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authorDaniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>2024-04-07 08:50:31 +0000
committerDaniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>2024-04-07 08:50:31 +0000
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Adding upstream version 2:9.0.1378.upstream/2%9.0.1378upstream
Signed-off-by: Daniel Baumann <daniel.baumann@progress-linux.org>
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+![Vim Logo](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/runtime/vimlogo.gif)
+
+# Vim source code #
+
+Here are a few hints for finding your way around the source code. This
+doesn't make it less complex than it is, but it gets you started.
+
+You might also want to read
+[`:help development`](http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/develop.html#development).
+
+
+## Jumping around ##
+
+First of all, use `:make tags` to generate a tags file, so that you can jump
+around in the source code.
+
+To jump to a function or variable definition, move the cursor on the name and
+use the `CTRL-]` command. Use `CTRL-T` or `CTRL-O` to jump back.
+
+To jump to a file, move the cursor on its name and use the `gf` command.
+
+Most code can be found in a file with an obvious name (incomplete list):
+
+File name | Description
+--------------- | -----------
+alloc.c | memory management
+arglist.c | handling argument list
+autocmd.c | autocommands
+blob.c | blob data type
+buffer.c | manipulating buffers (loaded files)
+bufwrite.c | writing a buffer to file
+change.c | handling changes to text
+cindent.c | C and Lisp indentation
+clientserver.c | client server functionality
+clipboard.c | handling the clipboard
+cmdexpand.c | command-line completion
+cmdhist.c | command-line history
+debugger.c | vim script debugger
+diff.c | diff mode (vimdiff)
+drawline.c | drawing a window line
+drawscreen.c | drawing the windows
+eval.c | expression evaluation
+evalbuffer.c | buffer related built-in functions
+evalfunc.c | built-in functions
+evalvars.c | vim variables
+evalwindow.c | window related built-in functions
+fileio.c | reading and writing files
+filepath.c | dealing with file names and paths
+findfile.c | search for files in 'path'
+fold.c | folding
+getchar.c | getting characters and key mapping
+help.c | vim help related functions
+highlight.c | syntax highlighting
+indent.c | text indentation
+insexpand.c | Insert mode completion
+locale.c | locale/language handling
+map.c | mapping and abbreviations
+mark.c | marks
+match.c | highlight matching
+float.c | floating point functions
+mbyte.c | multi-byte character handling
+memfile.c | storing lines for buffers in a swapfile
+memline.c | storing lines for buffers in memory
+menu.c | menus
+message.c | (error) messages
+mouse.c | handling the mouse
+ops.c | handling operators ("d", "y", "p")
+option.c | options
+optionstr.c | handling string options
+popupmenu.c | popup menu
+popupwin.c | popup window
+profiler.c | vim script profiler
+quickfix.c | quickfix commands (":make", ":cn")
+regexp.c | pattern matching
+register.c | handling registers
+scriptfile.c | runtime directory handling and sourcing scripts
+screen.c | lower level screen functions
+search.c | pattern searching
+session.c | sessions and views
+sign.c | signs
+spell.c | spell checking core
+spellfile.c | spell file handling
+spellsuggest.c | spell correction suggestions
+strings.c | string manipulation functions
+syntax.c | syntax and other highlighting
+tag.c | tags
+term.c | terminal handling, termcap codes
+testing.c | testing: assert and test functions
+textformat.c | text formatting
+textobject.c | text objects
+textprop.c | text properties
+time.c | time and timer functions
+typval.c | vim script type/value functions
+undo.c | undo and redo
+usercmd.c | user defined commands
+userfunc.c | user defined functions
+viminfo.c | viminfo handling
+window.c | handling split windows
+
+
+## Debugging ##
+
+If you have a reasonable recent version of gdb, you can use the `:Termdebug`
+command to debug Vim. See `:help :Termdebug`.
+
+When something is time critical or stepping through code is a hassle, use the
+channel logging to create a time-stamped log file. Add lines to the code like
+this:
+
+ ch_log(NULL, "Value is now %02x", value);
+
+After compiling and starting Vim, do:
+
+ :call ch_logfile('debuglog', 'w')
+
+And edit `debuglog` to see what happens. The channel functions already have
+`ch_log()` calls, thus you always see that in the log.
+
+
+## Important Variables ##
+
+The current mode is stored in `State`. The values it can have are `NORMAL`,
+`INSERT`, `CMDLINE`, and a few others.
+
+The current window is `curwin`. The current buffer is `curbuf`. These point
+to structures with the cursor position in the window, option values, the file
+name, etc. These are defined in
+[`structs.h`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/structs.h).
+
+All the global variables are declared in
+[`globals.h`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/globals.h).
+
+
+## The main loop ##
+
+This is conveniently called `main_loop()`. It updates a few things and then
+calls `normal_cmd()` to process a command. This returns when the command is
+finished.
+
+The basic idea is that Vim waits for the user to type a character and
+processes it until another character is needed. Thus there are several places
+where Vim waits for a character to be typed. The `vgetc()` function is used
+for this. It also handles mapping.
+
+Updating the screen is mostly postponed until a command or a sequence of
+commands has finished. The work is done by `update_screen()`, which calls
+`win_update()` for every window, which calls `win_line()` for every line.
+See the start of
+[`screen.c`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/screen.c)
+for more explanations.
+
+
+## Command-line mode ##
+
+When typing a `:`, `normal_cmd()` will call `getcmdline()` to obtain a line
+with an Ex command. `getcmdline()` contains a loop that will handle each typed
+character. It returns when hitting `CR` or `Esc` or some other character that
+ends the command line mode.
+
+
+## Ex commands ##
+
+Ex commands are handled by the function `do_cmdline()`. It does the generic
+parsing of the `:` command line and calls `do_one_cmd()` for each separate
+command. It also takes care of while loops.
+
+`do_one_cmd()` parses the range and generic arguments and puts them in the
+`exarg_t` and passes it to the function that handles the command.
+
+The `:` commands are listed in `ex_cmds.h`. The third entry of each item is
+the name of the function that handles the command. The last entry are the
+flags that are used for the command.
+
+
+## Normal mode commands ##
+
+The Normal mode commands are handled by the `normal_cmd()` function. It also
+handles the optional count and an extra character for some commands. These
+are passed in a `cmdarg_t` to the function that handles the command.
+
+There is a table `nv_cmds` in
+[`normal.c`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/normal.c)
+which lists the first character of every command. The second entry of each
+item is the name of the function that handles the command.
+
+
+## Insert mode commands ##
+
+When doing an `i` or `a` command, `normal_cmd()` will call the `edit()`
+function. It contains a loop that waits for the next character and handles it.
+It returns when leaving Insert mode.
+
+
+## Options ##
+
+There is a list with all option names in
+[`option.c`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/option.c),
+called `options[]`.
+
+
+## The GUI ##
+
+Most of the GUI code is implemented like it was a clever terminal. Typing a
+character, moving a scrollbar, clicking the mouse, etc. are all translated
+into events which are written in the input buffer. These are read by the
+main code, just like reading from a terminal. The code for this is scattered
+through [`gui.c`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/src/gui.c).
+For example, `gui_send_mouse_event()` for a mouse click and `gui_menu_cb()` for
+a menu action. Key hits are handled by the system-specific GUI code, which
+calls `add_to_input_buf()` to send the key code.
+
+Updating the GUI window is done by writing codes in the output buffer, just
+like writing to a terminal. When the buffer gets full or is flushed,
+`gui_write()` will parse the codes and draw the appropriate items. Finally the
+system-specific GUI code will be called to do the work.
+
+
+## Debugging the GUI ##
+
+Remember to prevent that gvim forks and the debugger thinks Vim has exited,
+add the `-f` argument. In gdb: `run -f -g`.
+
+When stepping through display updating code, the focus event is triggered
+when going from the debugger to Vim and back. To avoid this, recompile with
+some code in `gui_focus_change()` disabled.
+
+
+## Contributing ##
+
+If you would like to help making Vim better, see the
+[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)
+file.
+
+
+This is `README.md` for version 9.0 of the Vim source code.