matches for
"help", to avoid listing all possible matches (that
would be very slow).
The number of matches displayed is limited to 300.
The `:help` command can be followed by '|' and another
command, but you don't need to escape the '|' inside a
help command. So these both work: >
:help |
:help k| only
< Note that a space before the '|' is seen as part of
the ":help" argument.
You can also use <NL> or <CR> to separate the help
command from a following command. You need to type
CTRL-V first to insert the <NL> or <CR>. Example: >
:help so<C-V><CR>only
<
:h[elp]! [subject] Like ":help", but in non-English help files prefer to
find a tag in a file with the same language as the
current file. See |help-translated|.
*:helpc* *:helpclose*
:helpc[lose] Close one help window, if there is one.
Vim will try to restore the window layout (including
cursor position) to the same layout it was before
opening the help window initially. This might cause
triggering several autocommands.
*:helpg* *:helpgrep*
:helpg[rep] {pattern}[@xx]
Search all help text files and make a list of lines
in which {pattern} matches. Jumps to the first match.
The optional [@xx] specifies that only matches in the
"xx" language are to be found.
You can navigate through the matches with the
|quickfix| commands, e.g., |:cnext| to jump to the
next one. Or use |:cwindow| to get the list of
matches in the quickfix window.
{pattern} is used as a Vim regexp |pattern|.
'ignorecase' is not used, add "\c" to ignore case.
Example for case sensitive search: >
:helpgrep Uganda
< Example for case ignoring search: >
:helpgrep uganda\c
< Example for searching in French help: >
:helpgrep backspace@fr
< The pattern does not support line breaks, it must
match within one line. You can use |:grep| instead,
but then you need to get the list of help files in a
complicated way.
Cannot be followed by another command, everything is
used as part of the pattern. But you can use
|:execute| when needed.
Compressed help files will not be searched (Fedora
compresses the help files).
*:lh* *:lhelpgrep*
:lh[elpgrep] {pattern}[@xx]
Same as ":helpgrep", except the location list is used
instead of the quickfix list. If the help window is
already opened, then the location list for that window
is used. Otherwise, a new help window is opened and
the location list for that window is set. The
location list for the current window is not changed
then.
*:exu* *:exusage*
:exu[sage] Show help on Ex commands. Added to simulate the Nvi
command.
*:viu* *:viusage*
:viu[sage] Show help on Normal mode commands. Added to simulate
the Nvi command.
When no argument is given to |:help| the file given with the 'helpfile' option
will be opened. Otherwise the specified tag is searched for in all "doc/tags"
files in the directories specified in the 'runtimepath' option.
If you would like to open the help in the current window, see this tip:
|help-curwin|.
The initial height of the help window can be set with the 'helpheight' option
(default 20).
*help-buffer-options*
When the help buffer is created, several local options are set to make sure
the help text is displayed as it was intended:
'iskeyword' nearly all ASCII chars except ' ', "*", '"' and '|'
'foldmethod' "manual"
'tabstop' 8
'arabic' off
'binary' off
'buflisted' off
'cursorbind' off
'diff' off
'foldenable' off
'list' off
'modifiable' off
'number' off
'relativenumber' off
'rightleft' off
'scrollbind' off
'spell' off
Jump to specific subjects by using tags. This can be done in two ways:
- Use the "CTRL-]" command while standing on the name of a command or option.
This only works when the tag is a keyword. "<C-Leftmouse>" and
"g<LeftMouse>" work just like "CTRL-]".