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- VIM(1) VIM(1)
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- NAME
- vim - Vi IMproved, a programmers text editor
-
- SYNOPSIS
- vim [options] [file ..]
- vim [options] -
- vim [options] -t tag
- vim [options] -q [errorfile]
-
- ex
- view
- gvim gview
- rvim rview rgvim rgview
-
- DESCRIPTION
- Vim is a text editor that is upwards compatible to Vi. It
- can be used to edit any ASCII text. It is especially use-
- ful for editing programs.
-
- There are a lot of enhancements above Vi: multi level
- undo, multi windows and buffers, syntax highlighting, com-
- mand line editing, filename completion, on-line help,
- visual selection, etc.. See ":help vi_diff.txt" for a
- summary of the differences between Vim and Vi.
-
- While running Vim a lot of help can be obtained from the
- on-line help system, with the ":help" command. See the
- ON-LINE HELP section below.
-
- Most often Vim is started to edit a single file with the
- command
-
- vim file
-
- More generally Vim is started with:
-
- vim [options] [filelist]
-
- If the filelist is missing, the editor will start with an
- empty buffer. Otherwise exactly one out of the following
- four may be used to choose one or more files to be edited.
-
- file .. A list of filenames. The first one will be
- the current file and read into the buffer.
- The cursor will be positioned on the first
- line of the buffer. You can get to the other
- files with the ":next" command. To edit a
- file that starts with a dash, precede the
- filelist with "--".
-
- - The file to edit is read from stdin. Commands
- are read from stderr, which should be a tty.
-
- -t {tag} The file to edit and the initial cursor
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- position depends on a "tag", a sort of goto
- label. {tag} is looked up in the tags file,
- the associated file becomes the current file
- and the associated command is executed.
- Mostly this is used for C programs, in which
- case {tag} could be a function name. The
- effect is that the file containing that func-
- tion becomes the current file and the cursor
- is positioned on the start of the function.
- See ":help tag-commands".
-
- -q [errorfile]
- Start in quickFix mode. The file [errorfile]
- is read and the first error is displayed. If
- [errorfile] is omitted, the filename is
- obtained from the 'errorfile' option (defaults
- to "AztecC.Err" for the Amiga, "errors.vim" on
- other systems). Further errors can be jumped
- to with the ":cn" command. See ":help quick-
- fix".
-
- Vim behaves differently, depending on the name of the com-
- mand (the executable may still be the same file).
-
- vim The "normal" way, everything is default.
-
- ex Start in Ex mode. Go to Normal mode with the
- ":vi" command. Can also be done with the "-e"
- argument.
-
- view Start in read-only mode. You will be protected
- from writing the files. Can also be done with
- the "-R" argument.
-
- gvim gview
- The GUI version. Starts a new window. Can also
- be done with the "-g" argument.
-
- rvim rview rgvim rgview
- Like the above, but with restrictions. It will
- not be possible to start shell commands, or sus-
- pend Vim. Can also be done with the "-Z" argu-
- ment.
-
- OPTIONS
- The options may be given in any order, before or after
- filenames. Options without an argument can be combined
- after a single dash.
-
- +[num] For the first file the cursor will be posi-
- tioned on line "num". If "num" is missing,
- the cursor will be positioned on the last
- line.
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- +/{pat} For the first file the cursor will be posi-
- tioned on the first occurrence of {pat}. See
- ":help search-pattern" for the available
- search patterns.
-
- +{command}
-
- -c {command}
- {command} will be executed after the first
- file has been read. {command} is interpreted
- as an Ex command. If the {command} contains
- spaces it must be enclosed in double quotes
- (this depends on the shell that is used).
- Example: Vim "+set si" main.c
- Note: You can use up to 10 "+" or "-c" com-
- mands.
-
- --cmd {command}
- Like using "-c", but the command is executed
- just before processing any vimrc file. You
- can use up to 10 of these commands, indepen-
- dently from "-c" commands.
-
- -b Binary mode. A few options will be set that
- makes it possible to edit a binary or exe-
- cutable file.
-
- -C Compatible. Set the 'compatible' option.
- This will make Vim behave mostly like Vi, even
- though a .vimrc file exists.
-
- -d Start in diff mode. There should be two or
- three file name arguments. Vim will open all
- the files and show differences between them.
- Works like vimdiff(1).
-
- -d {device} Open {device} for use as a terminal. Only on
- the Amiga. Example: "-d con:20/30/600/150".
-
- -e Start Vim in Ex mode, just like the executable
- was called "ex".
-
- -f Foreground. For the GUI version, Vim will not
- fork and detach from the shell it was started
- in. On the Amiga, Vim is not restarted to
- open a new window. This option should be used
- when Vim is executed by a program that will
- wait for the edit session to finish (e.g.
- mail). On the Amiga the ":sh" and ":!" com-
- mands will not work.
-
- -F If Vim has been compiled with FKMAP support
- for editing right-to-left oriented files and
- Farsi keyboard mapping, this option starts Vim
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- in Farsi mode, i.e. 'fkmap' and 'rightleft'
- are set. Otherwise an error message is given
- and Vim aborts.
-
- -g If Vim has been compiled with GUI support,
- this option enables the GUI. If no GUI sup-
- port was compiled in, an error message is
- given and Vim aborts.
-
- -h Give a bit of help about the command line
- arguments and options. After this Vim exits.
-
- -H If Vim has been compiled with RIGHTLEFT sup-
- port for editing right-to-left oriented files
- and Hebrew keyboard mapping, this option
- starts Vim in Hebrew mode, i.e. 'hkmap' and
- 'rightleft' are set. Otherwise an error mes-
- sage is given and Vim aborts.
-
- -i {viminfo}
- When using the viminfo file is enabled, this
- option sets the filename to use, instead of
- the default "~/.viminfo". This can also be
- used to skip the use of the .viminfo file, by
- giving the name "NONE".
-
- -L Same as -r.
-
- -l Lisp mode. Sets the 'lisp' and 'showmatch'
- options on.
-
- -m Modifying files is disabled. Resets the
- 'write' option, so that writing files is not
- possible.
-
- -N No-compatible mode. Reset the 'compatible'
- option. This will make Vim behave a bit bet-
- ter, but less Vi compatible, even though a
- .vimrc file does not exist.
-
- -n No swap file will be used. Recovery after a
- crash will be impossible. Handy if you want
- to edit a file on a very slow medium (e.g.
- floppy). Can also be done with ":set uc=0".
- Can be undone with ":set uc=200".
-
- -o[N] Open N windows. When N is omitted, open one
- window for each file.
-
- -R Read-only mode. The 'readonly' option will be
- set. You can still edit the buffer, but will
- be prevented from accidently overwriting a
- file. If you do want to overwrite a file, add
- an exclamation mark to the Ex command, as in
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- ":w!". The -R option also implies the -n
- option (see below). The 'readonly' option can
- be reset with ":set noro". See ":help 'read-
- only'".
-
- -r List swap files, with information about using
- them for recovery.
-
- -r {file} Recovery mode. The swap file is used to
- recover a crashed editing session. The swap
- file is a file with the same filename as the
- text file with ".swp" appended. See ":help
- recovery".
-
- -s Silent mode. Only when started as "Ex" or
- when the "-e" option was given before the "-s"
- option.
-
- -s {scriptin}
- The script file {scriptin} is read. The char-
- acters in the file are interpreted as if you
- had typed them. The same can be done with the
- command ":source! {scriptin}". If the end of
- the file is reached before the editor exits,
- further characters are read from the keyboard.
-
- -T {terminal}
- Tells Vim the name of the terminal you are
- using. Only required when the automatic way
- doesn't work. Should be a terminal known to
- Vim (builtin) or defined in the termcap or
- terminfo file.
-
- -u {vimrc} Use the commands in the file {vimrc} for ini-
- tializations. All the other initializations
- are skipped. Use this to edit a special kind
- of files. It can also be used to skip all
- initializations by giving the name "NONE".
- See ":help initialization" within vim for more
- details.
-
- -U {gvimrc} Use the commands in the file {gvimrc} for GUI
- initializations. All the other GUI initial-
- izations are skipped. It can also be used to
- skip all GUI initializations by giving the
- name "NONE". See ":help gui-init" within vim
- for more details.
-
- -V Verbose. Give messages about which files are
- sourced and for reading and writing a viminfo
- file.
-
- -v Start Vim in Vi mode, just like the executable
- was called "vi". This only has effect when
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- the executable is called "ex".
-
- -w {scriptout}
- All the characters that you type are recorded
- in the file {scriptout}, until you exit Vim.
- This is useful if you want to create a script
- file to be used with "vim -s" or ":source!".
- If the {scriptout} file exists, characters are
- appended.
-
- -W {scriptout}
- Like -w, but an existing file is overwritten.
-
- -x Use encryption when writing files. Will
- prompt for a crypt key.
-
- -Z Restricted mode. Works like the executable
- starts with "r".
-
- -- Denotes the end of the options. Arguments
- after this will be handled as a file name.
- This can be used to edit a filename that
- starts with a '-'.
-
- --help Give a help message and exit, just like "-h".
-
- --remote Connect to a Vim server and make it edit the
- files given in the rest of the arguments.
-
- --serverlist
- List the names of all Vim servers that can be
- found.
-
- --servername {name}
- Use {name} as the server name. Used for the
- current Vim, unless used with a --serversend
- or --remote, then it's the name of the server
- to connect to.
-
- --serversend {keys}
- Connect to a Vim server and send {keys} to it.
-
- --version Print version information and exit.
-
- ON-LINE HELP
- Type ":help" in Vim to get started. Type ":help subject"
- to get help on a specific subject. For example: ":help
- ZZ" to get help for the "ZZ" command. Use <Tab> and CTRL-
- D to complete subjects (":help cmdline-completion"). Tags
- are present to jump from one place to another (sort of
- hypertext links, see ":help"). All documentation files
- can be viewed in this way, for example ":help syntax.txt".
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- FILES
- /usr/local/lib/vim/doc/*.txt
- The Vim documentation files. Use ":help
- doc-file-list" to get the complete list.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/doc/tags
- The tags file used for finding information
- in the documentation files.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/syntax/syntax.vim
- System wide syntax initializations.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/syntax/*.vim
- Syntax files for various languages.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/vimrc
- System wide Vim initializations.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/gvimrc
- System wide gvim initializations.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/optwin.vim
- Script used for the ":options" command, a
- nice way to view and set options.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/menu.vim
- System wide menu initializations for gvim.
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/bugreport.vim
- Script to generate a bug report. See
- ":help bugs".
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/filetype.vim
- Script to detect the type of a file by its
- name. See ":help 'filetype'".
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/scripts.vim
- Script to detect the type of a file by its
- contents. See ":help 'filetype'".
-
- /usr/local/lib/vim/*.ps
- Files used for PostScript printing.
-
- For recent info read the VIM home page:
- <URL:http://www.vim.org/>
-
- SEE ALSO
- vimtutor(1)
-
- AUTHOR
- Most of Vim was made by Bram Moolenaar, with a lot of help
- from others. See ":help credits" in Vim.
- Vim is based on Stevie, worked on by: Tim Thompson, Tony
- Andrews and G.R. (Fred) Walter. Although hardly any of
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- the original code remains.
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- BUGS
- Probably. See ":help todo" for a list of known problems.
-
- Note that a number of things that may be regarded as bugs
- by some, are in fact caused by a too-faithful reproduction
- of Vi's behaviour. And if you think other things are bugs
- "because Vi does it differently", you should take a closer
- look at the vi_diff.txt file (or type :help vi_diff.txt
- when in Vim). Also have a look at the 'compatible' and
- 'cpoptions' options.
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