Mercurial > vim

comparison runtime/doc/sign.txt @ 7:3fc0f57ecb91 v7.0001

Find changesets by keywords (author, files, the commit message), revision number or hash, or revset expression.
updated for version 7.0001
author vimboss
date Sun, 13 Jun 2004 20:20:40 +0000
parents
children 4707450c2b33
comparison
equal deleted inserted replaced
6:c2daee826b8f 7:3fc0f57ecb91
1 *sign.txt* For Vim version 7.0aa. Last change: 2004 May 22
2
3
4 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Gordon Prieur
5 and Bram Moolenaar
6
7
8 Sign Support Features *sign-support*
9
10 1. Introduction |sign-intro|
11 2. Commands |sign-commands|
12
13 {Vi does not have any of these features}
14 {only available when compiled with the |+signs| feature}
15
16 ==============================================================================
17 1. Introduction *sign-intro* *signs*
18
19 When a debugger or other IDE tool is driving an editor it needs to be able
20 to give specific highlights which quickly tell the user useful information
21 about the file. One example of this would be a debugger which had an icon
22 in the left-hand column denoting a breakpoint. Another example might be an
23 arrow representing the Program Counter (PC). The sign features allow both
24 placement of a sign, or icon, in the left-hand side of the window and
25 definition of a highlight which will be applied to that line. Displaying the
26 sign as an image is most likely only feasible in gvim (although Sun
27 Microsystem's dtterm does support this its the only terminal emulator I know
28 of which does). A text sign and the highlight should be feasible in any color
29 terminal emulator.
30
31 Signs and highlights are not useful just for debuggers. Sun's Visual
32 WorkShop uses signs and highlights to mark build errors and SourceBrowser
33 hits. Additionally, the debugger supports 8 to 10 different signs and
34 highlight colors. |workshop| Same for Netbeans |netbeans|.
35
36 There are two steps in using signs:
37
38 1. Define the sign. This specifies the image, text and highlighting. For
39 example, you can define a "break" sign with an image of a stop roadsign and
40 text "!!".
41
42 2. Place the sign. This specifies the file and line number where the sign is
43 displayed. A defined sign can be placed several times in different lines
44 and files.
45
46 When signs are defined for a file, Vim will automatically add a column of two
47 characters to display them in. When the last sign is unplaced the column
48 disappears again. The color of the column is set with the SignColumn group
49 |hl-SignColumn|. Example to set the color: >
50
51 :highlight SignColumn guibg=darkgrey
52
53 ==============================================================================
54 2. Commands *sign-commands* *:sig* *:sign*
55
56 Here is an example that places a sign piet, displayed with the text ">>", in
57 line 23 of the current file: >
58 :sign define piet text=>> texthl=Search
59 :exe ":sign place 2 line=23 name=piet file=" . expand("%:p")
60
61 And here is the command to delete it again: >
62 :sign unplace 2
63
64 Note that the ":sign" command cannot be followed by another command or a
65 comment. If you do need that, use the |:execute| command.
66
67
68 DEFINING A SIGN. *:sign-define* *E255* *E160* *E612*
69
70 :sign define {name} {argument}...
71 Define a new sign or set attributes for an existing sign.
72 The {name} can either be a number (all digits) or a name
73 starting with a non-digit.
74 About 120 different signs can be defined.
75
76 Accepted arguments:
77
78 icon={pixmap}
79 Define the file name where the bitmap can be found. Should be
80 a full path. The bitmap should fit in the place of two
81 characters. This is not checked. If the bitmap is too big it
82 will cause redraw problems. Only GTK 2 can scale the bitmap
83 to fit the space available.
84 toolkit supports ~
85 GTK 1 pixmap (.xpm)
86 GTK 2 many
87 Motif pixmap (.xpm)
88
89 linehl={group}
90 Highlighting group used for the whole line the sign is placed
91 in. Most useful is defining a background color.
92
93 text={text} *E239*
94 Define the text that is displayed when there is no icon or the
95 GUI is not being used. Only printable characters are allowed
96 and they must occupy one or two display cells.
97
98 texthl={group}
99 Highlighting group used for the text item.
100
101
102 DELETING A SIGN *:sign-undefine* *E155*
103
104 :sign undefine {name}
105 Deletes a previously defined sign. If signs with this {name}
106 are still placed this will cause trouble.
107
108
109 LISTING SIGNS *:sign-list* *E156*
110
111 :sign list Lists all defined signs and their attributes.
112
113 :sign list {name}
114 Lists one defined sign and its attributes.
115
116
117 PLACING SIGNS *:sign-place* *E158*
118
119 :sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} file={fname}
120 Place sign defined as {name} at line {lnum} in file {fname}.
121 *:sign-fname*
122 The file {fname} must already be loaded in a buffer. The
123 exact file name must be used, wildcards, $ENV and ~ are not
124 expanded, white space must not be escaped. Trailing white
125 space is ignored.
126
127 The sign is remembered under {id}, this can be used for
128 further manipulation. {id} must be a number.
129 It's up to the user to make sure the {id} is used only once in
130 each file (if it's used several times unplacing will also have
131 to be done several times and making changes may not work as
132 expected).
133
134 :sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} buffer={nr}
135 Same, but use buffer {nr}.
136
137 :sign place {id} name={name} file={fname}
138 Change the placed sign {id} in file {fname} to use the defined
139 sign {name}. See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
140 This can be used to change the displayed sign without moving
141 it (e.g., when the debugger has stopped at a breakpoint).
142
143 :sign place {id} name={name} buffer={nr}
144 Same, but use buffer {nr}.
145
146
147 REMOVING SIGNS *:sign-unplace* *E159*
148
149 :sign unplace {id} file={fname}
150 Remove the previously placed sign {id} from file {fname}.
151 See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
152
153 :sign unplace {id} buffer={nr}
154 Same, but use buffer {nr}.
155
156 :sign unplace {id}
157 Remove the previously placed sign {id} from all files it
158 appears in.
159
160 :sign unplace *
161 Remove all placed signs.
162
163 :sign unplace
164 Remove the placed sign at the cursor position.
165
166
167 LISTING PLACED SIGNS
168
169 :sign place file={fname}
170 List signs placed in file {fname}.
171 See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
172
173 :sign place buffer={nr}
174 List signs placed in buffer {nr}.
175
176 :sign place List placed signs in all files.
177
178
179 JUMPING TO A SIGN *:sign-jump* *E157*
180
181 :sign jump {id} file={fname}
182 Open the file {fname} or jump to the window that contains
183 {fname} and position the cursor at sign {id}.
184 See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
185 If the file isn't displayed in window and the current file can
186 not be |abandon|ed this fails.
187
188 :sign jump {id} buffer={nr}
189 Same, but use buffer {nr}.
190
191 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: