created 2007 · complexity basic · author Fritzophrenic · version 7.0
Setting registers[]
It isn't immediately obvious, but let can be used for far more than setting variables. It can also be used, for example, to set a register.
For example, to set register "r" to hold a really long variable name:
let @r = "reallyReallySuperLongVariableNameWithSpamAndEggs"
Use "@@" to set the unnamed register, for example:
let @@ = "example contents of the unnamed register"
Using this technique, you can duplicate the setreg function for use in older versions of Vim, as follows:
if v:version < 602 " Vim 6.2 introduced the setreg function. Make our own otherwise function Setreg(regname, regval) exe "let @".a:regname." = '".a:regval."'" endfunction " set up registers with 'call Setreg', for example call Setreg('a', 'yawP`[j') else " set up registers with 'call setreg', for example call setreg('a', 'yawP`[j') endif
Sourcing the above script sets register a
. In normal mode, put the cursor in a word and press @a
to execute the commands: yaw
(yank a word), P
(paste), `[
(jump to start of last yank), j
(down).
That duplicates the initial word, and is an example of how a macro can be placed in a register.
Setting options[]
let can also be used to set options, which can be useful in a script.
For example, to save the current value of the 'readonly' option, and restore it later:
let oldro=&readonly ... ... let &readonly=oldro
References[]
- :help :let-option
- :help :let-register
- :help :let
- :help setreg() Includes an example to save and restore a register, including its type.