1*sign.txt*      For Vim version 7.3.  Last change: 2010 May 07
2
3
4		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Gordon Prieur
5					  and Bram Moolenaar
6
7
8Sign Support Features				*sign-support*
9
101. Introduction				|sign-intro|
112. Commands				|sign-commands|
12
13{Vi does not have any of these features}
14{only available when compiled with the |+signs| feature}
15
16==============================================================================
171. Introduction					*sign-intro* *signs*
18
19When a debugger or other IDE tool is driving an editor it needs to be able
20to give specific highlights which quickly tell the user useful information
21about the file.  One example of this would be a debugger which had an icon
22in the left-hand column denoting a breakpoint.  Another example might be an
23arrow representing the Program Counter (PC).  The sign features allow both
24placement of a sign, or icon, in the left-hand side of the window and
25definition of a highlight which will be applied to that line.  Displaying the
26sign as an image is most likely only feasible in gvim (although Sun
27Microsystem's dtterm does support this it's the only terminal emulator I know
28of which does).  A text sign and the highlight should be feasible in any color
29terminal emulator.
30
31Signs and highlights are not useful just for debuggers.  Sun's Visual
32WorkShop uses signs and highlights to mark build errors and SourceBrowser
33hits.  Additionally, the debugger supports 8 to 10 different signs and
34highlight colors. |workshop|  Same for Netbeans |netbeans|.
35
36There are two steps in using signs:
37
381. Define the sign.  This specifies the image, text and highlighting.  For
39   example, you can define a "break" sign with an image of a stop roadsign and
40   text "!!".
41
422. Place the sign.  This specifies the file and line number where the sign is
43   displayed.  A defined sign can be placed several times in different lines
44   and files.
45
46When signs are defined for a file, Vim will automatically add a column of two
47characters to display them in.  When the last sign is unplaced the column
48disappears again.  The color of the column is set with the SignColumn group
49|hl-SignColumn|.  Example to set the color: >
50
51	:highlight SignColumn guibg=darkgrey
52
53==============================================================================
542. Commands					*sign-commands* *:sig* *:sign*
55
56Here is an example that places a sign "piet", displayed with the text ">>", in
57line 23 of the current file: >
58	:sign define piet text=>> texthl=Search
59	:exe ":sign place 2 line=23 name=piet file=" . expand("%:p")
60
61And here is the command to delete it again: >
62	:sign unplace 2
63
64Note that the ":sign" command cannot be followed by another command or a
65comment.  If you do need that, use the |:execute| command.
66
67
68DEFINING A SIGN.			*:sign-define* *E255* *E160* *E612*
69
70:sign define {name} {argument}...
71		Define a new sign or set attributes for an existing sign.
72		The {name} can either be a number (all digits) or a name
73		starting with a non-digit.
74		About 120 different signs can be defined.
75
76		Accepted arguments:
77
78	icon={pixmap}
79		Define the file name where the bitmap can be found.  Should be
80		a full path.  The bitmap should fit in the place of two
81		characters.  This is not checked.  If the bitmap is too big it
82		will cause redraw problems.  Only GTK 2 can scale the bitmap
83		to fit the space available.
84			toolkit		supports ~
85			GTK 1		pixmap (.xpm)
86			GTK 2		many
87			Motif		pixmap (.xpm)
88
89	linehl={group}
90		Highlighting group used for the whole line the sign is placed
91		in.  Most useful is defining a background color.
92
93	text={text}						*E239*
94		Define the text that is displayed when there is no icon or the
95		GUI is not being used.  Only printable characters are allowed
96		and they must occupy one or two display cells.
97
98	texthl={group}
99		Highlighting group used for the text item.
100
101
102DELETING A SIGN						*:sign-undefine* *E155*
103
104:sign undefine {name}
105		Deletes a previously defined sign.  If signs with this {name}
106		are still placed this will cause trouble.
107
108
109LISTING SIGNS						*:sign-list* *E156*
110
111:sign list	Lists all defined signs and their attributes.
112
113:sign list {name}
114		Lists one defined sign and its attributes.
115
116
117PLACING SIGNS						*:sign-place* *E158*
118
119:sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} file={fname}
120		Place sign defined as {name} at line {lnum} in file {fname}.
121							*:sign-fname*
122		The file {fname} must already be loaded in a buffer.  The
123		exact file name must be used, wildcards, $ENV and ~ are not
124		expanded, white space must not be escaped.  Trailing white
125		space is ignored.
126
127		The sign is remembered under {id}, this can be used for
128		further manipulation.  {id} must be a number.
129		It's up to the user to make sure the {id} is used only once in
130		each file (if it's used several times unplacing will also have
131		to be done several times and making changes may not work as
132		expected).
133
134:sign place {id} line={lnum} name={name} buffer={nr}
135		Same, but use buffer {nr}.
136
137:sign place {id} name={name} file={fname}
138		Change the placed sign {id} in file {fname} to use the defined
139		sign {name}.  See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
140		This can be used to change the displayed sign without moving
141		it (e.g., when the debugger has stopped at a breakpoint).
142
143:sign place {id} name={name} buffer={nr}
144		Same, but use buffer {nr}.
145
146
147REMOVING SIGNS						*:sign-unplace* *E159*
148
149:sign unplace {id} file={fname}
150		Remove the previously placed sign {id} from file {fname}.
151		See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
152
153:sign unplace {id} buffer={nr}
154		Same, but use buffer {nr}.
155
156:sign unplace {id}
157		Remove the previously placed sign {id} from all files it
158		appears in.
159
160:sign unplace *
161		Remove all placed signs.
162
163:sign unplace
164		Remove the placed sign at the cursor position.
165
166
167LISTING PLACED SIGNS
168
169:sign place file={fname}
170		List signs placed in file {fname}.
171		See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
172
173:sign place buffer={nr}
174		List signs placed in buffer {nr}.
175
176:sign place	List placed signs in all files.
177
178
179JUMPING TO A SIGN					*:sign-jump* *E157*
180
181:sign jump {id} file={fname}
182		Open the file {fname} or jump to the window that contains
183		{fname} and position the cursor at sign {id}.
184		See remark above about {fname} |:sign-fname|.
185		If the file isn't displayed in window and the current file can
186		not be |abandon|ed this fails.
187
188:sign jump {id} buffer={nr}
189		Same, but use buffer {nr}.
190
191 vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl:
192