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	docs(lua): add guide to using Lua in Neovim (#21137)
Add introductory guide explaining how to use Lua in Neovim: where to put Lua files, how to set variables and options, how to create mappings, autocommands, and user commands. Adapted with kind permission from https://github.com/nanotee/nvim-lua-guide
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			@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ General subjects ~
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|nvim.txt|	Transitioning from Vim
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|help.txt|	overview and quick reference (this file)
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|helphelp.txt|	about using the help files
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		||||
|lua-guide|	Nvim Lua guide
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|index.txt|	alphabetical index of all commands
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|tips.txt|	various tips on using Vim
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|message.txt|	(error) messages and explanations
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		||||
							
								
								
									
										757
									
								
								runtime/doc/lua-guide.txt
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							
							
						
						
									
										757
									
								
								runtime/doc/lua-guide.txt
									
									
									
									
									
										Normal file
									
								
							@@ -0,0 +1,757 @@
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*lua-guide.txt*                        Nvim
 | 
			
		||||
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		||||
                            NVIM REFERENCE MANUAL
 | 
			
		||||
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		||||
                          Guide to using Lua in Nvim
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		||||
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		||||
                                       Type |gO| to see the table of contents.
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==============================================================================
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Introduction                                                         *lua-guide*
 | 
			
		||||
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This guide will go through the basics of using Lua in Neovim. It is not meant
 | 
			
		||||
to be a comprehensive encyclopedia of all available features, nor will it
 | 
			
		||||
detail all intricacies. Think of it as a survival kit -- the bare minimum
 | 
			
		||||
needed to know to comfortably get started on using Lua in Neovim.
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		||||
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		||||
An important thing to note is that this isn't a guide to the Lua language
 | 
			
		||||
itself. Rather, this is a guide on how to configure and modify Neovim through
 | 
			
		||||
the Lua language and the functions we provide to help with this. Take a look
 | 
			
		||||
at |luaref| and |lua-concepts| if you'd like to learn more about Lua itself.
 | 
			
		||||
Similarly, this guide assumes some familiarity with the basics of Neovim
 | 
			
		||||
(commands, options, mappings, autocommands), which are covered in the
 | 
			
		||||
|user-manual|.
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		||||
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Some words on the API                                            *lua-guide-api*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
The purpose of this guide is to introduce the different ways of interacting
 | 
			
		||||
with Neovim through Lua (the "API"). This API consists of three different
 | 
			
		||||
layers:
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
1. The "Vim API" inherited from Vim: |ex-commands| and |builtin-functions| as
 | 
			
		||||
well as |user-function|s in Vimscript. These are accessed through |vim.cmd()|
 | 
			
		||||
and |vim.fn| respectively, which are discussed under |lua-guide-vimscript|
 | 
			
		||||
below.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
2. The "Neovim API" written in C for use in remote plugins and GUIs; see |api|.
 | 
			
		||||
These functions are accessed through |vim.api|.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
3. The "Lua API" written in and specifically for Lua. These are any other
 | 
			
		||||
functions accessible through `vim.*` not mentioned already; see |lua-stdlib|.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
This distinction is important, as API functions inherit behavior from their
 | 
			
		||||
original layer: For example, Neovim API functions always need all arguments to
 | 
			
		||||
be specified even if Lua itself allows omitting arguments (which are then
 | 
			
		||||
passed as `nil`); and Vim API functions can use 0-based indexing even if Lua
 | 
			
		||||
arrays are 1-indexed by default.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Through this, any possible interaction can be done through Lua without writing
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a complete new API from scratch. For this reason, functions are usually not
 | 
			
		||||
duplicated between layers unless there is a significant benefit in
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functionality or performance (e.g., you can map Lua functions directly through
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|nvim_create_autocmd()| but not through |:autocmd|). In case there are multiple
 | 
			
		||||
ways of achieving the same thing, this guide will only cover what is most
 | 
			
		||||
convenient to use from Lua.
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==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Using Lua                                                  *lua-guide-using-Lua*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
To run Lua code from the Neovim command line, use the |:lua| command:
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
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		||||
    :lua print("Hello!")
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		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note: each |:lua| command has its own scope and variables declared with the
 | 
			
		||||
local keyword are not accessible outside of the command. This won't work:
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
 | 
			
		||||
    :lua local foo = 1
 | 
			
		||||
    :lua print(foo)
 | 
			
		||||
    " prints "nil" instead of "1"
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
You can also use `:lua=`, which is the same as `:lua vim.pretty_print(...)`,
 | 
			
		||||
to conveniently check the value of a variable or a table:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    :lua=package
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
To run a Lua script in an external file, you can use the |:source| command
 | 
			
		||||
exactly like for a Vimscript file:
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
 | 
			
		||||
    :source ~/programs/baz/myluafile.lua
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Finally, you can include Lua code in a Vimscript file by putting it inside a
 | 
			
		||||
|lua-heredoc| block:
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
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		||||
    lua << EOF
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		||||
      local tbl = {1, 2, 3}
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		||||
      for k, v in ipairs(tbl) do
 | 
			
		||||
        print(v)
 | 
			
		||||
      end
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		||||
    EOF
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Using Lua files on startup                                    *lua-guide-config*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Neovim supports using `init.vim` or `init.lua` as the configuration file, but
 | 
			
		||||
not both at the same time. This should be placed in your |config| directory,
 | 
			
		||||
which is typically `~/.config/nvim` for Linux, BSD, or macOS, and
 | 
			
		||||
`~/AppData/Local/nvim/` for Windows. Note that you can use Lua in `init.vim`
 | 
			
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and Vimscript in `init.lua`, which will be covered below.
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		||||
If you'd like to run any other Lua script on |startup| automatically, then you
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		||||
can simply put it in `plugin/` in your |'runtimepath'|.
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		||||
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		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Lua modules                                                  *lua-guide-modules*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
If you want to load Lua files on demand, you can place them in the `lua/`
 | 
			
		||||
directory in your |'runtimepath'| and load them with `require`. (This is the
 | 
			
		||||
Lua equivalent of Vimscript's |autoload| mechanism.)
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Let's assume you have the following directory structure:
 | 
			
		||||
>
 | 
			
		||||
    ~/.config/nvim
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		||||
    |-- after/
 | 
			
		||||
    |-- ftplugin/
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		||||
    |-- lua/
 | 
			
		||||
    |  |-- myluamodule.lua
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		||||
    |  |-- other_modules/
 | 
			
		||||
    |     |-- anothermodule.lua
 | 
			
		||||
    |     |-- init.lua
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    |-- plugin/
 | 
			
		||||
    |-- syntax/
 | 
			
		||||
    |-- init.vim
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		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Then the following Lua code will load `myluamodule.lua`:
 | 
			
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>lua
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    require("myluamodule")
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note the absence of a `.lua` extension.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Similarly, loading `other_modules/anothermodule.lua` is done via
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    require('other_modules/anothermodule')
 | 
			
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    -- or
 | 
			
		||||
    require('other_modules.anothermodule')
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Note how "submodules" are just subdirectories; the `.` is equivalent to the
 | 
			
		||||
path separator `/` (even on Windows).
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
A folder containing an |init.lua| file can be required directly, without
 | 
			
		||||
having to specify the name of the file:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    require('other_modules') -- loads other_modules/init.lua
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Requiring a nonexistent module or a module which contains syntax errors aborts
 | 
			
		||||
the currently executing script. `pcall()` may be used to catch such errors. The
 | 
			
		||||
following example tries to load the `module_with_error` and only calls one of
 | 
			
		||||
its functions if this succeeds and prints an error message otherwise:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    local ok, mymod = pcall(require, 'module_with_error')
 | 
			
		||||
    if not ok then
 | 
			
		||||
      print("Module had an error")
 | 
			
		||||
    else
 | 
			
		||||
      mymod.function()
 | 
			
		||||
    end
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
In contrast to |:source|, |require()| not only searches through all `lua/` directories
 | 
			
		||||
under |'runtimepath'|, it also cache the module on first use. Calling
 | 
			
		||||
`require()` a second time will therefore _not_ execute the script again and
 | 
			
		||||
instead return the cached file. To rerun the file, you need to remove it from
 | 
			
		||||
the cache manually first:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
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    package.loaded['myluamodule'] = nil
 | 
			
		||||
    require('myluamodule')    -- read and execute the module again from disk
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		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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		||||
See also:
 | 
			
		||||
• |lua-require|
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		||||
• |luaref-pcall()|
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		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Using Vim commands and functions from Lua                  *lua-guide-vimscript*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
All Vim commands and functions are accessible from Lua.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Vim commands                                            *lua-guide-vim-commands*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
To run an arbitrary Vim command from Lua, pass it as a string to |vim.cmd()|:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd("colorscheme habamax")
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note that special characters will need to be escaped with backslashes:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd("%s/\\Vfoo/bar/g")
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
An alternative is to use a literal string (see |luaref-literal|) delimited by
 | 
			
		||||
double brackets `[[ ]]` as in
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd([[%s/\Vfoo/bar/g]])
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Another benefit of using literal strings is that they can be multiple lines;
 | 
			
		||||
this allows you to pass multiple commands to a single call of |vim.cmd()|:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd([[
 | 
			
		||||
      highlight Error guibg=red
 | 
			
		||||
      highlight link Warning Error
 | 
			
		||||
    ]])
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
This is the converse of |lua-heredoc| and allows you to include Lua code in
 | 
			
		||||
your `init.vim`.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
If you want to build your Vim command programmatically, the following form can
 | 
			
		||||
be useful (all these are equivalent to the corresponding line above):
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd.colorscheme("habamax")
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd.highlight({ "Error", "guibg=red" })
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd.highlight({ "link", "Warning", "Error" })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Vimscript functions                                    *lua-guide-vim-functions*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Use |vim.fn| to call Vimscript functions from Lua. Data types between Lua and
 | 
			
		||||
Vimscript are automatically converted:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.fn.printf('Hello from %s', 'Lua'))
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    local reversed_list = vim.fn.reverse({ 'a', 'b', 'c' })
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.inspect(reversed_list)) -- { "c", "b", "a" }
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    local function print_stdout(chan_id, data, name)
 | 
			
		||||
      print(data[1])
 | 
			
		||||
    end
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.fn.jobstart('ls', { on_stdout = print_stdout })
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.fn.printf('Hello from %s', 'Lua'))
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
This works for both |builtin-functions| and |user-function|s.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Note that hashes (`#`) are not valid characters for identifiers in Lua, so,
 | 
			
		||||
e.g., |autoload| functions have to be called with this syntax:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.fn['my#autoload#function']()
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
See also:
 | 
			
		||||
• |builtin-functions|: alphabetic list of all Vimscript functions
 | 
			
		||||
• |function-list|:     list of all Vimscript functions grouped by topic
 | 
			
		||||
• |:runtime|:          run all Lua scripts matching a pattern in |'runtimepath'|
 | 
			
		||||
• |package.path|:      list of all paths searched by `require()`
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Variables                                                  *lua-guide-variables*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Variables can be set and read using the following wrappers, which directly
 | 
			
		||||
correspond to their |variable-scope|:
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.g|:   global variables (|g:|)
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.b|:   variables for the current buffer (|b:|)
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.w|:   variables for the current window (|w:|)
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.t|:   variables for the current tabpage (|t:|)
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.v|:   predefined Vim variables (|v:|)
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.env|: environment variables defined in the editor session
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Data types are converted automatically. For example:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.g.some_global_variable = {
 | 
			
		||||
      key1 = "value",
 | 
			
		||||
      key2 = 300
 | 
			
		||||
    }
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.inspect(vim.g.some_global_variable))
 | 
			
		||||
    --> { key1 = "value", key2 = 300 }
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
You can target specific buffers (via number), windows (via |window-ID|), or
 | 
			
		||||
tabpages by indexing the wrappers:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.b[2].myvar = 1               -- set myvar for buffer number 2
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.w[1005].myothervar = true    -- set myothervar for window ID 1005
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Some variable names may contain characters that cannot be used for identifiers
 | 
			
		||||
in Lua. You can still manipulate these variables by using the syntax
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.g['my#variable'] = 1
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note that you cannot directly change fields of array variables. This won't
 | 
			
		||||
work:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.g.some_global_variable.key2 = 400
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.pretty_print(vim.g.some_global_variable)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> { key1 = "value", key2 = 300 }
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Instead, you need to create an intermediate Lua table and change this:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    local temp_table = vim.g.some_global_variable
 | 
			
		||||
    temp_table = keys = 400
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.g.some_global_variable = temp_table
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.pretty_print(vim.g.some_global_variable)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> { key1 = "value", key2 = 400 }
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
To delete a variable, simply set it to `nil`:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.g.myvar = nil
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
See also:
 | 
			
		||||
• |lua-vim-variables|
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Options                                                      *lua-guide-options*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
There are two complementary ways of setting |options| via Lua.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
vim.opt
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
The most convenient way for setting global and local options, e.g., in `init.lua`,
 | 
			
		||||
is through `vim.opt` and friends:
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.opt|:        behaves like |:set|
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.opt_global|: behaves like |:setglobal|
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.opt_local|:  behaves like |:setlocal|
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For example, the Vimscript commands
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
 | 
			
		||||
    set smarttab
 | 
			
		||||
    set nosmarttab
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
are equivalent to
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.smarttab = true
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.smarttab = false
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
In particular, they allow an easy way to working with list-like, map-like, and
 | 
			
		||||
set-like options through Lua tables: Instead of
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
 | 
			
		||||
    set wildignore=*.o,*.a,__pycache__
 | 
			
		||||
    set listchars=space:_,tab:>~
 | 
			
		||||
    set formatoptions=njt
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
you can use
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.wildignore = { '*.o', '*.a', '__pycache__' }
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.listchars = { space = '_', tab = '>~' }
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.formatoptions = { n = true, j = true, t = true }
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
These wrappers also come with methods that work similarly to their |:set+=|,
 | 
			
		||||
|:set^=| and |:set-=| counterparts in Vimscript:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.shortmess:append({ I = true })
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.wildignore:prepend('*.o')
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.opt.whichwrap:remove({ 'b', 's' })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
The price to pay is that you cannot access the option values directly but must
 | 
			
		||||
use |vim.opt:get()|:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.opt.smarttab)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> {...} (big table)
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.opt.smarttab:get())
 | 
			
		||||
    --> false
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.pretty_print(vim.opt.listchars:get())
 | 
			
		||||
    --> { space = '_', tab = '>~' }
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
vim.o
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For this reason, there exists a more direct variable-like access using `vim.o`
 | 
			
		||||
and friends, similarly to how you can get and set options via `:echo &number`
 | 
			
		||||
and `:let &listchars='space:_,tab:>~'`:
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.o|:  behaves like |:set|
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.go|: behaves like |:setglobal|
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.bo|: for buffer-scoped options
 | 
			
		||||
• |vim.wo|: for window-scoped options
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For example:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.o.smarttab = false -- :set nosmarttab
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.o.smarttab)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> false
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.o.listchars = 'space:_,tab:>~' -- :set listchars='space:_,tab:>~'
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.o.listchars)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> 'space:_,tab:>~'
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.o.isfname = vim.o.isfname .. ',@-@' -- :set isfname+=@-@
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.o.isfname)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> '@,48-57,/,.,-,_,+,,,#,$,%,~,=,@-@'
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.bo.shiftwidth = 4 -- :setlocal shiftwidth=4
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.bo.shiftwidth)
 | 
			
		||||
    --> 4
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Just like variables, you can specify a buffer number or |window-ID| for buffer
 | 
			
		||||
and window options, respectively. If no number is given, the current buffer or
 | 
			
		||||
window is used:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.bo[4].expandtab = true -- sets expandtab to true in buffer 4
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.wo.number = true       -- sets number to true in current window
 | 
			
		||||
    print(vim.wo[0].number)    --> true
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
See also:
 | 
			
		||||
• |lua-options|
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Mappings                                                    *lua-guide-mappings*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
You can map either Vim commands or Lua functions to key sequences.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Creating mappings                                       *lua-guide-mappings-set*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Mappings can be created using |vim.keymap.set()|. This function takes three
 | 
			
		||||
mandatory arguments:
 | 
			
		||||
• {mode} is a string or a table of strings containing the mode
 | 
			
		||||
  prefix for which the mapping will take effect. The prefixes are the ones
 | 
			
		||||
  listed in |:map-modes|, or "!" for |:map!|, or empty string for |:map|.
 | 
			
		||||
• {lhs} is a string with the key sequences that should trigger the mapping.
 | 
			
		||||
  An empty string is equivalent to |<Nop>|, which disables a key.
 | 
			
		||||
• {rhs} is either a string with a Vim command or a Lua function that should
 | 
			
		||||
  be execucted when the {lhs} is entered.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Examples:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Normal mode mapping for Vim command
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>ex1', '<cmd>echo "Example 1"<cr>')
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Normal and Command-line mode mapping for Vim command
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set({'n', 'c'}, '<Leader>ex2', '<cmd>echo "Example 2"<cr>')
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Normal mode mapping for Lua function
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>ex3', vim.treesitter.start)
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Normal mode mapping for Lua function with arguments
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>ex4', function() print('Example 4') end)
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
You can map functions from Lua modules via
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl1', require('plugin').action)
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note that this loads the plugin at the time the mapping is defined. If you
 | 
			
		||||
want to defer the loading to the time when the mapping is executed (as for
 | 
			
		||||
|autoload| functions), wrap it in `function() end`:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl2', function() require('plugin').action() end)
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
The fourth, optional, argument is a table with keys that modify the behavior
 | 
			
		||||
of the mapping such as those from |:map-arguments|. The following are the most
 | 
			
		||||
useful options:
 | 
			
		||||
• `buffer`: If given, only set the mapping for the buffer with the specified
 | 
			
		||||
  number; `0` or `true` means the current buffer. >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    -- set mapping for the current buffer
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl1', require('plugin').action, { buffer = true })
 | 
			
		||||
    -- set mapping for the buffer number 4
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl1', require('plugin').action, { buffer = 4 })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
• `silent`: If set to `true`, suppress output such as error messages. >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl1', require('plugin').action, { silent = true })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
• `expr`: If set to `true`, do not execute the {rhs} but use the return value
 | 
			
		||||
  as input. Special |keycodes| are converted automatically. For example, the following
 | 
			
		||||
  mapping replaces <down> with <c-n> in the popupmenu only: >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('c', '<down>', function()
 | 
			
		||||
      if vim.fn.pumvisible() == 1 then return '<c-n>' end
 | 
			
		||||
      return '<down>'
 | 
			
		||||
    end, { expr = true })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
• `desc`: A string that is shown when listing mappings with, e.g., |:map|.
 | 
			
		||||
  This is useful since Lua functions as {rhs} are otherwise only listed as
 | 
			
		||||
  `Lua: <number> <source file>:<line>`. Plugins should therefore always use this
 | 
			
		||||
  for mappings they create. >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>pl1', require('plugin').action,
 | 
			
		||||
      { desc = 'Execute action from plugin' })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
• `remap`: By default, all mappings are nonrecursive by default (i.e.,
 | 
			
		||||
  |vim.keymap.set()| behaves like |:noremap|). If the {rhs} is itself a mapping
 | 
			
		||||
  that should be executed, set `remap = true`: >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<Leader>ex1', '<cmd>echo "Example 1"<cr>')
 | 
			
		||||
    -- add a shorter mapping
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', 'e', '<Leader>ex1', { remap = true })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
  Note: |<Plug>| mappings are always expanded even with the default `remap = false`: >lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.set('n', '[%', '<Plug>(MatchitNormalMultiBackward)')
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Removing mappings                                       *lua-guide-mappings-del*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
A specific mapping can be removed with |vim.keymap.del()|:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.del('n', '<Leader>ex1')
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.keymap.del({'n', 'c'}, '<Leader>ex2', {buffer = true})
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
See also:
 | 
			
		||||
• `vim.api.`|nvim_get_keymap()|:     return all global mapping
 | 
			
		||||
• `vim.api.`|nvim_buf_get_keymap()|: return all mappings for buffer
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Autocommands                                            *lua-guide-autocommands*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
An |autocommand| is a Vim command or a Lua function that is automatically
 | 
			
		||||
executed whenever one or more |events| are triggered, e.g., when a file is
 | 
			
		||||
read or written, or when a window is created. These are accessible from Lua
 | 
			
		||||
through the Neovim API.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Creating autocommands                             *lua-guide-autocommand-create*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Autocommands are created using `vim.api.`|nvim_create_autocmd()|, which takes
 | 
			
		||||
two mandatory arguments:
 | 
			
		||||
• {event}: a string or table of strings containing the event(s) which should
 | 
			
		||||
           trigger the command or function.
 | 
			
		||||
• {opts}:  a table with keys that control what should happen when the event(s)
 | 
			
		||||
           are triggered.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
The most important options are:
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
• `pattern`:  A string or table of strings containing the |autocmd-pattern|.
 | 
			
		||||
            Note: Environment variable like `$HOME` and `~` are not automatically
 | 
			
		||||
            expanded; you need to explicitly use `vim.fn.`|expand()| for this.
 | 
			
		||||
• `command`:  A string containing a Vim command.
 | 
			
		||||
• `callback`: A Lua function.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
You must specify one and only one of `command` and `callback`. If `pattern` is
 | 
			
		||||
omitted, it defaults to `pattern = '*'`.
 | 
			
		||||
Examples:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({"BufEnter", "BufWinEnter"}, {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = {"*.c", "*.h"},
 | 
			
		||||
      command = "echo 'Entering a C or C++ file'",
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Same autocommand written with a Lua function instead
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd({"BufEnter", "BufWinEnter"}, {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = {"*.c", "*.h"},
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() print("Entering a C or C++ file") end,
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- User event triggered by MyPlugin
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("User", {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = "MyPlugin",
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() print("My Plugin Works!") end,
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Neovim will always call a Lua function with a single table containing information
 | 
			
		||||
about the triggered autocommand. The most useful keys are
 | 
			
		||||
• `match`: a string that matched the `pattern` (see |<amatch>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `buf`:   the number of the buffer the event was triggered in (see |<abuf>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `file`:  the file name of the buffer the event was triggered in (see |<afile>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `data`:  a table with other relevant data that is passed for some events
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For example, this allows you to set buffer-local mappings for some filetypes:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim.create_autocmd("FileType", {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = "lua",
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function(args)
 | 
			
		||||
        vim.keymap.set('n', 'K', vim.lsp.buf.hover, { buffer = args.buf })
 | 
			
		||||
      end
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
This means that if your callback itself takes an (even optional) argument, you
 | 
			
		||||
must wrap it in `function() end` to avoid an error:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('TextYankPost', {
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() vim.highlight.on_yank() end
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
(Since unused arguments can be omitted in Lua function definitions, this is
 | 
			
		||||
equivalent to `function(args) ... end`.)
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Instead of using a pattern, you can create a buffer-local autocommand (see
 | 
			
		||||
|autocmd-buflocal|) with `buffer`; in this case, `pattern` cannot be used:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    -- set autocommand for current buffer
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("CursorHold", {
 | 
			
		||||
      buffer = 0,
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() print("hold") end,
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- set autocommand for buffer number 33
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("CursorHold", {
 | 
			
		||||
      buffer = 33,
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() print("hold") end,
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Similarly to mappings, you can (and should) add a description using `desc`:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('TextYankPost', {
 | 
			
		||||
      callback = function() vim.highlight.on_yank() end,
 | 
			
		||||
      desc = "Briefly highlight yanked text"
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Finally, you can group autocommands using the `group` key; this will be
 | 
			
		||||
covered in detail in the next section.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Grouping autocommands                             *lua-guide-autocommands-group*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Autocommand groups can be used to group related autocommands together; see
 | 
			
		||||
|autocmd-groups|. This is useful for organizing autocommands and especially
 | 
			
		||||
for preventing autocommands to be set multiple times.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Groups can be created with `vim.api.`|nvim_create_augroup()|. This function
 | 
			
		||||
takes two mandatory arguments: a string with the name of a group and a table
 | 
			
		||||
determining whether the group should be cleared (i.e., all grouped
 | 
			
		||||
autocommands removed) if it already exists. The function returns a number that
 | 
			
		||||
is the internal identifier of the group. Groups can be specified either by
 | 
			
		||||
this identifier or by the name (but only if the group has been created first).
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For example, a common Vimscript pattern for autocommands defined in files that
 | 
			
		||||
may be reloaded is
 | 
			
		||||
>vim
 | 
			
		||||
    augroup vimrc
 | 
			
		||||
      " Remove all vimrc autocommands
 | 
			
		||||
      autocmd!
 | 
			
		||||
      au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html set shiftwidth=4
 | 
			
		||||
      au BufNewFile,BufRead *.html set expandtab
 | 
			
		||||
    augroup END
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
This is equivalent to the following Lua code:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    local mygroup = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('vimrc', { clear = true })
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd( {'BufNewFile', 'BufRead' }, {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = '*.html',
 | 
			
		||||
      group = mygroup,
 | 
			
		||||
      cmd = 'set shiftwidth=4',
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd( {'BufNewFile', 'BufRead' }, {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = '*.html',
 | 
			
		||||
      group = 'vimrc',  -- equivalent to group=mygroup
 | 
			
		||||
      cmd = 'set expandtab',
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Autocommand groups are unique for a given name, so you can reuse them, e.g.,
 | 
			
		||||
in a different file:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    local mygroup = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('vimrc', { clear = false })
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd( {'BufNewFile', 'BufRead' }, {
 | 
			
		||||
      pattern = '*.html',
 | 
			
		||||
      group = mygroup,
 | 
			
		||||
      cmd = 'set shiftwidth=4',
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Deleting autocommands                            *lua-guide-autocommands-delete*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
You can use `vim.api.`|nvim_clear_autocmds()| to remove autocommands. This
 | 
			
		||||
function takes a single mandatory argument that is a table of keys describing
 | 
			
		||||
the autocommands that are to be removed:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Delete all BufEnter and InsertLeave autocommands
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_clear_autocmds({event = {"BufEnter", "InsertLeave"}})
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Delete all autocommands that uses "*.py" pattern
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_clear_autocmds({pattern = "*.py"})
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Delete all autocommands in group "scala"
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_clear_autocmds({group = "scala"})
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    -- Delete all ColorScheme autocommands in current buffer
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_clear_autocmds({event = "ColorScheme", buffer = 0 })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Note: Autocommands in groups will only be removed if the `group` key is
 | 
			
		||||
specified, even if another option matches it.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
See also
 | 
			
		||||
• |nvim_get_autocmds()|:  return all matching autocommands
 | 
			
		||||
• |nvim_exec_autocmds()|: execute all matching autocommands
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
User commands                                           *lua-guide-usercommands*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
|user-commands| are custom Vim commands that call a Vimscript or Lua function.
 | 
			
		||||
Just like built-in commands, they can have arguments, act on ranges, or have
 | 
			
		||||
custom completion of arguments. As these are most useful for plugins, we will
 | 
			
		||||
cover only the basics of this advanced topic.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Creating user commands                           *lua-guide-usercommands-create*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
User commands can be created through the Neovim API with
 | 
			
		||||
`vim.api.`|nvim_create_user_command()|. This function takes three mandatory
 | 
			
		||||
arguments:
 | 
			
		||||
• a string that is the name of the command (which must start with an uppercase
 | 
			
		||||
  letter to distinguish it from builtin commands);
 | 
			
		||||
• a string containing Vim commands or a Lua function that is executed when the
 | 
			
		||||
  command is invoked;
 | 
			
		||||
• a table with |command-attributes|; in addition, it can contain the keys
 | 
			
		||||
  `desc` (a string describing the command); `force` (set to `false` to avoid
 | 
			
		||||
  replacing an already existing command with the same name), and `preview` (a
 | 
			
		||||
  Lua function that is used for |:command-preview|).
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Example:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_user_command('Test', 'echo "It works!"', {})
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd.Test()
 | 
			
		||||
    --> It works!
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
(Note that the third argument is mandatory even if no attributes are given.)
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Lua functions are called with a single table argument containing arguments and
 | 
			
		||||
modifiers. The most important are:
 | 
			
		||||
• `name`: a string with the command name
 | 
			
		||||
• `fargs`: a table containing the command arguments split by whitespace (see |<f-args>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `bang`: `true` if the command was executed with a `!` modifier (see |<bang>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `line1`: the starting line number of the command range (see |<line1>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `line2`: the final line number of the command range (see |<line2>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `range`: the number of items in the command range: 0, 1, or 2 (see |<range>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `count`: any count supplied (see |<count>|)
 | 
			
		||||
• `smods`: a table containing the command modifiers (see |<mods>|)
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
For example:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_user_command('Upper',
 | 
			
		||||
      function(opts)
 | 
			
		||||
        print(string.upper(opts.fargs[1]))
 | 
			
		||||
      end,
 | 
			
		||||
      { nargs = 1 })
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.cmd.Upper('foo')
 | 
			
		||||
    --> FOO
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
The `complete` attribute can take a Lua function in addition to the
 | 
			
		||||
attributes listed in |:command-complete|. >lua
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_create_user_command('Upper',
 | 
			
		||||
      function(opts)
 | 
			
		||||
        print(string.upper(opts.fargs[1]))
 | 
			
		||||
      end,
 | 
			
		||||
      { nargs = 1,
 | 
			
		||||
        complete = function(ArgLead, CmdLine, CursorPos)
 | 
			
		||||
          -- return completion candidates as a list-like table
 | 
			
		||||
          return { "foo", "bar", "baz" }
 | 
			
		||||
        end,
 | 
			
		||||
    })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
Buffer-local user commands are created with `vim.api.`|nvim_buf_create_user_command()|.
 | 
			
		||||
Here the first argument is the buffer number (`0` being the current buffer);
 | 
			
		||||
the remaining arguments are the same as for |nvim_create_user_command()|:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_buf_create_user_command(0, 'Upper',
 | 
			
		||||
      function(opts)
 | 
			
		||||
        print(string.upper(opts.fargs[1]))
 | 
			
		||||
      end,
 | 
			
		||||
      { nargs = 1 })
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | 
			
		||||
Deleting user commands                           *lua-guide-usercommands-delete*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
User commands can be deleted with `vim.api.`|nvim_del_user_command()|. The only
 | 
			
		||||
argument is the name of the command:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_del_user_command('Upper')
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
To delete buffer-local user commands use `vim.api.`|nvim_buf_del_user_command()|.
 | 
			
		||||
Here the first argument is the buffer number (`0` being the current buffer),
 | 
			
		||||
and second is command name:
 | 
			
		||||
>lua
 | 
			
		||||
    vim.api.nvim_buf_del_user_command(4, 'Upper')
 | 
			
		||||
<
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
Credits                                                      *lua-guide-credits*
 | 
			
		||||
This guide is in large part taken from nanotee's Lua guide:
 | 
			
		||||
https://github.com/nanotee/nvim-lua-guide
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Thank you @nanotee!
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
vim:tw=78:ts=8:sw=4:sts=4:et:ft=help:norl:
 | 
			
		||||
@@ -21,12 +21,7 @@ Nvim includes a "standard library" |lua-stdlib| for Lua.  It complements the
 | 
			
		||||
which can be used from Lua code (|lua-vimscript| |vim.api|). Together these
 | 
			
		||||
"namespaces" form the Nvim programming interface.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
The |:source| and |:runtime| commands can run Lua scripts. Lua modules can be
 | 
			
		||||
loaded with `require('name')`, which by convention usually returns a table.
 | 
			
		||||
See |lua-require| for how Nvim finds and loads Lua modules.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
See this page for more insight into Nvim Lua:
 | 
			
		||||
    https://github.com/nanotee/nvim-lua-guide
 | 
			
		||||
See the |lua-guide| for an introduction to using Lua in Neovim.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
                                                                  *lua-compat*
 | 
			
		||||
Lua 5.1 is the permanent interface for Nvim Lua.  Plugins need only consider
 | 
			
		||||
@@ -125,7 +120,7 @@ Examples using |string.match()|: >
 | 
			
		||||
For more complex matching you can use Vim regex from Lua via |vim.regex()|.
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
==============================================================================
 | 
			
		||||
IMPORTING LUA MODULES                                            *lua-require*
 | 
			
		||||
IMPORTING LUA MODULES                                  *require()* *lua-require*
 | 
			
		||||
 | 
			
		||||
Modules are searched for under the directories specified in 'runtimepath', in
 | 
			
		||||
the order they appear.  Any "." in the module name is treated as a directory
 | 
			
		||||
 
 | 
			
		||||
		Reference in New Issue
	
	Block a user