also be profiled.
872		Note that profiling only starts when the script is loaded
873		after this command.  A :profile command in the script itself
874		won't work.
875
876
877:profd[el] ...						*:profd* *:profdel*
878		Stop profiling for the arguments specified. See |:breakdel|
879		for the arguments.
880
881
882You must always start with a ":profile start fname" command.  The resulting
883file is written when Vim exits.  Here is an example of the output, with line
884numbers prepended for the explanation:
885
886  1 FUNCTION  Test2() ~
887  2 Called 1 time ~
888  3 Total time:   0.155251 ~
889  4  Self time:   0.002006 ~
890  5  ~
891  6 count  total (s)   self (s) ~
892  7	9	       0.000096   for i in range(8) ~
893  8	8   0.153655   0.000410     call Test3() ~
894  9	8	       0.000070   endfor ~
895 10				  " Ask a question ~
896 11	1	       0.001341   echo input("give me an answer: ") ~
897
898The header (lines 1-4) gives the time for the whole function.  The "Total"
899time is the time passed while the function was executing.  The "Self" time is
900the "Total" time reduced by time spent in:
901- other user defined functions
902- sourced scripts
903- executed autocommands
904- external (shell) commands
905
906Lines 7-11 show the time spent in each executed line.  Lines that are not
907executed do not count.  Thus a comment line is never counted.
908
909The Count column shows how many times a line was executed.  Note that the
910"for" command in line 7 is executed one more time as the following lines.
911That is because the line is also executed to detect the end of the loop.
912
913The time Vim spends waiting for user input isn't counted at all.  Thus how
914long you take to respond to the input() prompt is irrelevant.
915
916Profiling should give a good indication of where time is spent, but keep in
917mind there are various things that may clobber the results:
918
919- The accuracy of the time measured depends on the gettimeofday() system
920  function.  It may only be as accurate as 1/100 second, even though the times
921  are displayed in micro seconds.
922
923- Real elapsed time is measured, if other processes are busy they may cause
924  delays at unpredictable moments.  You may want to run the profiling several
925  times and use the lowest results.
926
927- If you have several commands in one line you only get one time.  Split the
928  line to see the time for the individual commands.
929
930- The time of the lines added up is mostly less than the time of the whole
931  function.  There is some overhead in between.
932
933- Functions that are deleted before Vim exits will not produce profiling
934  information.  You can check the |v:profiling| variable if needed: >
935	:if !v:profiling
936	:   delfunc MyFunc
937	:endif
938<
939- Profiling may give weird results on multi-processor systems, when sleep
940  mode kicks in or the processor frequency is reduced to save power.
941
942- The "self" time is wrong when a function is used recursively.
943
944
945 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
946