Editing Vim (text editor) (section)

== Vim script ==
'''Vim script''' (also called '''Vimscript''' or '''VimL''')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pragprog.com/book/bkviml/the-viml-primer|access-date=25 January 2020|title=The VimL Primer: Edit Like a Pro with Vim Plugins and Scripts by Benjamin Klein &#124; The Pragmatic Bookshelf|last=Klein|first=Benjamin|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125123547/https://pragprog.com/book/bkviml/the-viml-primer|archive-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> is the [[scripting language]] built into Vim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html|title=Vim documentation: usr_41|website=vimhelp.org|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232237/https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Based on the [[Ex (text editor)|ex]] editor language of the original [[Vi (text editor)|vi]] editor, early versions of Vim added commands for control flow and function definitions. Since version 7, Vim script also supports more advanced data types such as [[List (abstract data type)|lists]] and [[Associative array|dictionaries]] and a simple form of [[object-oriented programming]]. Built-in functions such as <code>map()</code> and <code>filter()</code> allow a basic form of [[functional programming]], and Vim script has [[Anonymous function|lambda]] since version 8.0. Vim script is mostly written in an [[Imperative programming|imperative programming style]].

Vim [[Macro (computer science)|macros]] can contain a sequence of ''normal-mode'' commands, but can also invoke ex commands or functions written in Vim script for more complex tasks. Almost all extensions (called plugins or more commonly scripts) of the core Vim functionality are written in Vim script, but plugins can also utilize other languages like [[Perl]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_perl.html | title = Vim documentation: if_perl | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last1 = Verdoolaege | first1 = Sven | last2 = Gerassimof | first2 = Matt | archive-date = 8 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120208154924/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_perl.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Python (programming language)|Python]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_pyth.html | title = Vim documentation: if_pyth | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Moore | first = Paul | archive-date = 22 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120822072929/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_pyth.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Lua (programming language)|Lua]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_lua.html | title = Vim documentation: if_lua | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Carvalho | first = Luis | archive-date = 30 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120330221044/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_lua.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Ruby (programming language)|Ruby]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_ruby.html | title = Vim documentation: if_ruby | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Maeda | first = Shugo | archive-date = 14 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120214174436/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_ruby.html | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Tcl]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_tcl.html | title = Vim documentation: if_tcl | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Wilken | first = Ingo | archive-date = 24 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120824172051/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_tcl.html | url-status = live }}</ref>  or [[Racket (programming language)|Racket]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_mzsch.html | title = Vim documentation: if_mzsch | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Khorev | first = Sergey | archive-date = 14 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120414232343/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_mzsch.html | url-status = live }}</ref> These plugins can be installed manually, or through a plugin manager such as Vundle, Pathogen, or Vim-Plug.

Vim script files are stored as plain text, similarly to other code, and the filename extension is usually <code>.vim</code>. One notable exception to that is Vim's config file, <code>.vimrc</code>.

=== Examples ===
<syntaxhighlight lang="vim">
" This is the Hello World program in Vim script.
echo "Hello, world!"

" This is a simple while loop in Vim script.
let i = 1
while i < 5
  echo "count is" i
  let i += 1
endwhile
unlet i
</syntaxhighlight>