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+*change.txt* For Vim version 9.0. Last change: 2023 Feb 27
+
+
+ VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
+
+
+This file describes commands that delete or change text. In this context,
+changing text means deleting the text and replacing it with other text using
+one command. You can undo all of these commands. You can repeat the non-Ex
+commands with the "." command.
+
+1. Deleting text |deleting|
+2. Delete and insert |delete-insert|
+3. Simple changes |simple-change| *changing*
+4. Complex changes |complex-change|
+ 4.1 Filter commands |filter|
+ 4.2 Substitute |:substitute|
+ 4.3 Search and replace |search-replace|
+ 4.4 Changing tabs |change-tabs|
+5. Copying and moving text |copy-move|
+6. Formatting text |formatting|
+7. Sorting text |sorting|
+
+For inserting text see |insert.txt|.
+
+==============================================================================
+1. Deleting text *deleting* *E470*
+
+["x]<Del> or *<Del>* *x* *dl*
+["x]x Delete [count] characters under and after the cursor
+ [into register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as
+ "dl".
+ The <Del> key does not take a [count]. Instead, it
+ deletes the last character of the count.
+ See |:fixdel| if the <Del> key does not do what you
+ want. See |'whichwrap'| for deleting a line break
+ (join lines).
+
+ *X* *dh*
+["x]X Delete [count] characters before the cursor [into
+ register x] (not |linewise|). Does the same as "dh".
+ Also see |'whichwrap'|.
+
+ *d*
+["x]d{motion} Delete text that {motion} moves over [into register
+ x]. See below for exceptions.
+
+ *dd*
+["x]dd Delete [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|.
+
+ *D*
+["x]D Delete the characters under the cursor until the end
+ of the line and [count]-1 more lines [into register
+ x]; synonym for "d$".
+ (not |linewise|)
+ When the '#' flag is in 'cpoptions' the count is
+ ignored.
+
+{Visual}["x]x or *v_x* *v_d* *v_<Del>*
+{Visual}["x]d or
+{Visual}["x]<Del> Delete the highlighted text [into register x] (for
+ {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+{Visual}["x]CTRL-H or *v_CTRL-H* *v_<BS>*
+{Visual}["x]<BS> When in Select mode: Delete the highlighted text [into
+ register x].
+
+{Visual}["x]X or *v_X* *v_D* *v_b_D*
+{Visual}["x]D Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] (for
+ {Visual} see |Visual-mode|). In Visual block mode,
+ "D" deletes the highlighted text plus all text until
+ the end of the line.
+
+ *:d* *:de* *:del* *:delete* *:dl* *:dp*
+:[range]d[elete] [x] Delete [range] lines (default: current line) [into
+ register x].
+ Note these weird abbreviations:
+ :dl delete and list
+ :dell idem
+ :delel idem
+ :deletl idem
+ :deletel idem
+ :dp delete and print
+ :dep idem
+ :delp idem
+ :delep idem
+ :deletp idem
+ :deletep idem
+
+:[range]d[elete] [x] {count}
+ Delete {count} lines, starting with [range]
+ (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|) [into
+ register x].
+
+These commands delete text. You can repeat them with the `.` command
+(except `:d`) and undo them. Use Visual mode to delete blocks of text. See
+|registers| for an explanation of registers.
+
+An exception for the d{motion} command: If the motion is not linewise, the
+start and end of the motion are not in the same line, and there are only
+blanks before the start and there are no non-blanks after the end of the
+motion, the delete becomes linewise. This means that the delete also removes
+the line of blanks that you might expect to remain. Use the |o_v| operator to
+force the motion to be characterwise.
+
+Trying to delete an empty region of text (e.g., "d0" in the first column)
+is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag.
+
+ *J*
+J Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines.
+ Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces (see
+ below). Fails when on the last line of the buffer.
+ If [count] is too big it is reduced to the number of
+ lines available.
+
+ *v_J*
+{Visual}J Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two
+ lines. Remove the indent and insert up to two spaces
+ (see below).
+
+ *gJ*
+gJ Join [count] lines, with a minimum of two lines.
+ Don't insert or remove any spaces.
+
+ *v_gJ*
+{Visual}gJ Join the highlighted lines, with a minimum of two
+ lines. Don't insert or remove any spaces.
+
+ *:j* *:join*
+:[range]j[oin][!] [flags]
+ Join [range] lines. Same as "J", except with [!]
+ the join does not insert or delete any spaces.
+ If a [range] has equal start and end values, this
+ command does nothing. The default behavior is to
+ join the current line with the line below it.
+ See |ex-flags| for [flags].
+
+:[range]j[oin][!] {count} [flags]
+ Join {count} lines, starting with [range] (default:
+ current line |cmdline-ranges|). Same as "J", except
+ with [!] the join does not insert or delete any
+ spaces.
+ See |ex-flags| for [flags].
+
+These commands delete the <EOL> between lines. This has the effect of joining
+multiple lines into one line. You can repeat these commands (except `:j`) and
+undo them.
+
+These commands, except "gJ", insert one space in place of the <EOL> unless
+there is trailing white space or the next line starts with a ')'. These
+commands, except "gJ", delete any leading white space on the next line. If
+the 'joinspaces' option is on, these commands insert two spaces after a '.',
+'!' or '?' (but if 'cpoptions' includes the 'j' flag, they insert two spaces
+only after a '.').
+The 'B' and 'M' flags in 'formatoptions' change the behavior for inserting
+spaces before and after a multibyte character |fo-table|.
+
+The '[ mark is set at the end of the first line that was joined, '] at the end
+of the resulting line.
+
+
+==============================================================================
+2. Delete and insert *delete-insert* *replacing*
+
+ *R*
+R Enter Replace mode: Each character you type replaces
+ an existing character, starting with the character
+ under the cursor. Repeat the entered text [count]-1
+ times. See |Replace-mode| for more details.
+
+ *gR*
+gR Enter Virtual Replace mode: Each character you type
+ replaces existing characters in screen space. So a
+ <Tab> may replace several characters at once.
+ Repeat the entered text [count]-1 times. See
+ |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more details.
+
+ *c*
+["x]c{motion} Delete {motion} text [into register x] and start
+ insert. When 'cpoptions' includes the 'E' flag and
+ there is no text to delete (e.g., with "cTx" when the
+ cursor is just after an 'x'), an error occurs and
+ insert mode does not start (this is Vi compatible).
+ When 'cpoptions' does not include the 'E' flag, the
+ "c" command always starts insert mode, even if there
+ is no text to delete.
+
+ *cc*
+["x]cc Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start
+ insert |linewise|. If 'autoindent' is on, preserve
+ the indent of the first line.
+
+ *C*
+["x]C Delete from the cursor position to the end of the
+ line and [count]-1 more lines [into register x], and
+ start insert. Synonym for c$ (not |linewise|).
+
+ *s*
+["x]s Delete [count] characters [into register x] and start
+ insert (s stands for Substitute). Synonym for "cl"
+ (not |linewise|).
+
+ *S*
+["x]S Delete [count] lines [into register x] and start
+ insert. Synonym for "cc" |linewise|.
+
+{Visual}["x]c or *v_c* *v_s*
+{Visual}["x]s Delete the highlighted text [into register x] and
+ start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *v_r*
+{Visual}r{char} Replace all selected characters by {char}.
+
+ *v_C*
+{Visual}["x]C Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and
+ start insert. In Visual block mode it works
+ differently |v_b_C|.
+ *v_S*
+{Visual}["x]S Delete the highlighted lines [into register x] and
+ start insert (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+ *v_R*
+{Visual}["x]R Currently just like {Visual}["x]S. In a next version
+ it might work differently.
+
+Notes:
+- You can end Insert and Replace mode with <Esc>.
+- See the section "Insert and Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl| for the other
+ special characters in these modes.
+- The effect of [count] takes place after Vim exits Insert or Replace mode.
+- When the 'cpoptions' option contains '$' and the change is within one line,
+ Vim continues to show the text to be deleted and puts a '$' at the last
+ deleted character.
+
+See |registers| for an explanation of registers.
+
+Replace mode is just like Insert mode, except that every character you enter
+deletes one character. If you reach the end of a line, Vim appends any
+further characters (just like Insert mode). In Replace mode, the backspace
+key restores the original text (if there was any). (See section "Insert and
+Replace mode" |mode-ins-repl|).
+
+ *cw* *cW*
+Special case: When the cursor is in a word, "cw" and "cW" do not include the
+white space after a word, they only change up to the end of the word. This is
+because Vim interprets "cw" as change-word, and a word does not include the
+following white space.
+{Vi: "cw" when on a blank followed by other blanks changes only the first
+blank; this is probably a bug, because "dw" deletes all the blanks; use the
+'w' flag in 'cpoptions' to make it work like Vi anyway}
+
+If you prefer "cw" to include the space after a word, use this mapping: >
+ :map cw dwi
+Or use "caw" (see |aw|).
+
+ *:c* *:ch* *:change*
+:{range}c[hange][!] Replace lines of text with some different text.
+ Type a line containing only "." to stop replacing.
+ Without {range}, this command changes only the current
+ line.
+ Adding [!] toggles 'autoindent' for the time this
+ command is executed.
+ This command is not supported in |Vim9| script,
+ because it is too easily confused with a variable
+ name.
+
+==============================================================================
+3. Simple changes *simple-change*
+
+ *r*
+r{char} Replace the character under the cursor with {char}.
+ If {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, a line break replaces the
+ character. To replace with a real <CR>, use CTRL-V
+ <CR>. CTRL-V <NL> replaces with a <Nul>.
+
+ If {char} is CTRL-E or CTRL-Y the character from the
+ line below or above is used, just like with |i_CTRL-E|
+ and |i_CTRL-Y|. This also works with a count, thus
+ `10r<C-E>` copies 10 characters from the line below.
+
+ If you give a [count], Vim replaces [count] characters
+ with [count] {char}s. When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>,
+ however, Vim inserts only one <CR>: "5r<CR>" replaces
+ five characters with a single line break.
+ When {char} is a <CR> or <NL>, Vim performs
+ autoindenting. This works just like deleting the
+ characters that are replaced and then doing
+ "i<CR><Esc>".
+ {char} can be entered as a digraph |digraph-arg|.
+ |:lmap| mappings apply to {char}. The CTRL-^ command
+ in Insert mode can be used to switch this on/off
+ |i_CTRL-^|. See |utf-8-char-arg| about using
+ composing characters when 'encoding' is Unicode.
+
+ *gr*
+gr{char} Replace the virtual characters under the cursor with
+ {char}. This replaces in screen space, not file
+ space. See |gR| and |Virtual-Replace-mode| for more
+ details. As with |r| a count may be given.
+ {char} can be entered like with |r|, but characters
+ that have a special meaning in Insert mode, such as
+ most CTRL-keys, cannot be used.
+
+ *digraph-arg*
+The argument for Normal mode commands like |r| and |t| is a single character.
+When 'cpo' doesn't contain the 'D' flag, this character can also be entered
+like |digraphs|. First type CTRL-K and then the two digraph characters.
+{not available when compiled without the |+digraphs| feature}
+
+ *case*
+The following commands change the case of letters. The currently active
+|locale| is used. See |:language|. The LC_CTYPE value matters here.
+
+ *~*
+~ 'notildeop' option: Switch case of the character
+ under the cursor and move the cursor to the right.
+ If a [count] is given, do that many characters.
+
+~{motion} 'tildeop' option: switch case of {motion} text.
+
+ *g~*
+g~{motion} Switch case of {motion} text.
+
+g~g~ *g~g~* *g~~*
+g~~ Switch case of current line.
+
+ *v_~*
+{Visual}~ Switch case of highlighted text (for {Visual} see
+ |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *v_U*
+{Visual}U Make highlighted text uppercase (for {Visual} see
+ |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *gU* *uppercase*
+gU{motion} Make {motion} text uppercase.
+ Example: >
+ :map! <C-F> <Esc>gUiw`]a
+< This works in Insert mode: press CTRL-F to make the
+ word before the cursor uppercase. Handy to type
+ words in lowercase and then make them uppercase.
+
+
+gUgU *gUgU* *gUU*
+gUU Make current line uppercase.
+
+ *v_u*
+{Visual}u Make highlighted text lowercase (for {Visual} see
+ |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *gu* *lowercase*
+gu{motion} Make {motion} text lowercase.
+
+gugu *gugu* *guu*
+guu Make current line lowercase.
+
+ *g?* *rot13*
+g?{motion} Rot13 encode {motion} text.
+
+ *v_g?*
+{Visual}g? Rot13 encode the highlighted text (for {Visual} see
+ |Visual-mode|).
+
+g?g? *g?g?* *g??*
+g?? Rot13 encode current line.
+
+To turn one line into title caps, make every first letter of a word
+uppercase: >
+ :s/\v<(.)(\w*)/\u\1\L\2/g
+
+
+Adding and subtracting ~
+ *CTRL-A*
+CTRL-A Add [count] to the number or alphabetic character at
+ or after the cursor.
+
+ *v_CTRL-A*
+{Visual}CTRL-A Add [count] to the number or alphabetic character in
+ the highlighted text.
+
+ *v_g_CTRL-A*
+{Visual}g CTRL-A Add [count] to the number or alphabetic character in
+ the highlighted text. If several lines are
+ highlighted, each one will be incremented by an
+ additional [count] (so effectively creating a
+ [count] incrementing sequence).
+ For Example, if you have this list of numbers:
+ 1. ~
+ 1. ~
+ 1. ~
+ 1. ~
+ Move to the second "1." and Visually select three
+ lines, pressing g CTRL-A results in:
+ 1. ~
+ 2. ~
+ 3. ~
+ 4. ~
+
+ *CTRL-X*
+CTRL-X Subtract [count] from the number or alphabetic
+ character at or after the cursor.
+
+ *v_CTRL-X*
+{Visual}CTRL-X Subtract [count] from the number or alphabetic
+ character in the highlighted text.
+
+ On MS-Windows, this is mapped to cut Visual text
+ |dos-standard-mappings|. If you want to disable the
+ mapping, use this: >
+ silent! vunmap <C-X>
+<
+ *v_g_CTRL-X*
+{Visual}g CTRL-X Subtract [count] from the number or alphabetic
+ character in the highlighted text. If several lines
+ are highlighted, each value will be decremented by an
+ additional [count] (so effectively creating a [count]
+ decrementing sequence).
+
+The CTRL-A and CTRL-X commands can work for:
+- signed and unsigned decimal numbers
+- unsigned binary, octal and hexadecimal numbers
+- alphabetic characters
+
+This depends on the 'nrformats' option:
+- When 'nrformats' includes "bin", Vim assumes numbers starting with '0b' or
+ '0B' are binary.
+- When 'nrformats' includes "octal", Vim considers numbers starting with a '0'
+ to be octal, unless the number includes a '8' or '9'. Other numbers are
+ decimal and may have a preceding minus sign.
+ If the cursor is on a number, the commands apply to that number; otherwise
+ Vim uses the number to the right of the cursor.
+- When 'nrformats' includes "hex", Vim assumes numbers starting with '0x' or
+ '0X' are hexadecimal. The case of the rightmost letter in the number
+ determines the case of the resulting hexadecimal number. If there is no
+ letter in the current number, Vim uses the previously detected case.
+- When 'nrformats' includes "alpha", Vim will change the alphabetic character
+ under or after the cursor. This is useful to make lists with an alphabetic
+ index.
+
+For decimals a leading negative sign is considered for incrementing/
+decrementing, for binary, octal and hex values, it won't be considered. To
+ignore the sign Visually select the number before using CTRL-A or CTRL-X.
+
+For numbers with leading zeros (including all octal and hexadecimal numbers),
+Vim preserves the number of characters in the number when possible. CTRL-A on
+"0077" results in "0100", CTRL-X on "0x100" results in "0x0ff".
+There is one exception: When a number that starts with a zero is found not to
+be octal (it contains a '8' or '9'), but 'nrformats' does include "octal",
+leading zeros are removed to avoid that the result may be recognized as an
+octal number.
+
+Note that when 'nrformats' includes "octal", decimal numbers with leading
+zeros cause mistakes, because they can be confused with octal numbers.
+
+Note similarly, when 'nrformats' includes "bin", binary numbers with a leading
+'0x' or '0X' can be interpreted as hexadecimal rather than binary since '0b'
+are valid hexadecimal digits.
+
+The CTRL-A command is very useful in a macro. Example: Use the following
+steps to make a numbered list.
+
+1. Create the first list entry, make sure it starts with a number.
+2. qa - start recording into register 'a'
+3. Y - yank the entry
+4. p - put a copy of the entry below the first one
+5. CTRL-A - increment the number
+6. q - stop recording
+7. <count>@a - repeat the yank, put and increment <count> times
+
+
+SHIFTING LINES LEFT OR RIGHT *shift-left-right*
+
+ *<*
+<{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards.
+
+ If the 'vartabstop' feature is enabled, and the
+ 'shiftwidth' option is set to zero, the amount of
+ indent is calculated at the first non-blank character
+ in the line.
+ *<<*
+<< Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' leftwards.
+
+ *v_<*
+{Visual}[count]< Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth'
+ leftwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *>*
+ >{motion} Shift {motion} lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards.
+
+ If the 'vartabstop' feature is enabled, and the
+ 'shiftwidth' option is set to zero, the amount of
+ indent is calculated at the first non-blank character
+ in the line.
+ *>>*
+ >> Shift [count] lines one 'shiftwidth' rightwards.
+
+ *v_>*
+{Visual}[count]> Shift the highlighted lines [count] 'shiftwidth'
+ rightwards (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *:<*
+:[range]< Shift [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' left. Repeat '<'
+ for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
+
+:[range]< {count} Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' left, starting
+ with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|).
+ Repeat '<' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
+
+:[range]le[ft] [indent] left align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the
+ lines to [indent] (default 0).
+
+ *:>*
+:[range]> [flags] Shift {count} [range] lines one 'shiftwidth' right.
+ Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
+ See |ex-flags| for [flags].
+
+:[range]> {count} [flags]
+ Shift {count} lines one 'shiftwidth' right, starting
+ with [range] (default current line |cmdline-ranges|).
+ Repeat '>' for shifting multiple 'shiftwidth's.
+ See |ex-flags| for [flags].
+
+The ">" and "<" commands are handy for changing the indentation within
+programs. Use the 'shiftwidth' option to set the size of the white space
+which these commands insert or delete. Normally the 'shiftwidth' option is 8,
+but you can set it to, say, 3 to make smaller indents. The shift leftwards
+stops when there is no indent. The shift right does not affect empty lines.
+
+If the 'shiftround' option is on, the indent is rounded to a multiple of
+'shiftwidth'.
+
+If the 'smartindent' option is on, or 'cindent' is on and 'cinkeys' contains
+'#' with a zero value, shift right does not affect lines starting with '#'
+(these are supposed to be C preprocessor lines that must stay in column 1).
+This can be changed with the 'cino' option, see |cino-#|.
+
+When the 'expandtab' option is off (this is the default) Vim uses <Tab>s as
+much as possible to make the indent. You can use ">><<" to replace an indent
+made out of spaces with the same indent made out of <Tab>s (and a few spaces
+if necessary). If the 'expandtab' option is on, Vim uses only spaces. Then
+you can use ">><<" to replace <Tab>s in the indent by spaces (or use
+`:retab!`).
+
+To move a line several 'shiftwidth's, use Visual mode or the `:` commands.
+For example: >
+ Vjj4> move three lines 4 indents to the right
+ :<<< move current line 3 indents to the left
+ :>> 5 move 5 lines 2 indents to the right
+ :5>> move line 5 2 indents to the right
+
+==============================================================================
+4. Complex changes *complex-change*
+
+4.1 Filter commands *filter*
+
+A filter is a program that accepts text at standard input, changes it in some
+way, and sends it to standard output. You can use the commands below to send
+some text through a filter, so that it is replaced by the filter output.
+Examples of filters are "sort", which sorts lines alphabetically, and
+"indent", which formats C program files (you need a version of indent that
+works like a filter; not all versions do). The 'shell' option specifies the
+shell Vim uses to execute the filter command (See also the 'shelltype'
+option). You can repeat filter commands with ".". Vim does not recognize a
+comment (starting with '"') after the `:!` command.
+
+ *!*
+!{motion}{filter} Filter {motion} text lines through the external
+ program {filter}.
+
+ *!!*
+!!{filter} Filter [count] lines through the external program
+ {filter}.
+
+ *v_!*
+{Visual}!{filter} Filter the highlighted lines through the external
+ program {filter} (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+:{range}![!]{filter} [!][arg] *:range!*
+ Filter {range} lines through the external program
+ {filter}. Vim replaces the optional bangs with the
+ latest given command and appends the optional [arg].
+ Vim saves the output of the filter command in a
+ temporary file and then reads the file into the buffer
+ |tempfile|. Vim uses the 'shellredir' option to
+ redirect the filter output to the temporary file.
+ However, if the 'shelltemp' option is off then pipes
+ are used when possible (on Unix).
+ When the 'R' flag is included in 'cpoptions' marks in
+ the filtered lines are deleted, unless the
+ |:keepmarks| command is used. Example: >
+ :keepmarks '<,'>!sort
+< When the number of lines after filtering is less than
+ before, marks in the missing lines are deleted anyway.
+
+ *=*
+={motion} Filter {motion} lines through the external program
+ given with the 'equalprg' option. When the 'equalprg'
+ option is empty (this is the default), use the
+ internal formatting function |C-indenting| and
+ |'lisp'|. But when 'indentexpr' is not empty, it will
+ be used instead |indent-expression|. When Vim was
+ compiled without internal formatting then the "indent"
+ program is used as a last resort.
+
+ *==*
+== Filter [count] lines like with ={motion}.
+
+ *v_=*
+{Visual}= Filter the highlighted lines like with ={motion}.
+
+
+ *tempfile* *setuid*
+Vim uses temporary files for filtering, generating diffs and also for
+tempname(). For Unix, the file will be in a private directory (only
+accessible by the current user) to avoid security problems (e.g., a symlink
+attack or other people reading your file). When Vim exits the directory and
+all files in it are deleted. When Vim has the setuid bit set this may cause
+problems, the temp file is owned by the setuid user but the filter command
+probably runs as the original user.
+Directory for temporary files is created in the first of these directories
+that works:
+ Unix: $TMPDIR, /tmp, current-dir, $HOME.
+ Windows: $TMP, $TEMP, c:\TMP, c:\TEMP
+For MS-Windows the GetTempFileName() system function is used.
+For other systems the tmpnam() library function is used.
+
+
+
+4.2 Substitute *:substitute*
+ *:s* *:su*
+:[range]s[ubstitute]/{pattern}/{string}/[flags] [count]
+ For each line in [range] replace a match of {pattern}
+ with {string}.
+ For the {pattern} see |pattern|.
+ {string} can be a literal string, or something
+ special; see |sub-replace-special|.
+ When [range] and [count] are omitted, replace in the
+ current line only. When [count] is given, replace in
+ [count] lines, starting with the last line in [range].
+ When [range] is omitted start in the current line.
+ *E939*
+ [count] must be a positive number. Also see
+ |cmdline-ranges|.
+
+ See |:s_flags| for [flags].
+ The delimiter doesn't need to be /, see
+ |pattern-delimiter|.
+
+:[range]s[ubstitute] [flags] [count]
+:[range]&[&][flags] [count] *:&*
+ Repeat last :substitute with same search pattern and
+ substitute string, but without the same flags. You
+ may add [flags], see |:s_flags|.
+ Note that after `:substitute` the '&' flag can't be
+ used, it's recognized as a pattern separator.
+ The space between `:substitute` and the 'c', 'g',
+ 'i', 'I' and 'r' flags isn't required, but in scripts
+ it's a good idea to keep it to avoid confusion.
+ Also see the two and three letter commands to repeat
+ :substitute below |:substitute-repeat|.
+
+:[range]~[&][flags] [count] *:~*
+ Repeat last substitute with same substitute string
+ but with last used search pattern. This is like
+ `:&r`. See |:s_flags| for [flags].
+
+ *&*
+& Synonym for `:s` (repeat last substitute). Note
+ that the flags are not remembered, thus it might
+ actually work differently. You can use `:&&` to keep
+ the flags.
+
+ *g&*
+g& Synonym for `:%s//~/&` (repeat last substitute with
+ last search pattern on all lines with the same flags).
+ For example, when you first do a substitution with
+ `:s/pattern/repl/flags` and then `/search` for
+ something else, `g&` will do `:%s/search/repl/flags`.
+ Mnemonic: global substitute.
+
+ *:snomagic* *:sno*
+:[range]sno[magic] ... Same as `:substitute`, but always use 'nomagic'.
+
+ *:smagic* *:sm*
+:[range]sm[agic] ... Same as `:substitute`, but always use 'magic'.
+
+ *:s_flags*
+The flags that you can use for the substitute commands:
+
+ *:&&*
+[&] Must be the first one: Keep the flags from the previous substitute
+ command. Examples: >
+ :&&
+ :s/this/that/&
+< Note that `:s` and `:&` don't keep the flags.
+
+[c] Confirm each substitution. Vim highlights the matching string (with
+ |hl-IncSearch|). You can type: *:s_c*
+ 'y' to substitute this match
+ 'l' to substitute this match and then quit ("last")
+ 'n' to skip this match
+ <Esc> to quit substituting
+ 'a' to substitute this and all remaining matches
+ 'q' to quit substituting
+ CTRL-E to scroll the screen up
+ CTRL-Y to scroll the screen down
+ If the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers the [c] flag and
+ toggles it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new
+ search pattern.
+
+ *:s_e*
+[e] When the search pattern fails, do not issue an error message and, in
+ particular, continue in maps as if no error occurred. This is most
+ useful to prevent the "No match" error from breaking a mapping. Vim
+ does not suppress the following error messages, however:
+ Regular expressions can't be delimited by letters
+ \ should be followed by /, ? or &
+ No previous substitute regular expression
+ Trailing characters
+ Interrupted
+
+ *:s_g*
+[g] Replace all occurrences in the line. Without this argument,
+ replacement occurs only for the first occurrence in each line. If
+ the 'edcompatible' option is on, Vim remembers this flag and toggles
+ it each time you use it, but resets it when you give a new search
+ pattern. If the 'gdefault' option is on, this flag is on by default
+ and the [g] argument switches it off.
+
+ *:s_i*
+[i] Ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase' options
+ are not used.
+
+ *:s_I*
+[I] Don't ignore case for the pattern. The 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase'
+ options are not used.
+
+ *:s_n*
+[n] Report the number of matches, do not actually substitute. The [c]
+ flag is ignored. The matches are reported as if 'report' is zero.
+ Useful to |count-items|.
+ If \= |sub-replace-expression| is used, the expression will be
+ evaluated in the |sandbox| at every match.
+
+[p] Print the line containing the last substitute. *:s_p*
+
+[#] Like [p] and prepend the line number. *:s_#*
+
+[l] Like [p] but print the text like |:list|. *:s_l*
+
+ *:s_r*
+[r] Only useful in combination with `:&` or `:s` without arguments. `:&r`
+ works the same way as `:~`: When the search pattern is empty, use the
+ previously used search pattern instead of the search pattern from the
+ last substitute or `:global`. If the last command that did a search
+ was a substitute or `:global`, there is no effect. If the last
+ command was a search command such as "/", use the pattern from that
+ command.
+ For `:s` with an argument this already happens: >
+ :s/blue/red/
+ /green
+ :s//red/ or :~ or :&r
+< The last commands will replace "green" with "red". >
+ :s/blue/red/
+ /green
+ :&
+< The last command will replace "blue" with "red".
+
+Note that there is no flag to change the "magicness" of the pattern. A
+different command is used instead, or you can use |/\v| and friends. The
+reason is that the flags can only be found by skipping the pattern, and in
+order to skip the pattern the "magicness" must be known. Catch 22!
+
+If the {pattern} for the substitute command is empty, the command uses the
+pattern from the last substitute or `:global` command. If there is none, but
+there is a previous search pattern, that one is used. With the [r] flag, the
+command uses the pattern from the last substitute, `:global`, or search
+command.
+
+If the {string} is omitted the substitute is done as if it's empty. Thus the
+matched pattern is deleted. The separator after {pattern} can also be left
+out then. Example: >
+ :%s/TESTING
+This deletes "TESTING" from all lines, but only one per line.
+ *E1270*
+For compatibility with Vi these two exceptions are allowed in legacy script:
+"\/{string}/" and "\?{string}?" do the same as "//{string}/r".
+"\&{string}&" does the same as "//{string}/".
+ *pattern-delimiter* *E146* *E1241* *E1242*
+Instead of the '/' which surrounds the pattern and replacement string, you can
+use another single-byte character. This is useful if you want to include a
+'/' in the search pattern or replacement string. Example: >
+ :s+/+//+
+
+You can use most characters, but not an alphanumeric character, '\', '"' or
+'|'. In Vim9 script you should not use '#' because it may be recognized as
+the start of a comment.
+
+For the definition of a pattern, see |pattern|. In Visual block mode, use
+|/\%V| in the pattern to have the substitute work in the block only.
+Otherwise it works on whole lines anyway.
+
+ *sub-replace-special* *:s\=*
+When the {string} starts with "\=" it is evaluated as an expression, see
+|sub-replace-expression|. You can use that for complex replacement or special
+characters.
+
+The substitution is limited in recursion to 4 levels. *E1290*
+
+Otherwise these characters in {string} have a special meaning:
+ *:s%*
+When {string} is equal to "%" and '/' is included with the 'cpoptions' option,
+then the {string} of the previous substitute command is used, see |cpo-/|
+
+magic nomagic action ~
+ & \& replaced with the whole matched pattern *s/\&*
+ \& & replaced with &
+ \0 replaced with the whole matched pattern *\0* *s/\0*
+ \1 replaced with the matched pattern in the first
+ pair of () *s/\1*
+ \2 replaced with the matched pattern in the second
+ pair of () *s/\2*
+ .. .. *s/\3*
+ \9 replaced with the matched pattern in the ninth
+ pair of () *s/\9*
+ ~ \~ replaced with the {string} of the previous
+ substitute *s~*
+ \~ ~ replaced with ~ *s/\~*
+ \u next character made uppercase *s/\u*
+ \U following characters made uppercase, until \E *s/\U*
+ \l next character made lowercase *s/\l*
+ \L following characters made lowercase, until \E *s/\L*
+ \e end of \u, \U, \l and \L (NOTE: not <Esc>!) *s/\e*
+ \E end of \u, \U, \l and \L *s/\E*
+ <CR> split line in two at this point
+ (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s<CR>*
+ \r idem *s/\r*
+ \<CR> insert a carriage-return (CTRL-M)
+ (Type the <CR> as CTRL-V <Enter>) *s/\<CR>*
+ \n insert a <NL> (<NUL> in the file)
+ (does NOT break the line) *s/\n*
+ \b insert a <BS> *s/\b*
+ \t insert a <Tab> *s/\t*
+ \\ insert a single backslash *s/\\*
+ \x where x is any character not mentioned above:
+ Reserved for future expansion
+
+The special meaning is also used inside the third argument {sub} of
+the |substitute()| function with the following exceptions:
+ - A % inserts a percent literally without regard to 'cpoptions'.
+ - magic is always set without regard to 'magic'.
+ - A ~ inserts a tilde literally.
+ - <CR> and \r inserts a carriage-return (CTRL-M).
+ - \<CR> does not have a special meaning. It's just one of \x.
+
+Examples: >
+ :s/a\|b/xxx\0xxx/g modifies "a b" to "xxxaxxx xxxbxxx"
+ :s/\([abc]\)\([efg]\)/\2\1/g modifies "af fa bg" to "fa fa gb"
+ :s/abcde/abc^Mde/ modifies "abcde" to "abc", "de" (two lines)
+ :s/$/\^M/ modifies "abcde" to "abcde^M"
+ :s/\w\+/\u\0/g modifies "bla bla" to "Bla Bla"
+ :s/\w\+/\L\u\0/g modifies "BLA bla" to "Bla Bla"
+
+Note: "\L\u" can be used to capitalize the first letter of a word. This is
+not compatible with Vi and older versions of Vim, where the "\u" would cancel
+out the "\L". Same for "\U\l".
+
+Note: In previous versions CTRL-V was handled in a special way. Since this is
+not Vi compatible, this was removed. Use a backslash instead.
+
+command text result ~
+:s/aa/a^Ma/ aa a<line-break>a
+:s/aa/a\^Ma/ aa a^Ma
+:s/aa/a\\^Ma/ aa a\<line-break>a
+
+(you need to type CTRL-V <CR> to get a ^M here)
+
+The numbering of "\1", "\2" etc. is done based on which "\(" comes first in
+the pattern (going left to right). When a parentheses group matches several
+times, the last one will be used for "\1", "\2", etc. Example: >
+ :s/\(\(a[a-d] \)*\)/\2/ modifies "aa ab x" to "ab x"
+The "\2" is for "\(a[a-d] \)". At first it matches "aa ", secondly "ab ".
+
+When using parentheses in combination with '|', like in \([ab]\)\|\([cd]\),
+either the first or second pattern in parentheses did not match, so either
+\1 or \2 is empty. Example: >
+ :s/\([ab]\)\|\([cd]\)/\1x/g modifies "a b c d" to "ax bx x x"
+<
+
+ *:sc* *:sce* *:scg* *:sci* *:scI* *:scl* *:scp* *:sg* *:sgc*
+ *:sge* *:sgi* *:sgI* *:sgl* *:sgn* *:sgp* *:sgr* *:sI* *:si*
+ *:sic* *:sIc* *:sie* *:sIe* *:sIg* *:sIl* *:sin* *:sIn* *:sIp*
+ *:sip* *:sIr* *:sir* *:sr* *:src* *:srg* *:sri* *:srI* *:srl*
+ *:srn* *:srp* *:substitute-repeat*
+2-letter and 3-letter :substitute commands ~
+
+These commands repeat the previous `:substitute` command with the given flags.
+The first letter is always "s", followed by one or two of the possible flag
+characters. For example `:sce` works like `:s///ce`. The table lists the
+possible combinations, not all flags are possible, because the command is
+short for another command.
+
+ List of :substitute commands
+ | c e g i I n p l r
+ | c :sc :sce :scg :sci :scI :scn :scp :scl
+ | e
+ | g :sgc :sge :sg :sgi :sgI :sgn :sgp :sgl :sgr
+ | i :sic :sie :si :siI :sin :sip :sir
+ | I :sIc :sIe :sIg :sIi :sI :sIn :sIp :sIl :sIr
+ | n
+ | p
+ | l
+ | r :src :srg :sri :srI :srn :srp :srl :sr
+
+Exceptions:
+ :scr is `:scriptnames`
+ :se is `:set`
+ :sig is `:sign`
+ :sil is `:silent`
+ :sn is `:snext`
+ :sp is `:split`
+ :sl is `:sleep`
+ :sre is `:srewind`
+
+
+Substitute with an expression *sub-replace-expression*
+ *sub-replace-\=* *s/\=*
+When the substitute string starts with "\=" the remainder is interpreted as an
+expression.
+
+The special meaning for characters as mentioned at |sub-replace-special| does
+not apply except for "<CR>". A <NL> character is used as a line break, you
+can get one with a double-quote string: "\n". Prepend a backslash to get a
+real <NL> character (which will be a NUL in the file).
+
+The "\=" notation can also be used inside the third argument {sub} of
+|substitute()| function. In this case, the special meaning for characters as
+mentioned at |sub-replace-special| does not apply at all. Especially, <CR> and
+<NL> are interpreted not as a line break but as a carriage-return and a
+new-line respectively.
+
+When the result is a |List| then the items are joined with separating line
+breaks. Thus each item becomes a line, except that they can contain line
+breaks themselves.
+
+The |submatch()| function can be used to obtain matched text. The whole
+matched text can be accessed with "submatch(0)". The text matched with the
+first pair of () with "submatch(1)". Likewise for further sub-matches in ().
+
+Be careful: The separation character must not appear in the expression!
+Consider using a character like "@" or ":". There is no problem if the result
+of the expression contains the separation character.
+
+Examples: >
+ :s@\n@\="\r" .. expand("$HOME") .. "\r"@
+This replaces an end-of-line with a new line containing the value of $HOME. >
+
+ s/E/\="\<Char-0x20ac>"/g
+This replaces each 'E' character with a euro sign. Read more in |<Char->|.
+
+
+4.3 Search and replace *search-replace*
+
+ *:pro* *:promptfind*
+:promptf[ind] [string]
+ Put up a Search dialog. When [string] is given, it is
+ used as the initial search string.
+ {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI}
+
+ *:promptr* *:promptrepl*
+:promptr[epl] [string]
+ Put up a Search/Replace dialog. When [string] is
+ given, it is used as the initial search string.
+ {only for Win32, Motif and GTK GUI}
+
+
+4.4 Changing tabs *change-tabs*
+ *:ret* *:retab* *:retab!*
+:[range]ret[ab][!] [new_tabstop]
+ Replace all sequences of white-space containing a
+ <Tab> with new strings of white-space using the new
+ tabstop value given. If you do not specify a new
+ tabstop size or it is zero, Vim uses the current value
+ of 'tabstop'.
+ The current value of 'tabstop' is always used to
+ compute the width of existing tabs.
+ With !, Vim also replaces strings of only normal
+ spaces with tabs where appropriate.
+ With 'expandtab' on, Vim replaces all tabs with the
+ appropriate number of spaces.
+ This command sets 'tabstop' to the new value given,
+ and if performed on the whole file, which is default,
+ should not make any visible change.
+ Careful: This command modifies any <Tab> characters
+ inside of strings in a C program. Use "\t" to avoid
+ this (that's a good habit anyway).
+ `:retab!` may also change a sequence of spaces by
+ <Tab> characters, which can mess up a printf().
+ If the |+vartabs| feature is enabled then a list of
+ tab widths separated by commas may be used in place of
+ a single tabstop. Each value in the list represents
+ the width of one tabstop, except the final value which
+ applies to all following tabstops.
+
+ *retab-example*
+Example for using autocommands and ":retab" to edit a file which is stored
+with tabstops at 8 but edited with tabstops set at 4. Warning: white space
+inside of strings can change! Also see 'softtabstop' option. >
+
+ :auto BufReadPost *.xx retab! 4
+ :auto BufWritePre *.xx retab! 8
+ :auto BufWritePost *.xx retab! 4
+ :auto BufNewFile *.xx set ts=4
+
+==============================================================================
+5. Copying and moving text *copy-move*
+
+ *quote*
+"{register} Use {register} for next delete, yank or put. Use
+ an uppercase character to append with delete and yank.
+ Registers ".", "%", "#" and ":" only work with put.
+
+ *:reg* *:registers*
+:reg[isters] Display the type and contents of all numbered and
+ named registers. If a register is written to for
+ |:redir| it will not be listed.
+ Type can be one of:
+ "c" for |characterwise| text
+ "l" for |linewise| text
+ "b" for |blockwise-visual| text
+
+
+:reg[isters] {arg} Display the contents of the numbered and named
+ registers that are mentioned in {arg}. For example: >
+ :reg 1a
+< to display registers '1' and 'a'. Spaces are allowed
+ in {arg}.
+
+ *:di* *:dis* *:display*
+:di[splay] [arg] Same as :registers.
+
+ *y* *yank*
+["x]y{motion} Yank {motion} text [into register x]. When no
+ characters are to be yanked (e.g., "y0" in column 1),
+ this is an error when 'cpoptions' includes the 'E'
+ flag.
+
+ *yy*
+["x]yy Yank [count] lines [into register x] |linewise|.
+
+ *Y*
+["x]Y yank [count] lines [into register x] (synonym for
+ yy, |linewise|). If you like "Y" to work from the
+ cursor to the end of line (which is more logical,
+ but not Vi-compatible) use ":map Y y$".
+
+ *zy*
+["x]zy{motion} Yank {motion} text [into register x]. Only differs
+ from `y` when selecting a block of text, see |v_zy|.
+
+ *v_y*
+{Visual}["x]y Yank the highlighted text [into register x] (for
+ {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *v_Y*
+{Visual}["x]Y Yank the highlighted lines [into register x] (for
+ {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *v_zy*
+{Visual}["x]zy Yank the highlighted text [into register x]. Trailing
+ whitespace at the end of each line of a selected block
+ won't be yanked. Especially useful in combination
+ with `zp`. (for {Visual} see |Visual-mode|)
+
+ *:y* *:yank* *E850*
+:[range]y[ank] [x] Yank [range] lines [into register x]. Yanking to the
+ "* or "+ registers is possible only when the
+ |+clipboard| feature is included.
+
+:[range]y[ank] [x] {count}
+ Yank {count} lines, starting with last line number
+ in [range] (default: current line |cmdline-ranges|),
+ [into register x].
+
+ *p* *put* *E353* *E1240*
+["x]p Put the text [from register x] after the cursor
+ [count] times.
+
+ *P*
+["x]P Put the text [from register x] before the cursor
+ [count] times.
+
+ *<MiddleMouse>*
+["x]<MiddleMouse> Put the text from a register before the cursor [count]
+ times. Uses the "* register, unless another is
+ specified.
+ Leaves the cursor at the end of the new text.
+ Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
+ or 'a'.
+ If you have a scrollwheel and often accidentally paste
+ text, you can use these mappings to disable the
+ pasting with the middle mouse button: >
+ :map <MiddleMouse> <Nop>
+ :imap <MiddleMouse> <Nop>
+< You might want to disable the multi-click versions
+ too, see |double-click|.
+
+ *gp*
+["x]gp Just like "p", but leave the cursor just after the new
+ text.
+
+ *gP*
+["x]gP Just like "P", but leave the cursor just after the new
+ text.
+
+ *:pu* *:put*
+:[line]pu[t] [x] Put the text [from register x] after [line] (default
+ current line). This always works |linewise|, thus
+ this command can be used to put a yanked block as new
+ lines.
+ If no register is specified, it depends on the 'cb'
+ option: If 'cb' contains "unnamedplus", paste from the
+ + register |quoteplus|. Otherwise, if 'cb' contains
+ "unnamed", paste from the * register |quotestar|.
+ Otherwise, paste from the unnamed register
+ |quote_quote|.
+ The register can also be '=' followed by an optional
+ expression. The expression continues until the end of
+ the command. You need to escape the '|' and '"'
+ characters to prevent them from terminating the
+ command. Example: >
+ :put ='path' .. \",/test\"
+< If there is no expression after '=', Vim uses the
+ previous expression. You can see it with ":dis =".
+
+:[line]pu[t]! [x] Put the text [from register x] before [line] (default
+ current line).
+
+["x]]p or *]p* *]<MiddleMouse>*
+["x]]<MiddleMouse> Like "p", but adjust the indent to the current line.
+ Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
+ or 'a'.
+
+["x][P or *[P*
+["x]]P or *]P*
+["x][p or *[p* *[<MiddleMouse>*
+["x][<MiddleMouse> Like "P", but adjust the indent to the current line.
+ Using the mouse only works when 'mouse' contains 'n'
+ or 'a'.
+
+["x]zp or *zp* *zP*
+["x]zP Like "p" and "P", except without adding trailing spaces
+ when pasting a block. Thus the inserted text will not
+ always be a rectangle. Especially useful in
+ combination with |v_zy|.
+
+You can use these commands to copy text from one place to another. Do this
+by first getting the text into a register with a yank, delete or change
+command, then inserting the register contents with a put command. You can
+also use these commands to move text from one file to another, because Vim
+preserves all registers when changing buffers (the CTRL-^ command is a quick
+way to toggle between two files).
+
+ *linewise-register* *characterwise-register*
+You can repeat the put commands with "." (except for :put) and undo them. If
+the command that was used to get the text into the register was |linewise|,
+Vim inserts the text below ("p") or above ("P") the line where the cursor is.
+Otherwise Vim inserts the text after ("p") or before ("P") the cursor. With
+the ":put" command, Vim always inserts the text in the next line. You can
+exchange two characters with the command sequence "xp". You can exchange two
+lines with the command sequence "ddp". You can exchange two words with the
+command sequence "deep" (start with the cursor in the blank space before the
+first word). You can use the "']" or "`]" command after the put command to
+move the cursor to the end of the inserted text, or use "'[" or "`[" to move
+the cursor to the start.
+
+ *put-Visual-mode* *v_p* *v_P*
+When using a put command like |p| or |P| in Visual mode, Vim will try to
+replace the selected text with the contents of the register. Whether this
+works well depends on the type of selection and the type of the text in the
+register. With blockwise selection it also depends on the size of the block
+and whether the corners are on an existing character. (Implementation detail:
+it actually works by first putting the register after the selection and then
+deleting the selection.)
+With |p| the previously selected text is put in the unnamed register (and
+possibly the selection and/or clipboard). This is useful if you want to put
+that text somewhere else. But you cannot repeat the same change.
+With |P| the unnamed register is not changed (and neither the selection or
+clipboard), you can repeat the same change. But the deleted text cannot be
+used. If you do need it you can use |p| with another register. E.g., yank
+the text to copy, Visually select the text to replace and use "0p . You can
+repeat this as many times as you like, and the unnamed register will be
+changed each time.
+ *blockwise-put*
+When a register contains text from one line (characterwise), using a
+blockwise Visual selection, putting that register will paste that text
+repeatedly in each of the selected lines, thus replacing the blockwise
+selected region by multiple copies of the register text. For example:
+ - yank the word "TEXT" into a register with `yw`
+ - select a visual block, marked with "v" in this text:
+ aaavvaaa
+ bbbvvbbb
+ cccvvccc
+ - press `p`, results in:
+ aaaTEXTaaa
+ bbbTEXTbbb
+ cccTEXTccc
+
+ *blockwise-register*
+If you use a blockwise Visual mode command to get the text into the register,
+the block of text will be inserted before ("P") or after ("p") the cursor
+column in the current and next lines. Vim makes the whole block of text start
+in the same column. Thus the inserted text looks the same as when it was
+yanked or deleted. Vim may replace some <Tab> characters with spaces to make
+this happen. However, if the width of the block is not a multiple of a <Tab>
+width and the text after the inserted block contains <Tab>s, that text may be
+misaligned.
+
+Use |zP|/|zp| to paste a blockwise yanked register without appending trailing
+spaces.
+
+Note that after a characterwise yank command, Vim leaves the cursor on the
+first yanked character that is closest to the start of the buffer. This means
+that "yl" doesn't move the cursor, but "yh" moves the cursor one character
+left.
+Rationale: In Vi the "y" command followed by a backwards motion would
+ sometimes not move the cursor to the first yanked character,
+ because redisplaying was skipped. In Vim it always moves to
+ the first character, as specified by Posix.
+With a linewise yank command the cursor is put in the first line, but the
+column is unmodified, thus it may not be on the first yanked character.
+
+There are ten types of registers: *registers* *{register}* *E354*
+1. The unnamed register ""
+2. 10 numbered registers "0 to "9
+3. The small delete register "-
+4. 26 named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z
+5. Three read-only registers ":, "., "%
+6. Alternate buffer register "#
+7. The expression register "=
+8. The selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~
+9. The black hole register "_
+10. Last search pattern register "/
+
+1. Unnamed register "" *quote_quote* *quotequote*
+Vim fills this register with text deleted with the "d", "c", "s", "x" commands
+or copied with the yank "y" command, regardless of whether or not a specific
+register was used (e.g. "xdd). This is like the unnamed register is pointing
+to the last used register. Thus when appending using an uppercase register
+name, the unnamed register contains the same text as the named register.
+An exception is the '_' register: "_dd does not store the deleted text in any
+register.
+Vim uses the contents of the unnamed register for any put command (p or P)
+which does not specify a register. Additionally you can access it with the
+name '"'. This means you have to type two double quotes. Writing to the ""
+register writes to register "0.
+{Vi: register contents are lost when changing files, no '"'}
+
+2. Numbered registers "0 to "9 *quote_number* *quote0* *quote1*
+ *quote2* *quote3* *quote4* *quote9*
+Vim fills these registers with text from yank and delete commands.
+ Numbered register 0 contains the text from the most recent yank command,
+unless the command specified another register with ["x].
+ Numbered register 1 contains the text deleted by the most recent delete or
+change command, unless the command specified another register or the text is
+less than one line (the small delete register is used then). An exception is
+made for the delete operator with these movement commands: |%|, |(|, |)|, |`|,
+|/|, |?|, |n|, |N|, |{| and |}|. Register "1 is always used then (this is Vi
+compatible). The "- register is used as well if the delete is within a line.
+Note that these characters may be mapped. E.g. |%| is mapped by the matchit
+plugin.
+ With each successive deletion or change, Vim shifts the previous contents
+of register 1 into register 2, 2 into 3, and so forth, losing the previous
+contents of register 9.
+{Vi: numbered register contents are lost when changing files; register 0 does
+not exist}
+
+3. Small delete register "- *quote_-* *quote-*
+This register contains text from commands that delete less than one line,
+except when the command specifies a register with ["x].
+
+4. Named registers "a to "z or "A to "Z *quote_alpha* *quotea*
+Vim fills these registers only when you say so. Specify them as lowercase
+letters to replace their previous contents or as uppercase letters to append
+to their previous contents. When the '>' flag is present in 'cpoptions' then
+a line break is inserted before the appended text.
+
+5. Read-only registers ":, ". and "%
+These are '%', ':' and '.'. You can use them only with the "p", "P",
+and ":put" commands and with CTRL-R.
+ *quote_.* *quote.* *E29*
+ ". Contains the last inserted text (the same as what is inserted
+ with the insert mode commands CTRL-A and CTRL-@). Note: this
+ doesn't work with CTRL-R on the command-line. It works a bit
+ differently, like inserting the text instead of putting it
+ ('textwidth' and other options affect what is inserted).
+ *quote_%* *quote%*
+ "% Contains the name of the current file.
+ *quote_:* *quote:* *E30*
+ ": Contains the most recent executed command-line. Example: Use
+ "@:" to repeat the previous command-line command.
+ The command-line is only stored in this register when at least
+ one character of it was typed. Thus it remains unchanged if
+ the command was completely from a mapping.
+ {not available when compiled without the |+cmdline_hist|
+ feature}
+ *quote_#* *quote#*
+6. Alternate file register "#
+Contains the name of the alternate file for the current window. It will
+change how the |CTRL-^| command works.
+This register is writable, mainly to allow for restoring it after a plugin has
+changed it. It accepts buffer number: >
+ let altbuf = bufnr(@#)
+ ...
+ let @# = altbuf
+It will give error |E86| if you pass buffer number and this buffer does not
+exist.
+It can also accept a match with an existing buffer name: >
+ let @# = 'buffer_name'
+Error |E93| if there is more than one buffer matching the given name or |E94|
+if none of buffers matches the given name.
+
+7. Expression register "= *quote_=* *quote=* *@=*
+This is not really a register that stores text, but is a way to use an
+expression in commands which use a register. The expression register is
+read-write.
+
+When typing the '=' after " or CTRL-R the cursor moves to the command-line,
+where you can enter any expression (see |expression|). All normal
+command-line editing commands are available, including a special history for
+expressions. When you end the command-line by typing <CR>, Vim computes the
+result of the expression. If you end it with <Esc>, Vim abandons the
+expression. If you do not enter an expression, Vim uses the previous
+expression (like with the "/" command).
+
+The expression must evaluate to a String. A Number is always automatically
+converted to a String. For the "p" and ":put" command, if the result is a
+Float it's converted into a String. If the result is a List each element is
+turned into a String and used as a line. A Dictionary or FuncRef results in
+an error message (use string() to convert).
+
+If the "= register is used for the "p" command, the String is split up at <NL>
+characters. If the String ends in a <NL>, it is regarded as a linewise
+register.
+
+8. Selection and drop registers "*, "+ and "~
+Use these registers for storing and retrieving the selected text for the GUI.
+See |quotestar| and |quoteplus|. When the clipboard is not available or not
+working, the unnamed register is used instead. For Unix systems the clipboard
+is only available when the |+xterm_clipboard| feature is present.
+
+Note that there is only a distinction between "* and "+ for X11 systems. For
+an explanation of the difference, see |x11-selection|. Under MS-Windows, use
+of "* and "+ is actually synonymous and refers to the |gui-clipboard|.
+
+ *quote_~* *quote~* *<Drop>*
+The read-only "~ register stores the dropped text from the last drag'n'drop
+operation. When something has been dropped onto Vim, the "~ register is
+filled in and the <Drop> pseudo key is sent for notification. You can remap
+this key if you want; the default action (for all modes) is to insert the
+contents of the "~ register at the cursor position.
+{only available when compiled with the |+dnd| feature, currently only with the
+GTK GUI}
+
+Note: The "~ register is only used when dropping plain text onto Vim.
+Drag'n'drop of URI lists is handled internally.
+
+9. Black hole register "_ *quote_*
+When writing to this register, nothing happens. This can be used to delete
+text without affecting the normal registers. When reading from this register,
+nothing is returned.
+
+10. Last search pattern register "/ *quote_/* *quote/*
+Contains the most recent search-pattern. This is used for "n" and 'hlsearch'.
+It is writable with `:let`, you can change it to have 'hlsearch' highlight
+other matches without actually searching. You can't yank or delete into this
+register. The search direction is available in |v:searchforward|.
+Note that the value is restored when returning from a function
+|function-search-undo|.
+
+ *@/*
+You can write to a register with a `:let` command |:let-@|. Example: >
+ :let @/ = "the"
+
+If you use a put command without specifying a register, Vim uses the register
+that was last filled (this is also the contents of the unnamed register). If
+you are confused, use the `:dis` command to find out what Vim will put (this
+command displays all named and numbered registers; the unnamed register is
+labelled '"').
+
+The next three commands always work on whole lines.
+
+:[range]co[py] {address} *:co* *:copy*
+ Copy the lines given by [range] to below the line
+ given by {address}.
+
+ *:t*
+:t Synonym for copy.
+ This command is not supported in |Vim9| script,
+ because it is too easily confused with a variable
+ name.
+
+:[range]m[ove] {address} *:m* *:mo* *:move* *E134*
+ Move the lines given by [range] to below the line
+ given by {address}.
+
+==============================================================================
+6. Formatting text *formatting*
+
+:[range]ce[nter] [width] *:ce* *:center*
+ Center lines in [range] between [width] columns
+ (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0).
+
+:[range]ri[ght] [width] *:ri* *:right*
+ Right-align lines in [range] at [width] columns
+ (default 'textwidth' or 80 when 'textwidth' is 0).
+
+ *:le* *:left*
+:[range]le[ft] [indent]
+ Left-align lines in [range]. Sets the indent in the
+ lines to [indent] (default 0).
+
+ *gq*
+gq{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over.
+ Formatting is done with one of three methods:
+ 1. If 'formatexpr' is not empty the expression is
+ evaluated. This can differ for each buffer.
+ 2. If 'formatprg' is not empty an external program
+ is used.
+ 3. Otherwise formatting is done internally.
+
+ In the third case the 'textwidth' option controls the
+ length of each formatted line (see below).
+ If the 'textwidth' option is 0, the formatted line
+ length is the screen width (with a maximum width of
+ 79).
+ The 'formatoptions' option controls the type of
+ formatting |fo-table|.
+ The cursor is left on the first non-blank of the last
+ formatted line.
+ NOTE: The "Q" command formerly performed this
+ function. If you still want to use "Q" for
+ formatting, use this mapping: >
+ :nnoremap Q gq
+
+gqgq *gqgq* *gqq*
+gqq Format the current line. With a count format that
+ many lines.
+
+ *v_gq*
+{Visual}gq Format the highlighted text. (for {Visual} see
+ |Visual-mode|).
+
+ *gw*
+gw{motion} Format the lines that {motion} moves over. Similar to
+ |gq| but puts the cursor back at the same position in
+ the text. However, 'formatprg' and 'formatexpr' are
+ not used.
+
+gwgw *gwgw* *gww*
+gww Format the current line as with "gw".
+
+ *v_gw*
+{Visual}gw Format the highlighted text as with "gw". (for
+ {Visual} see |Visual-mode|).
+
+Example: To format the current paragraph use: *gqap* >
+ gqap
+
+The "gq" command leaves the cursor in the line where the motion command takes
+the cursor. This allows you to repeat formatting repeated with ".". This
+works well with "gqj" (format current and next line) and "gq}" (format until
+end of paragraph). Note: When 'formatprg' is set, "gq" leaves the cursor on
+the first formatted line (as with using a filter command).
+
+If you want to format the current paragraph and continue where you were, use: >
+ gwap
+If you always want to keep paragraphs formatted you may want to add the 'a'
+flag to 'formatoptions'. See |auto-format|.
+
+If the 'autoindent' option is on, Vim uses the indent of the first line for
+the following lines.
+
+Formatting does not change empty lines (but it does change lines with only
+white space!).
+
+The 'joinspaces' option is used when lines are joined together.
+
+You can set the 'formatexpr' option to an expression or the 'formatprg' option
+to the name of an external program for Vim to use for text formatting. The
+'textwidth' and other options have no effect on formatting by an external
+program.
+
+ *format-formatexpr*
+The 'formatexpr' option can be set to a Vim script function that performs
+reformatting of the buffer. This should usually happen in an |ftplugin|,
+since formatting is highly dependent on the type of file. It makes
+sense to use an |autoload| script, so the corresponding script is only loaded
+when actually needed and the script should be called <filetype>format.vim.
+
+For example, the XML filetype plugin distributed with Vim in the $VIMRUNTIME
+directory, sets the 'formatexpr' option to: >
+
+ setlocal formatexpr=xmlformat#Format()
+
+That means, you will find the corresponding script, defining the
+xmlformat#Format() function, in the directory:
+`$VIMRUNTIME/autoload/xmlformat.vim`
+
+Here is an example script that removes trailing whitespace from the selected
+text. Put it in your autoload directory, e.g. ~/.vim/autoload/format.vim: >
+
+ func! format#Format()
+ " only reformat on explicit gq command
+ if mode() != 'n'
+ " fall back to Vim's internal reformatting
+ return 1
+ endif
+ let lines = getline(v:lnum, v:lnum + v:count - 1)
+ call map(lines, {key, val -> substitute(val, '\s\+$', '', 'g')})
+ call setline('.', lines)
+
+ " do not run internal formatter!
+ return 0
+ endfunc
+
+You can then enable the formatting by executing: >
+ setlocal formatexpr=format#Format()
+
+Note: this function explicitly returns non-zero when called from insert mode
+(which basically means, text is inserted beyond the 'textwidth' limit). This
+causes Vim to fall back to reformat the text by using the internal formatter.
+
+However, if the |gq| command is used to reformat the text, the function
+will receive the selected lines, trim trailing whitespace from those lines and
+put them back in place. If you are going to split single lines into multiple
+lines, be careful not to overwrite anything.
+
+If you want to allow reformatting of text from insert or replace mode, one has
+to be very careful, because the function might be called recursively. For
+debugging it helps to set the 'debug' option.
+
+ *right-justify*
+There is no command in Vim to right justify text. You can do it with
+an external command, like "par" (e.g.: "!}par" to format until the end of the
+paragraph) or set 'formatprg' to "par".
+
+ *format-comments*
+An overview of comment formatting is in section |30.6| of the user manual.
+
+Vim can automatically insert and format comments in a special way. Vim
+recognizes a comment by a specific string at the start of the line (ignoring
+white space). Three types of comments can be used:
+
+- A comment string that repeats at the start of each line. An example is the
+ type of comment used in shell scripts, starting with "#".
+- A comment string that occurs only in the first line, not in the following
+ lines. An example is this list with dashes.
+- Three-piece comments that have a start string, an end string, and optional
+ lines in between. The strings for the start, middle and end are different.
+ An example is the C style comment:
+ /*
+ * this is a C comment
+ */
+
+The 'comments' option is a comma-separated list of parts. Each part defines a
+type of comment string. A part consists of:
+ {flags}:{string}
+
+{string} is the literal text that must appear.
+
+{flags}:
+ n Nested comment. Nesting with mixed parts is allowed. If 'comments'
+ is "n:),n:>" a line starting with "> ) >" is a comment.
+
+ b Blank (<Space>, <Tab> or <EOL>) required after {string}.
+
+ f Only the first line has the comment string. Do not repeat comment on
+ the next line, but preserve indentation (e.g., a bullet-list).
+
+ s Start of three-piece comment
+
+ m Middle of a three-piece comment
+
+ e End of a three-piece comment
+
+ l Left align. Used together with 's' or 'e', the leftmost character of
+ start or end will line up with the leftmost character from the middle.
+ This is the default and can be omitted. See below for more details.
+
+ r Right align. Same as above but rightmost instead of leftmost. See
+ below for more details.
+
+ O Don't consider this comment for the "O" command.
+
+ x Allows three-piece comments to be ended by just typing the last
+ character of the end-comment string as the first action on a new
+ line when the middle-comment string has been inserted automatically.
+ See below for more details.
+
+ {digits}
+ When together with 's' or 'e': add {digit} amount of offset to an
+ automatically inserted middle or end comment leader. The offset begins
+ from a left alignment. See below for more details.
+
+ -{digits}
+ Like {digits} but reduce the indent. This only works when there is
+ some indent for the start or end part that can be removed.
+
+When a string has none of the 'f', 's', 'm' or 'e' flags, Vim assumes the
+comment string repeats at the start of each line. The flags field may be
+empty.
+
+Any blank space in the text before and after the {string} is part of the
+{string}, so do not include leading or trailing blanks unless the blanks are a
+required part of the comment string.
+
+When one comment leader is part of another, specify the part after the whole.
+For example, to include both "-" and "->", use >
+ :set comments=f:->,f:-
+
+A three-piece comment must always be given as start,middle,end, with no other
+parts in between. An example of a three-piece comment is >
+ sr:/*,mb:*,ex:*/
+for C-comments. To avoid recognizing "*ptr" as a comment, the middle string
+includes the 'b' flag. For three-piece comments, Vim checks the text after
+the start and middle strings for the end string. If Vim finds the end string,
+the comment does not continue on the next line. Three-piece comments must
+have a middle string because otherwise Vim can't recognize the middle lines.
+
+Notice the use of the "x" flag in the above three-piece comment definition.
+When you hit Return in a C-comment, Vim will insert the middle comment leader
+for the new line: " * ". To close this comment you just have to type "/"
+before typing anything else on the new line. This will replace the
+middle-comment leader with the end-comment leader and apply any specified
+alignment, leaving just " */". There is no need to hit Backspace first.
+
+When there is a match with a middle part, but there also is a matching end
+part which is longer, the end part is used. This makes a C style comment work
+without requiring the middle part to end with a space.
+
+Here is an example of alignment flags at work to make a comment stand out
+(kind of looks like a 1 too). Consider comment string: >
+ :set comments=sr:/***,m:**,ex-2:******/
+<
+ /*** ~
+ **<--right aligned from "r" flag ~
+ ** ~
+offset 2 spaces for the "-2" flag--->** ~
+ ******/ ~
+In this case, the first comment was typed, then return was pressed 4 times,
+then "/" was pressed to end the comment.
+
+Here are some finer points of three part comments. There are three times when
+alignment and offset flags are taken into consideration: opening a new line
+after a start-comment, opening a new line before an end-comment, and
+automatically ending a three-piece comment. The end alignment flag has a
+backwards perspective; the result is that the same alignment flag used with
+"s" and "e" will result in the same indent for the starting and ending pieces.
+Only one alignment per comment part is meant to be used, but an offset number
+will override the "r" and "l" flag.
+
+Enabling 'cindent' will override the alignment flags in many cases.
+Reindenting using a different method like |gq| or |=| will not consult
+alignment flags either. The same behaviour can be defined in those other
+formatting options. One consideration is that 'cindent' has additional options
+for context based indenting of comments but cannot replicate many three piece
+indent alignments. However, 'indentexpr' has the ability to work better with
+three piece comments.
+
+Other examples: >
+ "b:*" Includes lines starting with "*", but not if the "*" is
+ followed by a non-blank. This avoids a pointer dereference
+ like "*str" to be recognized as a comment.
+ "n:>" Includes a line starting with ">", ">>", ">>>", etc.
+ "fb:-" Format a list that starts with "- ".
+
+By default, "b:#" is included. This means that a line that starts with
+"#include" is not recognized as a comment line. But a line that starts with
+"# define" is recognized. This is a compromise.
+
+ *fo-table*
+You can use the 'formatoptions' option to influence how Vim formats text.
+'formatoptions' is a string that can contain any of the letters below. The
+default setting is "tcq". You can separate the option letters with commas for
+readability.
+
+letter meaning when present in 'formatoptions' ~
+ *fo-t*
+t Auto-wrap text using 'textwidth'
+ *fo-c*
+c Auto-wrap comments using 'textwidth', inserting the current comment
+ leader automatically.
+ *fo-r*
+r Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting
+ <Enter> in Insert mode.
+ *fo-o*
+o Automatically insert the current comment leader after hitting 'o' or
+ 'O' in Normal mode. In case comment is unwanted in a specific place
+ use CTRL-U to quickly delete it. |i_CTRL-U|
+ *fo-/*
+/ When 'o' is included: do not insert the comment leader for a //
+ comment after a statement, only when // is at the start of the line.
+ *fo-q*
+q Allow formatting of comments with "gq".
+ Note that formatting will not change blank lines or lines containing
+ only the comment leader. A new paragraph starts after such a line,
+ or when the comment leader changes.
+ *fo-w*
+w Trailing white space indicates a paragraph continues in the next line.
+ A line that ends in a non-white character ends a paragraph.
+ *fo-a*
+a Automatic formatting of paragraphs. Every time text is inserted or
+ deleted the paragraph will be reformatted. See |auto-format|.
+ When the 'c' flag is present this only happens for recognized
+ comments.
+ *fo-n*
+n When formatting text, recognize numbered lists. This actually uses
+ the 'formatlistpat' option, thus any kind of list can be used. The
+ indent of the text after the number is used for the next line. The
+ default is to find a number, optionally followed by '.', ':', ')',
+ ']' or '}'. Note that 'autoindent' must be set too. Doesn't work
+ well together with "2".
+ Example: >
+ 1. the first item
+ wraps
+ 2. the second item
+< *fo-2*
+2 When formatting text, use the indent of the second line of a paragraph
+ for the rest of the paragraph, instead of the indent of the first
+ line. This supports paragraphs in which the first line has a
+ different indent than the rest. Note that 'autoindent' must be set
+ too. Example: >
+ first line of a paragraph
+ second line of the same paragraph
+ third line.
+< This also works inside comments, ignoring the comment leader.
+ *fo-v*
+v Vi-compatible auto-wrapping in insert mode: Only break a line at a
+ blank that you have entered during the current insert command. (Note:
+ this is not 100% Vi compatible. Vi has some "unexpected features" or
+ bugs in this area. It uses the screen column instead of the line
+ column.)
+ *fo-b*
+b Like 'v', but only auto-wrap if you enter a blank at or before
+ the wrap margin. If the line was longer than 'textwidth' when you
+ started the insert, or you do not enter a blank in the insert before
+ reaching 'textwidth', Vim does not perform auto-wrapping.
+ *fo-l*
+l Long lines are not broken in insert mode: When a line was longer than
+ 'textwidth' when the insert command started, Vim does not
+ automatically format it.
+ *fo-m*
+m Also break at a multibyte character above 255. This is useful for
+ Asian text where every character is a word on its own.
+ *fo-M*
+M When joining lines, don't insert a space before or after a multibyte
+ character. Overrules the 'B' flag.
+ *fo-B*
+B When joining lines, don't insert a space between two multibyte
+ characters. Overruled by the 'M' flag.
+ *fo-1*
+1 Don't break a line after a one-letter word. It's broken before it
+ instead (if possible).
+ *fo-]*
+] Respect 'textwidth' rigorously. With this flag set, no line can be
+ longer than 'textwidth', unless line-break-prohibition rules make this
+ impossible. Mainly for CJK scripts and works only if 'encoding' is
+ "utf-8".
+ *fo-j*
+j Where it makes sense, remove a comment leader when joining lines. For
+ example, joining:
+ int i; // the index ~
+ // in the list ~
+ Becomes:
+ int i; // the index in the list ~
+ *fo-p*
+p Don't break lines at single spaces that follow periods. This is
+ intended to complement 'joinspaces' and |cpo-J|, for prose with
+ sentences separated by two spaces. For example, with 'textwidth' set
+ to 28: >
+ Surely you're joking, Mr. Feynman!
+< Becomes: >
+ Surely you're joking,
+ Mr. Feynman!
+< Instead of: >
+ Surely you're joking, Mr.
+ Feynman!
+
+
+With 't' and 'c' you can specify when Vim performs auto-wrapping:
+value action ~
+"" no automatic formatting (you can use "gq" for manual formatting)
+"t" automatic formatting of text, but not comments
+"c" automatic formatting for comments, but not text (good for C code)
+"tc" automatic formatting for text and comments
+
+Note that when 'textwidth' is 0, Vim does no automatic formatting anyway (but
+does insert comment leaders according to the 'comments' option). An exception
+is when the 'a' flag is present. |auto-format|
+
+Note that when 'paste' is on, Vim does no formatting at all.
+
+Note that 'textwidth' can be non-zero even if Vim never performs auto-wrapping;
+'textwidth' is still useful for formatting with "gq".
+
+If the 'comments' option includes "/*", "*" and/or "*/", then Vim has some
+built in stuff to treat these types of comments a bit more cleverly.
+Opening a new line before or after "/*" or "*/" (with 'r' or 'o' present in
+'formatoptions') gives the correct start of the line automatically. The same
+happens with formatting and auto-wrapping. Opening a line after a line
+starting with "/*" or "*" and containing "*/", will cause no comment leader to
+be inserted, and the indent of the new line is taken from the line containing
+the start of the comment.
+E.g.:
+ /* ~
+ * Your typical comment. ~
+ */ ~
+ The indent on this line is the same as the start of the above
+ comment.
+
+All of this should be really cool, especially in conjunction with the new
+:autocmd command to prepare different settings for different types of file.
+
+Some examples:
+ for C code (only format comments): >
+ :set fo=croq
+< for Mail/news (format all, don't start comment with "o" command): >
+ :set fo=tcrq
+<
+
+Automatic formatting *auto-format* *autoformat*
+
+When the 'a' flag is present in 'formatoptions' text is formatted
+automatically when inserting text or deleting text. This works nicely for
+editing text paragraphs. A few hints on how to use this:
+
+- You need to properly define paragraphs. The simplest is paragraphs that are
+ separated by a blank line. When there is no separating blank line, consider
+ using the 'w' flag and adding a space at the end of each line in the
+ paragraphs except the last one.
+
+- You can set the 'formatoptions' based on the type of file |filetype| or
+ specifically for one file with a |modeline|.
+
+- Set 'formatoptions' to "aw2tq" to make text with indents like this:
+
+ bla bla foobar bla
+ bla foobar bla foobar bla
+ bla bla foobar bla
+ bla foobar bla bla foobar
+
+- Add the 'c' flag to only auto-format comments. Useful in source code.
+
+- Set 'textwidth' to the desired width. If it is zero then 79 is used, or the
+ width of the screen if this is smaller.
+
+And a few warnings:
+
+- When part of the text is not properly separated in paragraphs, making
+ changes in this text will cause it to be formatted anyway. Consider doing >
+
+ :set fo-=a
+
+- When using the 'w' flag (trailing space means paragraph continues) and
+ deleting the last line of a paragraph with |dd|, the paragraph will be
+ joined with the next one.
+
+- Changed text is saved for undo. Formatting is also a change. Thus each
+ format action saves text for undo. This may consume quite a lot of memory.
+
+- Formatting a long paragraph and/or with complicated indenting may be slow.
+
+==============================================================================
+7. Sorting text *sorting*
+
+Vim has a sorting function and a sorting command. The sorting function can be
+found here: |sort()|, |uniq()|.
+
+ *:sor* *:sort*
+:[range]sor[t][!] [b][f][i][l][n][o][r][u][x] [/{pattern}/]
+ Sort lines in [range]. When no range is given all
+ lines are sorted.
+
+ With [!] the order is reversed.
+
+ With [i] case is ignored.
+
+ With [l] sort uses the current collation locale.
+ Implementation details: strcoll() is used to compare
+ strings. See |:language| to check or set the collation
+ locale. Example: >
+ :language collate en_US.UTF-8
+ :%sort l
+< |v:collate| can also used to check the current locale.
+ Sorting using the locale typically ignores case.
+ This does not work properly on Mac.
+
+ Options [n][f][x][o][b] are mutually exclusive.
+
+ With [n] sorting is done on the first decimal number
+ in the line (after or inside a {pattern} match).
+ One leading '-' is included in the number.
+
+ With [f] sorting is done on the Float in the line.
+ The value of Float is determined similar to passing
+ the text (after or inside a {pattern} match) to
+ str2float() function. This option is available only
+ if Vim was compiled with Floating point support.
+
+ With [x] sorting is done on the first hexadecimal
+ number in the line (after or inside a {pattern}
+ match). A leading "0x" or "0X" is ignored.
+ One leading '-' is included in the number.
+
+ With [o] sorting is done on the first octal number in
+ the line (after or inside a {pattern} match).
+
+ With [b] sorting is done on the first binary number in
+ the line (after or inside a {pattern} match).
+
+ With [u] (u stands for unique) only keep the first of
+ a sequence of identical lines (ignoring case when [i]
+ is used). Without this flag, a sequence of identical
+ lines will be kept in their original order.
+ Note that leading and trailing white space may cause
+ lines to be different.
+
+ When /{pattern}/ is specified and there is no [r] flag
+ the text matched with {pattern} is skipped, so that
+ you sort on what comes after the match.
+ 'ignorecase' applies to the pattern, but 'smartcase'
+ is not used.
+ Instead of the slash any non-letter can be used.
+ For example, to sort on the second comma-separated
+ field: >
+ :sort /[^,]*,/
+< To sort on the text at virtual column 10 (thus
+ ignoring the difference between tabs and spaces): >
+ :sort /.*\%10v/
+< To sort on the first number in the line, no matter
+ what is in front of it: >
+ :sort /.\{-}\ze\d/
+< (Explanation: ".\{-}" matches any text, "\ze" sets the
+ end of the match and \d matches a digit.)
+ With [r] sorting is done on the matching {pattern}
+ instead of skipping past it as described above.
+ For example, to sort on only the first three letters
+ of each line: >
+ :sort /\a\a\a/ r
+
+< If a {pattern} is used, any lines which don't have a
+ match for {pattern} are kept in their current order,
+ but separate from the lines which do match {pattern}.
+ If you sorted in reverse, they will be in reverse
+ order after the sorted lines, otherwise they will be
+ in their original order, right before the sorted
+ lines.
+
+ If {pattern} is empty (e.g. // is specified), the
+ last search pattern is used. This allows trying out
+ a pattern first.
+
+Note that using `:sort` with `:global` doesn't sort the matching lines, it's
+quite useless.
+
+`:sort` does not use the current locale unless the l flag is used.
+Vim does do a "stable" sort.
+
+The sorting can be interrupted, but if you interrupt it too late in the
+process you may end up with duplicated lines. This also depends on the system
+library function used.
+
+ vim:tw=78:ts=8:noet:ft=help:norl: