VIM Perl Support

[Jul 3, 2005] Cream for Vim Text Editor -- Free Software contains instructions how to compile VIM with Perl support enabled.

[Jul 10, 2000] Vim documentation if_perl

 if_perl.txt*   For Vim version 5.6.  Last change: 1999 Sep 17
 VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Sven Verdoolaege and Matt Gerassimof

Perl and Vim

1. Editing Perl files |perl-editing|
2. Compiling VIM with Perl interface |perl-compiling|
3. Using the Perl interface |perl-using|

{Vi does not have any of these commands}

The Perl interface only works when Vim was compiled with the |+perl| feature.


1. Editing Perl files *perl-editing*

Vim syntax highlighting supports Perl and POD files.  Vim assumes a file is Perl code if the filename has a .pl or .pm suffix. Vim also examines the first line of a file, regardless of the filename suffix, to check if a file is a Perl script (see scripts.vim in Vim's syntax directory).  Vim assumes a file is POD text if the filename has a .POD suffix.

To use tags with Perl, you need a script that generates the tags file from a Perl script.  Here are URLs for two scripts that do this:
http://fohnix.metronet.com/perlinfo/scripts/text-processing/newptags.pl
http://www.geek-girl.com/perl/coombs-scripts/ptags


2. Compiling VIM with Perl interface *perl-compiling*

To compile Vim with Perl interface, you need Perl 5.004 (or later).  Perl must be installed before you compile Vim.
The Perl patches for Vim were made by: Sven Verdoolaege <[email protected]> Matt Gerassimof


3. Using the Perl interface *perl-using*

*:perl* *:pe*
:pe[rl] {cmd} Execute Perl command {cmd}. The current package is "main". {not in Vi}


*:perldo* *:perld* :[range]perld[o] {cmd}
Execute Perl command {cmd} for each line in the [range], with $_ being set to the text of each line in turn, without a trailing <EOL>. Setting $_ will change the text, but note that it is not possible to add or delete lines using this command. The default for [range] is the whole file: "1,$". {not in Vi}

Here are some things you can try:

  :perl $a=1
  :perldo $_=reverse($_);1
  :perl VIM::Msg("hello")
  :perl $line = $curbuf->Get(42)

*perl-overview*
Here is an overview of the functions that are available to Perl:

  :perl VIM::Msg("Text") # displays a message
  :perl VIM::Msg("Error", "ErrorMsg") # displays an error message
  :perl VIM::Msg("remark", "Comment") # displays a highlighted message
  :perl VIM::SetOption("ai") # sets a vim option
  :perl ($v, $success) = VIM::Eval('&path') # $v=option 'path', $success=1
  :perl ($v, $success) = VIM::Eval('&xyz')  # $v='' and $success=0 (no option)
  :perl $v = VIM::Eval('expand("<cfile>")')   # expand <cfile>
  :perl $curwin->SetHeight(10) # sets the window height
  :perl @pos = $curwin->Cursor() # returns (row, col) array
  :perl @pos = (10, 10)
  :perl $curwin->Cursor(@pos) # sets cursor to @pos
  :perl $curwin->Cursor(10,10) # sets cursor to row 10 col 10
  :perl $curbuf->Name() # returns buffer name
  :perl $curbuf->Count() # returns the number of lines
  :perl $l = $curbuf->Get(10) # returns line 10
  :perl @l = $curbuf->Get(1 .. 5) # returns lines 1 through 5
  :perl $curbuf->Delete(10) # deletes line 10
  :perl $curbuf->Delete(10, 20) # delete lines 10 through 20
  :perl $curbuf->Append(10, "Line") # appends a line
  :perl $curbuf->Append(10, "Line1", "Line2", "Line3") # appends 3 lines
  :perl @l = ("L1", "L2", "L3")
  :perl $curbuf->Append(10, @l) # appends L1, L2 and L3
  :perl $curbuf->Set(10, "Line") # replaces line 10
  :perl $curbuf->Set(10, "Line1", "Line2") # replaces lines 10 and 11
  :perl $curbuf->Set(10, @l) # replaces 3 lines


*perl-Msg* VIM::Msg({msg}, {group}?)
Displays the message {msg}.  The optional {group} argument specifies a highlight group for Vim to use for the message.

*perl-SetOption* VIM::SetOption({arg})
Sets a vim option.  {arg} can be any argument that the ":set" command accepts.  Note that this means that no
spaces are allowed in the argument!  See |:set|.

*perl-Buffers* VIM::Buffers([{bn}...])
With no arguments, returns a list of all the buffers in an array context or returns the number of buffers
in a scalar context.  For a list of buffer names or numbers {bn}, returns a list of the buffers matching {bn}, using the same rules as Vim's internal |bufname()| function.

*perl-Windows* VIM::Windows([{wn}...]) With no arguments, returns a list of all the windows in an array context or returns the number of windows in a scalar context.  For a list of window numbers {wn}, returns a list of the windows with those numbers.

*perl-DoCommand* VIM::DoCommand({cmd}) Executes Ex command {cmd}.


*perl-Eval* VIM::Eval({expr})
Evaluates {expr} and returns (success, val). success=1 indicates that val contains the value of {expr}; success=0 indicates a failure to evaluate the expression.  '@x' returns the contents of register x, '&x' returns the value of option x, 'x' returns the
value of internal |variables| x, and '$x' is equivalent to perl's $ENV{x}.  All |functions| accessible from the command-line are valid for {expr}.

*perl-SetHeight* Window->SetHeight({height})
Sets the Window height to {height}, within screen limits.

*perl-GetCursor* Window->Cursor({row}?, {col}?)
With no arguments, returns a (row, col) array for the current cursor position in the Window.  With {row} and {col} arguments, sets the Window's cursor position to {row} and {col}.  Note that {col} is numbered from 0, Perl-fashion, and thus is one less than the value in Vim's ruler.

*perl-Buffer* Window->Buffer()  Returns the Buffer object corresponding to the given Window.

*perl-Name* Buffer->Name() Returns the filename for the Buffer.

*perl-Number*  Buffer->Number() Returns the number of the Buffer.

*perl-Count*
Buffer->Count() Returns the number of lines in the Buffer.

*perl-Get* Buffer->Get({lnum}, {lnum}?, ...)
Returns a text string of line {lnum} in the Buffer for each {lnum} specified. An array can be passed with a list of {lnum}'s specified.

*perl-Delete* Buffer->Delete({lnum}, {lnum}?)
Deletes line {lnum} in the Buffer.  With the second {lnum}, deletes the range of lines from the first {lnum} to the second {lnum}.

*perl-Append* Buffer->Append({lnum}, {line}, {line}?, ...)
Appends each {line} string after Buffer line {lnum}. The list of {line}s can be an array.

*perl-Set* Buffer->Set({lnum}, {line}, {line}?, ...)
Replaces one or more Buffer lines with specified {lines}s, starting at Buffer line {lnum}.  The list of {line}s can be an array.  If the arguments are invalid, replacement does not occur.

$main::curwin
The current window object.

$main::curbuf
The current buffer object.

Etc

Society

Groupthink : Two Party System as Polyarchy : Corruption of Regulators : Bureaucracies : Understanding Micromanagers and Control Freaks : Toxic Managers :   Harvard Mafia : Diplomatic Communication : Surviving a Bad Performance Review : Insufficient Retirement Funds as Immanent Problem of Neoliberal Regime : PseudoScience : Who Rules America : Neoliberalism  : The Iron Law of Oligarchy : Libertarian Philosophy

Quotes

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Bulletin:

Vol 25, No.12 (December, 2013) Rational Fools vs. Efficient Crooks The efficient markets hypothesis : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2013 : Unemployment Bulletin, 2010 :  Vol 23, No.10 (October, 2011) An observation about corporate security departments : Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 : Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 : Vol 25, No.10 (October, 2013) Cryptolocker Trojan (Win32/Crilock.A) : Vol 25, No.08 (August, 2013) Cloud providers as intelligence collection hubs : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : Inequality Bulletin, 2009 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Copyleft Problems Bulletin, 2004 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Energy Bulletin, 2010 : Malware Protection Bulletin, 2010 : Vol 26, No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult : Political Skeptic Bulletin, 2011 : Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05 (May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method  : Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law

History:

Fifty glorious years (1950-2000): the triumph of the US computer engineering : Donald Knuth : TAoCP and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman : Linus Torvalds  : Larry Wall  : John K. Ousterhout : CTSS : Multix OS Unix History : Unix shell history : VI editor : History of pipes concept : Solaris : MS DOS :  Programming Languages History : PL/1 : Simula 67 : C : History of GCC development :  Scripting Languages : Perl history   : OS History : Mail : DNS : SSH : CPU Instruction Sets : SPARC systems 1987-2006 : Norton Commander : Norton Utilities : Norton Ghost : Frontpage history : Malware Defense History : GNU Screen : OSS early history

Classic books:

The Peter Principle : Parkinson Law : 1984 : The Mythical Man-Month :  How to Solve It by George Polya : The Art of Computer Programming : The Elements of Programming Style : The Unix Hater’s Handbook : The Jargon file : The True Believer : Programming Pearls : The Good Soldier Svejk : The Power Elite

Most popular humor pages:

Manifest of the Softpanorama IT Slacker Society : Ten Commandments of the IT Slackers Society : Computer Humor Collection : BSD Logo Story : The Cuckoo's Egg : IT Slang : C++ Humor : ARE YOU A BBS ADDICT? : The Perl Purity Test : Object oriented programmers of all nations : Financial Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2008 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2010 : The Most Comprehensive Collection of Editor-related Humor : Programming Language Humor : Goldman Sachs related humor : Greenspan humor : C Humor : Scripting Humor : Real Programmers Humor : Web Humor : GPL-related Humor : OFM Humor : Politically Incorrect Humor : IDS Humor : "Linux Sucks" Humor : Russian Musical Humor : Best Russian Programmer Humor : Microsoft plans to buy Catholic Church : Richard Stallman Related Humor : Admin Humor : Perl-related Humor : Linus Torvalds Related humor : PseudoScience Related Humor : Networking Humor : Shell Humor : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2011 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2012 : Financial Humor Bulletin, 2013 : Java Humor : Software Engineering Humor : Sun Solaris Related Humor : Education Humor : IBM Humor : Assembler-related Humor : VIM Humor : Computer Viruses Humor : Bright tomorrow is rescheduled to a day after tomorrow : Classic Computer Humor

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Last modified: March 12, 2019