Table 9-1. :set options
Option | Default | Description |
---|
autoindent (ai) | noai | In insert mode, indent each line to the same level as the line above or below. Use with the shiftwidth option. |
autoprint (ap) | ap | Display changes after each editor command. (For global replacement, display last replacement.) |
autowrite (aw) | noaw | Automatically write (save) the file if changed before opening another file with a command such as :n or before giving a Unix command with :!. |
background (bg) | | Describe the background so the editor can choose appropriate highlighting colors. Default value of dark or light depends on the environment in which the editor is invoked. {vim} |
backup (bk) | nobackup | Create a backup file when overwriting an existing file. {vim} |
backupdir= (bdir) | .,~/tmp/,~/ | Name directories in which to store backup files if possible. The list of directories is comma-separated and in order of preference. {vim} |
beautify (bf) | nobf | Ignore all control characters during input (except tab, newline, or formfeed). |
backupext= (bex) | ~ | String to append to filenames for backup files. {vim} |
cindent (cin) | nocindent | In insert mode, indents each line relative to the one above it, as is appropriate for C or C++ code. {vim} |
compatible (cp) | cp | Make vim behave more like vi. Default is nocp when a ~/.vimrc file is found. {vim} |
directory (dir) | /tmp | Name of directory in which ex/vi stores buffer files. (Directory must be writable.) This can be a comma-separated list for vim. |
edcompatible | noedcompatible | Remember the flags used with the most recent substitute command (global, confirming) and use them for the next substitute command. Despite the name, no version of ed actually does this. |
equalprg= (ep) | | Use the specified program for the = command. When the option is blank (the default), the key invokes the internal C indenting function or the value of the indentexpr option. {vim} |
errorbells (eb) | errorbells | Sound bell when an error occurs. |
exrc (ex) | noexrc | Allow the execution of .exrc files that reside outside the user's home directory. |
flash (fp) | | Flash the screen instead of ringing the bell. |
formatprg= (fp) | | The gq command invokes the named external program to format text. It calls internal formatting functions when this option is empty (the default). {vim} |
gdefault (gd) | nogdefault | Set the g flag on for substitutions by default. {vim} |
hardtabs= (ht) | 8 | Define boundaries for terminal hardware tabs. |
hidden (hid) | nohidden | Hide buffers rather than unload them when they are abandoned. {vim} |
hlsearch (hls) | hlsearch | Highlight all matches of most recent search pattern. Use :nohlsearch to remove highlighting. {vim} |
history= (hi) | 20 | Number of ex commands to store in the history table. {vim} |
ignorecase (ic) | noic | Disregard case during a search. |
incsearch (is) | noincsearch | Highlight matches to a search pattern as it is typed. {vim} |
lisp | nolisp | Insert indents in appropriate Lisp format. (, ), {, }, [ [, and ] ] are modified to have meaning for Lisp. |
list | nolist | Print tabs as ^I; mark ends of lines with $. (Use list to tell if end character is a tab or a space.) |
magic | magic | Wildcard characters . (dot), * (asterisk), and [ ] (brackets) have special meaning in patterns. |
mesg | mesg | Permit system messages to display on terminal while editing in vi. |
mousehide (mh) | mousehide | When characters are typed, hide the mouse pointer. {vim} |
novice | nonovice | Require the use of long ex command names, such as copy or read. |
number (nu) | nonu | Display line numbers on left of screen during editing session. |
open | open | Allow entry to open or visual mode from ex. Although not in Solaris vi or vim, this option has traditionally been in vi, and may be in your version of vi. |
optimize (opt) | noopt | Abolish carriage returns at the end of lines when printing multiple lines; speed output on dumb terminals when printing lines with leading whitespace (spaces or tabs). |
paragraphs (para) | IPLPPPQPP LIpplpipnpbplpipbp | Define paragraph delimiters for movement by { or }. The pairs of characters in the value are the names of troff macros that begin paragraphs. |
paste | nopaste | Change the defaults of various options to make pasting text into a terminal window work better. All options are returned to their original value when the paste option is reset. {vim} |
prompt | prompt | Display the ex prompt ( : ) when vi 's Q command is given. |
readonly (ro) | noro | Any writes (saves) of a file fail unless you use ! after the write (works with w, ZZ, or autowrite). |
redraw (re) | | vi redraws the screen whenever edits are made. noredraw is useful at slow speeds on a dumb terminal: the screen isn't fully updated until you press ESCAPE. Default depends on line speed and terminal type. |
remap | remap | Allow nested map sequences. |
report= | 5 | Display a message on the status line whenever you make an edit that affects at least a certain number of lines. For example, 6dd reports the message "6 lines deleted." |
ruler (ru) | ruler | Show line and column numbers for the current cursor position. {vim} |
scroll= | [1/2 window] | Number of lines to scroll with ^D and ^U commands. |
sections= (sect) | NHSHH HUuhsh+c | Define section delimiters for [ [ and ] ] movement. The pairs of characters in the value are the names of troff macros that begin sections. |
shell= (sh) | /bin/sh | Pathname of shell used for shell escape (:!) and shell command (:sh). Default value is derived from shell environment, which varies on different systems. |
shiftwidth= (sw) | 8 | Define number of spaces used when the indent is increased or decreased. |
showmatch (sm) | nosm | In vi, when ) or } is entered, cursor moves briefly to matching ( or {. (If no match, rings the error message bell.) Very useful for programming. |
showmode | noshowmode | In insert mode, display a message on the prompt line indicating the type of insert you are making. For example, "OPEN MODE" or "APPEND MODE." |
slowopen (slow) | | Hold off display during insert. Default depends on line speed and terminal type. |
smartcase (scs) | nosmartcase | Override the ignorecase option when a search pattern contains uppercase characters. {vim} |
tabstop= (ts) | 8 | Define number of spaces a tab indents during editing session. (Printer still uses system tab of 8.) |
taglength= (tl) | 0 | Define number of characters that are significant for tags. Default (zero) means that all characters are significant. |
tags= | tags /usr/lib/tags | Define pathname of files containing tags. (See the Unix ctags command.) (By default, vi searches the file tags in the current directory and /usr/lib/tags.) |
tagstack | tagstack | Enable stacking of tag locations on a stack. (Solaris vi and vim.) |
term= | | Set terminal type. |
terse | noterse | Display shorter error messages. |
textwidth= (tw) | 0 | The maximum width of text to be inserted; longer lines are broken after whitespace. Default (zero) disables this feature, in which case wrapmargin is used. {vim} |
timeout (to) | timeout | Keyboard maps time out after 1 second.[*] |
timeoutlen= (tm) | 1000 | Number of milliseconds after which keyboard maps time out. Default value of 1000 provides traditional vi behavior. {vim} |
ttytype= | | Set terminal type. This is just another name for term. |
undolevels= (ul) | 1000 | Number of changes that can be undone. {vim} |
warn | warn | Display the warning message, "No write since last change." |
window (w) | | Show a certain number of lines of the file on the screen. Default depends on line speed and terminal type. |
wrap | wrap | When on, long lines wrap on the screen. When off, only the first part of the line is displayed. {vim} |
wrapmargin (wm) | 0 | Define right margin. If greater than zero, vi automatically inserts carriage returns to break lines. |
wrapscan (ws) | ws | Searches wrap around either end of file. |
writeany (wa) | nowa | Allow saving to any file. |
writebackup (wb) | wb | Back up files before attempting to overwrite them. Remove the backup when the file has been successfully written, unless the backup option is set. {vim} |