path: root/runtime/doc/repeat.txt

*repeat.txt*    For Vim version 9.1.  Last change: 2024 Jun 20


		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Bram Moolenaar


Repeating commands, Vim scripts and debugging			*repeating*

Chapter 26 of the user manual introduces repeating |usr_26.txt|.

1. Single repeats		|single-repeat|
2. Multiple repeats		|multi-repeat|
3. Complex repeats		|complex-repeat|
4. Using Vim scripts		|using-scripts|
5. Using Vim packages		|packages|
6. Creating Vim packages	|package-create|
7. Debugging scripts		|debug-scripts|
8. Profiling			|profiling|

==============================================================================
1. Single repeats					*single-repeat*

							*.*
.			Repeat last change, with count replaced with [count].
			Also repeat a yank command, when the 'y' flag is
			included in 'cpoptions'.  Does not repeat a
			command-line command.

Simple changes can be repeated with the "." command.  Without a count, the
count of the last change is used.  If you enter a count, it will replace the
last one.  |v:count| and |v:count1| will be set.

If the last change included a specification of a numbered register, the
register number will be incremented.  See |redo-register| for an example how
to use this.

Note that when repeating a command that used a Visual selection, the same SIZE
of area is used, see |visual-repeat|.

							*@:*
@:			Repeat last command-line [count] times.
			{not available when compiled without the
			|+cmdline_hist| feature}


==============================================================================
2. Multiple repeats					*multi-repeat*

						*:g* *:global* *E148*
:[range]g[lobal]/{pattern}/[cmd]
			Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
			lines within [range] where {pattern} matches.

:[range]g[lobal]!/{pattern}/[cmd]
			Execute the Ex command [cmd] (default ":p") on the
			lines within [range] where {pattern} does NOT match.

							*:v* *:vglobal*
:[range]v[global]/{pattern}/[cmd]
			Same as :g!.

Example: >
	:g/^Obsolete/d _
Using the underscore after `:d` avoids clobbering registers or the clipboard.
This also makes it faster.

Instead of the '/' which surrounds the {pattern}, you can use any other
single byte character, but not an alphabetic character, '\', '"', '|' or '!'.
This is useful if you want to include a '/' in the search pattern or
replacement string.

For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|.

NOTE [cmd] may contain a range; see |collapse| and |edit-paragraph-join| for
examples.

The global commands work by first scanning through the [range] lines and
marking each line where a match occurs (for a multi-line pattern, only the
start of the match matters).
In a second scan the [cmd] is executed for each marked line, as if the cursor
was in that line.  For ":v" and ":g!" the command is executed for each not
marked line.  If a line is deleted its mark disappears.
The default for [range] is the whole buffer (1,$).  Use "CTRL-C" to interrupt
the command.  If an error message is given for a line, the command for that
line is aborted and the global command continues with the next marked or
unmarked line.
								*E147*
When the command is used recursively, it only works on one line.  Giving a
range is then not allowed. This is useful to find all lines that match a
pattern and do not match another pattern: >
	:g/found/v/notfound/{cmd}
This first finds all lines containing "found", but only executes {cmd} when
there is no match for "notfound".

Any Ex command can be used, see |ex-cmd-index|.  To execute a Normal mode
command, you can use the `:normal` command: >
	:g/pat/normal {commands}
Make sure that {commands} ends with a whole command, otherwise Vim will wait
for you to type the rest of the command for each match.  The screen will not
have been updated, so you don't know what you are doing.  See |:normal|.

The undo/redo command will undo/redo the whole global command at once.
The previous context mark will only be set once (with "''" you go back to
where the cursor was before the global command).

The global command sets both the last used search pattern and the last used
substitute pattern (this is vi compatible).  This makes it easy to globally
replace a string:
	:g/pat/s//PAT/g
This replaces all occurrences of "pat" with "PAT".  The same can be done with:
	:%s/pat/PAT/g
Which is two characters shorter!

When using "global" in Ex mode, a special case is using ":visual" as a
command.  This will move to a matching line, go to Normal mode to let you
execute commands there until you use |Q| to return to Ex mode.  This will be
repeated for each matching line.  While doing this you cannot use ":global".
To abort this type CTRL-C twice.

==============================================================================
3. Complex repeats					*complex-repeat*

							*q* *recording*
q{0-9a-zA-Z"}		Record typed characters into register {0-9a-zA-Z"}
			(uppercase to append).  The 'q' command is disabled
			while executing a register, and it doesn't work inside
			a mapping and |:normal|.

			Note: If the register being used for recording is also
			used for |y| and |p| the result is most likely not
			what is expected, because the put will paste the
			recorded macro and the yank will overwrite the
			recorded macro.

			Note: The recording happens while you type, replaying
			the register happens as if the keys come from a
			mapping.  This matters, for example, for undo, which
			only syncs when commands were typed.

q			Stops recording.  (Implementation note: The 'q' that
			stops recording is not stored in the register, unless
			it was the result of a mapping)

							*@*
@{0-9a-z".=*+}		Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} [count]
			times.  Note that register '%' (name of the current
			file) and '#' (name of the alternate file) cannot be
			used.
			The register is executed like a mapping, that means
			that the difference between 'wildchar' and 'wildcharm'
			applies, and undo might not be synced in the same way.
			For "@=" you are prompted to enter an expression.  The
			result of the expression is then executed.
			See also |@:|.

							*@@* *E748*
@@			Repeat the previous @{0-9a-z":*} [count] times.

								*:@*
:[addr]@{0-9a-z".=*+}	Execute the contents of register {0-9a-z".=*+} as an Ex
			command.  First set cursor at line [addr] (default is
			current line).  When the last line in the register does
			not have a <CR> it will be added automatically when
			the 'e' flag is present in 'cpoptions'.
			For ":@=" the last used expression is used.  The
			result of evaluating the expression is executed as an
			Ex command.
			Mappings are not recognized in these commands.
			When the |line-continuation| character (\) is present
			at the beginning of a line in a linewise register,
			then it is combined with the previous line. This is
			useful for yanking and executing parts of a Vim
			script.
			Future: Will execute the register for each line in the
			address range.

:[addr]*{0-9a-z".=+}					*:star-compatible*
			When '*' is present in 'cpoptions' |cpo-star|, use
			":*" in the same way as ":@".  This is NOT the default
			when 'nocompatible' is used.  When the '*' flag is not
			present in 'cpoptions', ":*" is an alias for ":'<,'>",
			select the Visual area |:star|.

							*:@:*
:[addr]@:		Repeat last command-line.  First set cursor at line
			[addr] (default is current line).

:[addr]@							*:@@*
:[addr]@@		Repeat the previous :@{register}.  First set cursor at
			line [addr] (default is current line).

==============================================================================
4. Using Vim scripts					*using-scripts*

For writing a Vim script, see chapter 41 of the user manual |usr_41.txt|.

					*:so* *:source* *load-vim-script*
:so[urce] {file}	Read Ex commands from {file}.  These are commands that
			start with a ":".
			Triggers the |SourcePre| autocommand.
							*:source-range*
:[range]so[urce] [++clear]
			Read Ex commands from the [range] of lines in the
			current buffer.  When [range] is omitted read all
			lines.

			When sourcing commands from the current buffer, the
			same script-ID |<SID>| is used even if the buffer is
			sourced multiple times. If a buffer is sourced more
			than once, then the functions in the buffer are
			defined again.

			To source a range of lines that doesn't start with the
			|:vim9script| command in Vim9 script context, the
			|:vim9cmd| modifier can be used.  If you use a Visual
			selection and type ":", the range in the form "'<,'>"
			can come before it: >
				:'<,'>vim9cmd source
<			Otherwise the range goes after the modifier and must
			have a colon prefixed, like all Vim9 ranges: >
				:vim9cmd :5,9source

<			When a range of lines in a buffer is sourced in the
			Vim9 script context, the previously defined
			script-local variables and functions are not cleared.
			This works like the range started with the
			":vim9script noclear" command.  The "++clear" argument
			can be used to clear the script-local variables and
			functions before sourcing the script. This works like
			the range started with the `:vim9script` command
			without the "noclear" argument. See |vim9-reload| for
			more information.
			Examples: >
				:4,5source
				:10,18source ++clear
<
							*:source!*
:so[urce]! {file}	Read Vim commands from {file}.  These are commands
			that are executed from Normal mode, like you type
			them.
			When used after |:global|, |:argdo|, |:windo|,
			|:bufdo|, in a loop or when another command follows
			the display won't be updated while executing the
			commands.
			Cannot be used in the |sandbox|.

							*:ru* *:runtime*
:ru[ntime][!] [where] {file} ..
			Read Ex commands from {file} in each directory given
			by 'runtimepath' and/or 'packpath'.  There is no error
			for non-existing files.

			Example: >
				:runtime syntax/c.vim

<			There can be multiple {file} arguments, separated by
			spaces.  Each {file} is searched for in the first
			directory from 'runtimepath', then in the second
			directory, etc.  Use a backslash to include a space
			inside {file} (although it's better not to use spaces
			in file names, it causes trouble).

			When [!] is included, all found files are sourced.
			When it is not included only the first found file is
			sourced.

			When [where] is omitted only 'runtimepath' is used.
			Other values:
				START	search under "start" in 'packpath'
				OPT	search under "opt" in 'packpath'
				PACK	search under "start" and "opt" in
					'packpath'
				ALL	first use 'runtimepath', then search
					under "start" and "opt" in 'packpath'

			When {file} contains wildcards it is expanded to all
			matching files.  Example: >
				:runtime! plugin/**/*.vim
<			This is what Vim uses to load the plugin files when
			starting up.  This similar command: >
				:runtime plugin/**/*.vim
<			would source the first file only.

			When 'verbose' is one or higher, there is a message
			when no file could be found.
			When 'verbose' is two or higher, there is a message
			about each searched file.

							*:pa* *:packadd* *E919*
:pa[ckadd][!] {name}	Search for an optional plugin directory in 'packpath'
			and source any plugin files found.  The directory must
			match:
				pack/*/opt/{name} ~
			The directory is added to 'runtimepath' if it wasn't
			there yet.
			If the directory pack/*/opt/{name}/after exists it is
			added at the end of 'runtimepath'.

			If loading packages from "pack/*/start" was skipped,
			then this directory is searched first:
				pack/*/start/{name} ~

			Note that {name} is the directory name, not the name
			of the .vim file.  All the files matching the pattern
				pack/*/opt/{name}/plugin/**/*.vim ~
			will be sourced.  This allows for using subdirectories
			below "plugin", just like with plugins in
			'runtimepath'.

			If the filetype detection was not enabled yet (this
			is usually done with a `syntax enable` or `filetype on`
			command in your .vimrc file), this will also look
			for "{name}/ftdetect/*.vim" files.

			When the optional ! is added no plugin files or
			ftdetect scripts are loaded, only the matching
			directories are added to 'runtimepath'.  This is
			useful in your .vimrc.  The plugins will then be
			loaded during initialization, see |load-plugins| (note
			that the loading order will be reversed, because each
			directory is inserted before others).
			Note that for ftdetect scripts to be loaded
			you will need to write `filetype plugin indent on`
			AFTER all `packadd!` commands.

			Also see |pack-add|.
			{only available when compiled with |+eval|}

						*:packl* *:packloadall*
:packl[oadall][!]	Load all packages in the "start" directory under each
			entry in 'packpath'.

			First all the directories found are added to
			'runtimepath', then the plugins found in the
			directories are sourced.  This allows for a plugin to
			depend on something of another plugin, e.g. an
			"autoload" directory.  See |packload-two-steps| for
			how this can be useful.

			This is normally done automatically during startup,
			after loading your .vimrc file.  With this command it
			can be done earlier.

			Packages will be loaded only once.  Using
			`:packloadall` a second time will have no effect.
			When the optional ! is added this command will load
			packages even when done before.

			Note that when using `:packloadall` in the |vimrc|
			file, the 'runtimepath' option is updated, and later
			all plugins in 'runtimepath' will be loaded, which
			means they are loaded again.  Plugins are expected to
			handle that.

			An error only causes sourcing the script where it
			happens to be aborted, further plugins will be loaded.
			See |packages|.
			{only available when compiled with |+eval|}

:scripte[ncoding] [encoding]		*:scripte* *:scriptencoding* *E167*
			Specify the character encoding used in the script.
			The following lines will be converted from [encoding]
			to the value of the 'encoding' option, if they are
			different.  Examples: >
				scriptencoding iso-8859-5
				scriptencoding cp932
<
			When [encoding] is empty, no conversion is done.  This
			can be used to restrict conversion to a sequence of
			lines: >
				scriptencoding euc-jp
				... lines to be converted ...
				scripte