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1 *remote.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2003 Nov 10
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4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
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6
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7 Vim client-server communication *client-server*
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8
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9 1. Common functionality |clientserver|
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10 2. X11 specific items |x11-clientserver|
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11 3. MS-Windows specific items |w32-clientserver|
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12
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13 {Vi does not have any of these commands}
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14
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15 ==============================================================================
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16 1. Common functionality *clientserver*
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17
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18 When compiled with the |+clientserver| option, Vim can act as a command
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19 server. It accepts messages from a client and executes them. At the same
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20 time, Vim can function as a client and send commands to a Vim server.
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21
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22 The following command line arguments are available:
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23
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24 argument meaning ~
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25
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26 --remote [+{cmd}] {file} ... *--remote*
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27 Open the file list in a remote Vim. When
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28 there is no Vim server, execute locally.
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29 There is one optional init command: +{cmd}.
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30 This must be an Ex command that can be
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31 followed by "|".
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32 The rest of the command line is taken as the
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33 file list. Thus any non-file arguments must
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34 come before this.
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35 You cannot edit stdin this way |--|.
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36 The remote Vim is raised. If you don't want
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37 this use >
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38 vim --remote-send "<C-\><C-N>:n filename<CR>"
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39 < --remote-silent [+{cmd}] {file} ... *--remote-silent*
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40 As above, but don't complain if there is no
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41 server and the file is edited locally.
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42 --remote-wait [+{cmd}] {file} ... *--remote-wait*
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43 As --remote, but wait for files to complete
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44 (unload) in remote Vim.
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45 --remote-wait-silent [+{cmd}] {file} ... *--remote-wait-silent*
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46 As --remote-wait, but don't complain if there
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47 is no server.
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48 *--servername*
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49 --servername {name} Become the server {name}. When used together
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50 with one of the --remote commands: connect to
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51 server {name} instead of the default (see
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52 below).
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53 *--remote-send*
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54 --remote-send {keys} Send {keys} to server and exit.
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55 *--remote-expr*
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56 --remote-expr {expr} Evaluate {expr} in server and
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57 print the result on stdout.
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58 *--serverlist*
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59 --serverlist Output a list of server names.
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60
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61
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62 Examples ~
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63
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64 Edit "file.txt" in an already running GVIM server: >
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65 gvim --remote file.txt
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66
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67 Edit "file.txt" in an already running server called FOOBAR: >
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68 gvim --servername FOOBAR --remote file.txt
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69
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70 Edit "file.txt" in server "FILES" if it exists, become server "FILES"
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71 otherwise: >
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72 gvim --servername FILES --remote-silent file.txt
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73
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74 This doesn't work, all arguments after --remote will be used as file names: >
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75 gvim --remote --servername FOOBAR file.txt
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76
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77 Edit file "+foo" in a remote server (note the use of "./" to avoid the special
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78 meaning of the leading plus): >
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79 vim --remote ./+foo
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80
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81 Tell the remote server "BLA" to write all files and exit: >
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82 vim --servername BLA --remote-send '<C-\><C-N>:wqa<CR>'
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83
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84
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85 SERVER NAME
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86
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87 By default Vim will try to register the name under which it was invoked (gvim,
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88 egvim ...). This can be overridden with the --servername argument. If the
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89 specified name is not available, a postfix is applied until a free name is
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90 encountered, ie. "gvim1" for the second invocation of gvim on a particular
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91 X-server. The resulting name is available in the servername builtin variable
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92 |v:servername|. The case of the server name is ignored, thus "gvim" and
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93 "GVIM" are considered equal.
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94
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95 When Vim is invoked with --remote, --remote-wait or --remote-send it will try
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96 to locate the server name determined by the invocation name and --servername
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97 argument as described above. If an exact match is not available, the first
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98 server with the number postfix will be used. If a name with the number
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99 postfix is specified with the --servername argument, it must match exactly.
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100
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101 If no server can be located and --remote or --remote-wait was used, Vim will
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102 start up according to the rest of the command line and do the editing by
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103 itself. This way it is not necessary to know whether gvim is already started
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104 when sending command to it.
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105
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106 The --serverlist argument will cause Vim to print a list of registered command
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107 servers on the standard output (stdout) and exit.
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108
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109 Win32 Note: Making the Vim server go to the foreground doesn't always work,
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110 because MS-Windows doesn't allow it. The client will move the server to the
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111 foreground when using the --remote or --remote-wait argument and the server
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112 name starts with "g".
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113
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114
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115 REMOTE EDITING
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116
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117 The --remote argument will cause a |:drop| command to be constructed from the
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118 rest of the command line and sent as described above.
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119 The --remote-wait argument does the same thing and additionally sets up to
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120 wait for each of the files to have been edited. This uses the BufUnload
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121 event, thus as soon as a file has been unloaded, Vim assumes you are done
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122 editing it.
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123 Note that the --remote and --remote-wait arguments will consume the rest of
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124 the command line. Ie. all remaining arguments will be regarded as filenames.
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125 You can not put options there!
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126
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127
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128 FUNCTIONS
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129 *E240* *E573*
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130 There are a number of Vim functions for scripting the command server. See
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131 the description in |eval.txt| or use CTRL-] on the function name to jump to
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132 the full explanation.
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133
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134 synopsis explanation ~
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135 remote_expr( server, string, idvar) send expression
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136 remote_send( server, string, idvar) send key sequence
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137 serverlist() get a list of available servers
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138 remote_peek( serverid, retvar) check for reply string
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139 remote_read( serverid) read reply string
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140 server2client( serverid, string) send reply string
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141 remote_foreground( server) bring server to the front
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142
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143 See also the explanation of |CTRL-\_CTRL-N|. Very useful as a leading key
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144 sequence.
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145 The {serverid} for server2client() can be obtained with expand("<client>")
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146
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147 ==============================================================================
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148 2. X11 specific items *x11-clientserver*
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149 *E247* *E248* *E251* *E258* *E277*
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150
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151 The communication between client and server goes through the X server. The
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152 display of the Vim server must be specified. The usual protection of the X
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153 server is used, you must be able to open a window on the X server for the
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154 communication to work. It is possible to communicate between different
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155 systems.
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156
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157 By default, a GUI Vim will register a name on the X-server by which it can be
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158 addressed for subsequent execution of injected strings. Vim can also act as
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159 a client and send strings to other instances of Vim on the same X11 display.
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160
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161 When an X11 GUI Vim (gvim) is started, it will try to register a send-server
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162 name on the 'VimRegistry' property on the root window.
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163
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164 A non GUI Vim with access to the X11 display (|xterm-clipboard| enabled), can
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165 also act as a command server if a server name is explicitly given with the
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166 --servername argument.
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167
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168 An empty --servername argument will cause the command server to be disabled.
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169
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170 To send commands to a Vim server from another application, read the source
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171 file src/if_xcmdsrv.c, it contains some hints about the protocol used.
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172
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173 ==============================================================================
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174 3. Win32 specific items *w32-clientserver*
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175
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176 Every Win32 Vim can work as a server, also in the console. You do not need a
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177 version compiled with OLE. Windows messages are used, this works on any
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178 version of MS-Windows. But only communication within one system is possible.
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179
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180 Since MS-Windows messages are used, any other application should be able to
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181 communicate with a Vim server. An alternative is using the OLE functionality
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182 |ole-interface|.
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183
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184 When using gvim, the --remote-wait only works properly this way: >
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185
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186 start /w gvim --remote-wait file.txt
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187 <
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188 vim:tw=78:sw=4:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
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