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1 README for the Vim source code
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2
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3 Here are a few hints for finding your way around the source code. This
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4 doesn't make it less complex than it is, but it gets you started.
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5
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6 You might also want to read ":help development".
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7
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8
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9 JUMPING AROUND
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10
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11 First of all, use ":make tags" to generate a tags file, so that you can use
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12 the ":tag" command to jump around the source code.
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13
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14 To jump to a function or variable definition, move the cursor on the name and
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15 use the CTRL-] command. Use CTRL-T or CTRL-O to jump back.
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16
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17 To jump to a file, move the cursor on its name and use the "gf" command.
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18
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19 Most code can be found in a file with an obvious name (incomplete list):
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20 buffer.c manipulating buffers (loaded files)
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21 diff.c diff mode (vimdiff)
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22 eval.c expression evaluation
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23 fileio.c reading and writing files
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24 fold.c folding
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25 getchar.c getting characters and key mapping
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26 mark.c marks
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27 mbyte.c multy-byte character handling
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28 memfile.c storing lines for buffers in a swapfile
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29 memline.c storing lines for buffers in memory
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30 menu.c menus
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31 message.c (error) messages
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32 ops.c handling operators ("d", "y", "p")
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33 option.c options
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34 quickfix.c quickfix commands (":make", ":cn")
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35 regexp.c pattern matching
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36 screen.c updating the windows
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37 search.c pattern searching
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38 spell.c spell checking
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39 syntax.c syntax and other highlighting
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40 tag.c tags
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41 term.c terminal handling, termcap codes
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42 undo.c undo and redo
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43 window.c handling split windows
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44
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45
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46 IMPORTANT VARIABLES
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47
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48 The current mode is stored in "State". The values it can have are NORMAL,
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49 INSERT, CMDLINE, and a few others.
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50
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51 The current window is "curwin". The current buffer is "curbuf". These point
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52 to structures with the cursor position in the window, option values, the file
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53 name, etc. These are defined in structs.h.
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54
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55 All the global variables are declared in globals.h.
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56
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57
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58 THE MAIN LOOP
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59
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60 This is conveniently called main_loop(). It updates a few things and then
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61 calls normal_cmd() to process a command. This returns when the command is
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62 finished.
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63
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64 The basic idea is that Vim waits for the user to type a character and
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65 processes it until another character is needed. Thus there are several places
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66 where Vim waits for a character to be typed. The vgetc() function is used for
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67 this. It also handles mapping.
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68
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69 Updating the screen is mostly postponed until a command or a sequence of
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70 commands has finished. The work is done by update_screen(), which calls
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71 win_update() for every window, which calls win_line() for every line.
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72 See the start of screen.c for more explanations.
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73
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74
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75 COMMAND-LINE MODE
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76
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77 When typing a ":", normal_cmd() will call getcmdline() to obtain a line with
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78 an Ex command. getcmdline() contains a loop that will handle each typed
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79 character. It returns when hitting <CR> or <Esc> or some other character that
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80 ends the command line mode.
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81
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82
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83 EX COMMANDS
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84
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85 Ex commands are handled by the function do_cmdline(). It does the generic
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86 parsing of the ":" command line and calls do_one_cmd() for each separate
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87 command. It also takes care of while loops.
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88
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89 do_one_cmd() parses the range and generic arguments and puts them in the
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90 exarg_t and passes it to the function that handles the command.
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91
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92 The ":" commands are listed in ex_cmds.h. The third entry of each item is the
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93 name of the function that handles the command. The last entry are the flags
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94 that are used for the command.
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95
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96
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97 NORMAL MODE COMMANDS
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98
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99 The Normal mode commands are handled by the normal_cmd() function. It also
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100 handles the optional count and an extra character for some commands. These
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101 are passed in a cmdarg_t to the function that handles the command.
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102
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103 There is a table nv_cmds in normal.c which lists the first character of every
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104 command. The second entry of each item is the name of the function that
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105 handles the command.
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106
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107
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108 INSERT MODE COMMANDS
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109
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110 When doing an "i" or "a" command, normal_cmd() will call the edit() function.
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111 It contains a loop that waits for the next character and handles it. It
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112 returns when leaving Insert mode.
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113
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114
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115 OPTIONS
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116
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117 There is a list with all option names in option.c, called options[].
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118
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119
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120 THE GUI
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121
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122 Most of the GUI code is implemented like it was a clever terminal. Typing a
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123 character, moving a scrollbar, clicking the mouse, etc. are all translated
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124 into events which are written in the input buffer. These are read by the
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125 main code, just like reading from a terminal. The code for this is scattered
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126 through gui.c. For example: gui_send_mouse_event() for a mouse click and
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127 gui_menu_cb() for a menu action. Key hits are handled by the system-specific
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128 GUI code, which calls add_to_input_buf() to send the key code.
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129
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130 Updating the GUI window is done by writing codes in the output buffer, just
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131 like writing to a terminal. When the buffer gets full or is flushed,
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132 gui_write() will parse the codes and draw the appropriate items. Finally the
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133 system-specific GUI code will be called to do the work.
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134
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135
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136 DEBUGGING THE GUI
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137
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138 Remember to prevent that gvim forks and the debugger thinks Vim has exited,
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139 add the "-f" argument. In gdb: "run -f -g".
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140
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141 When stepping through display updating code, the focus event is triggerred
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142 when going from the debugger to Vim and back. To avoid this, recompile with
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143 some code in gui_focus_change() disabled.
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