*if_perl.txt*   For Vim version 5.6a.  Last change: 1999 Sep 17


		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Sven Verdoolaege
					 and Matt Gerassimof

Perl and Vim				*perl* *Perl*

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.  Vim's Perl interface does NOT work with
the 5.003 version that has been officially released!  It will probably work
with Perl 5.003_05 and later.

The Perl patches for Vim were made by:
	Sven Verdoolaege <skimo@breughel.ufsia.ac.be>
	Matt Gerassimof

Perl for MS-Windows can be found at:
http://www.perl.com/CPAN-local/ports/nt/Standard/x86/

==============================================================================
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.

Window->Buffer()					*perl-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.


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