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- *sign.txt* For Vim version 7.3. Last change: 2012 Jan 04
-
-
- VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Gordon Prieur
- and Bram Moolenaar
-
-
- Sign Support Features *sign-support*
-
- 1. Introduction |sign-intro|
- 2. Commands |sign-commands|
-
- {Vi does not have any of these features}
- {only available when compiled with the |+signs| feature}
-
- ==============================================================================
- 1. Introduction *sign-intro* *signs*
-
- When a debugger or other IDE tool is driving an editor it needs to be able
- to give specific highlights which quickly tell the user useful information
- about the file. One example of this would be a debugger which had an icon
- in the left-hand column denoting a breakpoint. Another example might be an
- arrow representing the Program Counter (PC). The sign features allow both
- placement of a sign, or icon, in the left-hand side of the window and
- definition of a highlight which will be applied to that line. Displaying the
- sign as an image is most likely only feasible in gvim (although Sun
- Microsystem's dtterm does support this it's the only terminal emulator I know
- of which does). A text sign and the highlight should be feasible in any color
- terminal emulator.
-
- Signs and highlights are not useful just for debuggers. Sun's Visual
- WorkShop uses signs and highlights to mark build errors and SourceBrowser
- hits. Additionally, the debugger supports 8 to 10 different signs and
- highlight colors. |workshop| Same for Netbeans |netbeans|.
-
- There are two steps in using signs:
-
- 1. Define the sign. This specifies the image, text and highlighting. For
- example, you can define a "break" sign with an image of a stop roadsign and
- text "!!".
-
- 2. Place the sign. This specifies the file and line number where the sign is
- displayed. A defined sign can be placed several times in different lines
- and files.
-
- When signs are defined for a file, Vim will automatically add a column of two
- characters to display them in. When the last sign is unplaced the column
- disappears again. The color of the column is set with the SignColumn group
- |hl-SignColumn|. Example to set the color: >
-
- :highlight SignColumn guibg=darkgrey
-
- ==============================================================================
- 2. Commands *sign-commands* *:sig* *:sign*
-
- Here is an example that places a sign "piet", displayed with the text ">>", in
- line 23 of the current file: >
- :sign define piet text=>> texthl=Search
- :exe ":sign place 2 line=23 name=piet file=" . expand("%:p")
-
- And here is the command to delete it again: >
- :sign unplace 2
-
- Note that the ":sign" command cannot be followed by another command or a
- comment. If you do need that, use the |:execute| command.
-
-
- DEFINING A SIGN. *:sign-define* *E255* *E160* *E612*
-
- :sign define {name} {argument}...
- Define a new sign or set attributes for an existing sign.
- The {name} can either be a number (all digits) or a name
- starting with a non-digit. Leading digits are ignored, thus
- "0012", "012" and "12" are considered the same name.
- About 120 different signs can be defined.
-
- Accepted arguments:
-
- icon={bitmap}
- Define the file name where the bitmap can be found. Should be
- a full path. The bitmap should fit in the place of two
- characters. This is not checked. If the bitmap is too big it
- will cause redraw problems. Only GTK 2 can scale the bitmap
- to fit the space available.
- toolkit supports ~
- GTK 1 pixmap (.xpm)
- GTK 2 many
- Motif pixmap (.xpm)
- Win32 .bmp, .ico, .cur
- pixmap (.xpm) |+xpm_w32|
-
- linehl={group}
- Highlighting group used for the whole line the sign is placed
- in. Most useful is defining a background color.
-
- text={text} *E239*
- Define the text that is displayed when there is no icon or the
- GUI is not being used. Only printable characters are allowed
- and they must occupy one or two display cells.
-
- texthl={group}
- Highlighting group used for the text item.
-
-
- DELETING A SIGN *:sign-undefine* *E155*
-
- :sign undefine {name}
- Deletes a previously defined sign. If signs with this {name}
- are still placed this will cause trouble.
-
-
- LISTING SIGNS *:sign-list* *E156*
-
- :sign list Lists all defined signs and their attributes.
-
- :sign list {name}
- Lists one defined sign and its attributes.
-
-
- PLACING SIGNS *:sign-place* *E158*
-
- :sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} file={fname}
- Place sign defined as {name} at line {lnum} in file {fname}.
- *:sign-fname*
- The file {fname} must already be loaded in a buffer. The
- exact file name must be used, wildcards, $ENV and ~ are not
- expanded, white space must not be escaped. Trailing white
- space is ignored.
-
- The sign is remembered under {id}, this can be used for
- further manipulation. {id} must be a number.
- It's up to the user to make sure the {id} is used only once in
- each file (if it's used several times unplacing will also have
- to be done several times and making changes may not work as
- expected).
-
- :sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} buffer={nr}
- Same, but use buffer {nr}.
-
- :sign place {id} name={name} file={fname}
- Change the placed sign {id} in file {fname} to use the defined
- sign {name}. See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
- This can be used to change the displayed sign without moving
- it (e.g., when the debugger has stopped at a breakpoint).
-
- :sign place {id} name={name} buffer={nr}
- Same, but use buffer {nr}.
-
-
- REMOVING SIGNS *:sign-unplace* *E159*
-
- :sign unplace {id} file={fname}
- Remove the previously placed sign {id} from file {fname}.
- See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
-
- :sign unplace {id} buffer={nr}
- Same, but use buffer {nr}.
-
- :sign unplace {id}
- Remove the previously placed sign {id} from all files it
- appears in.
-
- :sign unplace *
- Remove all placed signs.
-
- :sign unplace
- Remove the placed sign at the cursor position.
-
-
- LISTING PLACED SIGNS
-
- :sign place file={fname}
- List signs placed in file {fname}.
- See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
-
- :sign place buffer={nr}
- List signs placed in buffer {nr}.
-
- :sign place List placed signs in all files.
-
-
- JUMPING TO A SIGN *:sign-jump* *E157*
-
- :sign jump {id} file={fname}
- Open the file {fname} or jump to the window that contains
- {fname} and position the cursor at sign {id}.
- See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
- If the file isn't displayed in window and the current file can
- not be |abandon|ed this fails.
-
- :sign jump {id} buffer={nr}
- Same, but use buffer {nr}.
-
- vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
-