vim-plug/doc/plug.txt

plug.txt	plug	Last change: May 15 2024
PLUG - TABLE OF CONTENTS                                         *plug* *plug-toc*
==============================================================================

  vim-plug                          |vim-plug|
    Pros.                           |plug-pros|
    Installation                    |plug-installation|
    Usage                           |plug-usage|
      Getting Help                  |plug-getting-help|
    Examples                        |plug-examples|
      Vim script example            |plug-vim-script-example|
      Lua example for Neovim        |plug-lua-example-for-neovim|
    Commands                        |plug-commands|
    Plug options                    |plug-options|
    Global options                  |plug-global-options|
    Keybindings                     |plug-keybindings|
    Post-update hooks               |plug-post-update-hooks|
      PlugInstall! and PlugUpdate!  |pluginstall-and-plugupdate|
    On-demand loading of plugins    |plug-on-demand-loading-of-plugins|
    Collaborators                   |plug-collaborators|
    License                         |plug-license|

VIM-PLUG                                                              *vim-plug*
==============================================================================

A minimalist Vim plugin manager.


PROS.                                                                *plug-pros*
==============================================================================

 - Minimalist design
   - Just one file with no dependencies. Super easy to set up.
   - Concise, intuitive syntax that you can learn within minutes. No
     boilerplate code required.
   - No feature bloat
 - Extremely stable with flawless backward compatibility
   - Works perfectly with all versions of Vim since 2006 and all versions of
     Neovim ever released
 - {Super-fast}{1} parallel installation/update
 - Creates shallow clones to minimize disk space usage and download time
 - On-demand loading for {faster startup time}{2}
 - Can review and rollback updates
 - Branch/tag/commit support
 - Post-update hooks
 - Support for externally managed plugins

  {1} https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/i/master/vim-plug/40-in-4.gif
  {2} https://github.com/junegunn/vim-startuptime-benchmark#result


INSTALLATION                                                 *plug-installation*
==============================================================================

{Download plug.vim}{3} and put it in the "autoload" directory.

       {3} https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim


USAGE                                                               *plug-usage*
==============================================================================

Add a vim-plug section to your `~/.vimrc` (or `init.vim` for Neovim)

                                                           *plug#begin* *plug#end*

 1. Begin the section with `call plug#begin()`
 2. List the plugins with `Plug` commands
 3. End the section with `call plug#end()`

For example,
>
    call plug#begin()

    " List your plugins here
    Plug 'tpope/vim-sensible'

    call plug#end()
<
Reload the file or restart Vim, then you can,

                                            *:PlugInstall* *:PlugUpdate* *:PlugDiff*

 - `:PlugInstall` to install the plugins
 - `:PlugUpdate` to install or update the plugins
 - `:PlugDiff` to review the changes from the last update

[!NOTE] That's basically all you need to know to get started. The rest of the
document is for advanced users who want to know more about the features and
options.


< Getting Help >______________________________________________________________~
                                                             *plug-getting-help*

 - See {tutorial}{4} page to learn more about the basics of vim-plug
 - See {tips}{5} and {FAQ}{6} pages for common problems and questions

                        {4} https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug/wiki/tutorial
                        {5} https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug/wiki/tips
                        {6} https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug/wiki/faq


EXAMPLES                                                         *plug-examples*
==============================================================================

The following examples demonstrate the additional features of vim-plug.


< Vim script example >________________________________________________________~
                                                       *plug-vim-script-example*
>
    call plug#begin()
    " The default plugin directory will be as follows:
    "   - Vim (Linux/macOS): '~/.vim/plugged'
    "   - Vim (Windows): '~/vimfiles/plugged'
    "   - Neovim (Linux/macOS/Windows): stdpath('data') . '/plugged'
    " You can specify a custom plugin directory by passing it as the argument
    "   - e.g. `call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')`
    "   - Avoid using standard Vim directory names like 'plugin'

    " Make sure you use single quotes

    " Shorthand notation for GitHub; translates to https://github.com/junegunn/vim-easy-align
    Plug 'junegunn/vim-easy-align'

    " Any valid git URL is allowed
    Plug 'https://github.com/junegunn/seoul256.vim.git'

    " Using a tagged release; wildcard allowed (requires git 1.9.2 or above)
    Plug 'fatih/vim-go', { 'tag': '*' }

    " Using a non-default branch
    Plug 'neoclide/coc.nvim', { 'branch': 'release' }

    " Use 'dir' option to install plugin in a non-default directory
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'dir': '~/.fzf' }

    " Post-update hook: run a shell command after installing or updating the plugin
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'dir': '~/.fzf', 'do': './install --all' }

    " Post-update hook can be a lambda expression
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'do': { -> fzf#install() } }

    " If the vim plugin is in a subdirectory, use 'rtp' option to specify its path
    Plug 'nsf/gocode', { 'rtp': 'vim' }

    " On-demand loading: loaded when the specified command is executed
    Plug 'preservim/nerdtree', { 'on': 'NERDTreeToggle' }

    " On-demand loading: loaded when a file with a specific file type is opened
    Plug 'tpope/vim-fireplace', { 'for': 'clojure' }

    " Unmanaged plugin (manually installed and updated)
    Plug '~/my-prototype-plugin'

    " Call plug#end to update &runtimepath and initialize the plugin system.
    " - It automatically executes `filetype plugin indent on` and `syntax enable`
    call plug#end()
    " You can revert the settings after the call like so:
    "   filetype indent off   " Disable file-type-specific indentation
    "   syntax off            " Disable syntax highlighting
<

< Lua example for Neovim >____________________________________________________~
                                                   *plug-lua-example-for-neovim*

In Neovim, you can write your configuration in a Lua script file named
`init.lua`. The following code is the Lua script equivalent to the Vim script
example above.
>
    local vim = vim
    local Plug = vim.fn['plug#']

    vim.call('plug#begin')

    -- Shorthand notation for GitHub; translates to https://github.com/junegunn/vim-easy-align
    Plug('junegunn/vim-easy-align')

    -- Any valid git URL is allowed
    Plug('https://github.com/junegunn/seoul256.vim.git')

    -- Using a tagged release; wildcard allowed (requires git 1.9.2 or above)
    Plug('fatih/vim-go', { ['tag'] = '*' })

    -- Using a non-default branch
    Plug('neoclide/coc.nvim', { ['branch'] = 'release' })

    -- Use 'dir' option to install plugin in a non-default directory
    Plug('junegunn/fzf', { ['dir'] = '~/.fzf' })

    -- Post-update hook: run a shell command after installing or updating the plugin
    Plug('junegunn/fzf', { ['dir'] = '~/.fzf', ['do'] = './install --all' })

    -- Post-update hook can be a lambda expression
    Plug('junegunn/fzf', { ['do'] = function()
      vim.fn['fzf#install']()
    end })

    -- If the vim plugin is in a subdirectory, use 'rtp' option to specify its path
    Plug('nsf/gocode', { ['rtp'] = 'vim' })

    -- On-demand loading: loaded when the specified command is executed
    Plug('preservim/nerdtree', { ['on'] = 'NERDTreeToggle' })

    -- On-demand loading: loaded when a file with a specific file type is opened
    Plug('tpope/vim-fireplace', { ['for'] = 'clojure' })

    -- Unmanaged plugin (manually installed and updated)
    Plug('~/my-prototype-plugin')

    vim.call('plug#end')
<

COMMANDS                                                         *plug-commands*
==============================================================================

 -------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------
 Command                              | Description                                                      ~
 -------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------
  `PlugInstall [name ...] [#threads]`  | Install plugins
  `PlugUpdate [name ...] [#threads]`   | Install or update plugins
  `PlugClean[!]`                       | Remove unlisted plugins (bang version will clean without prompt)
  `PlugUpgrade`                        | Upgrade vim-plug itself
  `PlugStatus`                         | Check the status of plugins
  `PlugDiff`                           | Examine changes from the previous update and the pending changes
  `PlugSnapshot[!] [output path]`      | Generate script for restoring the current snapshot of the plugins
 -------------------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------------


PLUG OPTIONS                                                      *plug-options*
==============================================================================

                                                               *<Plug>-mappings*

 ------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------
 Option                  | Description                                                ~
 ------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------
  `branch` / `tag` / `commit`  | Branch/tag/commit of the repository to use
  `rtp`                    | Subdirectory that contains Vim plugin
  `dir`                    | Custom directory for the plugin
  `as`                     | Use different name for the plugin
  `do`                     | Post-update hook (string or funcref)
  `on`                     | On-demand loading: Commands or <Plug>-mappings
  `for`                    | On-demand loading: File types
  `frozen`                 | Do not remove and do not update unless explicitly specified
 ------------------------+------------------------------------------------------------


GLOBAL OPTIONS                                             *plug-global-options*
==============================================================================

     *g:plug_threads* *g:plug_timeout* *g:plug_retries* *g:plug_shallow* *g:plug_window*
                                              *g:plug_pwindow* *g:plug_url_format*

 --------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Flag                | Default                           | Description                                                                       ~
 --------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  `g:plug_threads`     | 16                                | Default number of threads to use
  `g:plug_timeout`     | 60                                | Time limit of each task in seconds (Ruby & Python)
  `g:plug_retries`     | 2                                 | Number of retries in case of timeout (Ruby & Python)
  `g:plug_shallow`     | 1                                 | Use shallow clone
  `g:plug_window`      |  `-tabnew`                          | Command to open plug window
  `g:plug_pwindow`     |  `vertical rightbelow new`          | Command to open preview window in  `PlugDiff`
  `g:plug_url_format`  |  `https://git::@github.com/%s.git`  |  `printf`  format to build repo URL (Only applies to the subsequent  `Plug`  commands)
 --------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


KEYBINDINGS                                                   *plug-keybindings*
==============================================================================

 - `D` - `PlugDiff`
 - `S` - `PlugStatus`
 - `R` - Retry failed update or installation tasks
 - `U` - Update plugins in the selected range
 - `q` - Close the window
 - `:PlugStatus`
   - `L` - Load plugin
 - `:PlugDiff`
   - `X` - Revert the update


POST-UPDATE HOOKS                                       *plug-post-update-hooks*
==============================================================================

There are some plugins that require extra steps after installation or update.
In that case, use the `do` option to describe the task to be performed.
>
    Plug 'Shougo/vimproc.vim', { 'do': 'make' }
    Plug 'ycm-core/YouCompleteMe', { 'do': './install.py' }
<
If the value starts with `:`, it will be recognized as a Vim command.
>
    Plug 'fatih/vim-go', { 'do': ':GoInstallBinaries' }
<
To call a Vim function, you can pass a lambda expression like so:
>
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'do': { -> fzf#install() } }
<
If you need more control, you can pass a reference to a Vim function that
takes a dictionary argument.
>
    function! BuildYCM(info)
      " info is a dictionary with 3 fields
      " - name:   name of the plugin
      " - status: 'installed', 'updated', or 'unchanged'
      " - force:  set on PlugInstall! or PlugUpdate!
      if a:info.status == 'installed' || a:info.force
        !./install.py
      endif
    endfunction

    Plug 'ycm-core/YouCompleteMe', { 'do': function('BuildYCM') }
<
A post-update hook is executed inside the directory of the plugin and only run
when the repository has changed, but you can force it to run unconditionally
with the bang-versions of the commands: `PlugInstall!` and `PlugUpdate!`.

[!TIP] Make sure to escape BARs and double-quotes when you write the `do`
option inline as they are mistakenly recognized as command separator or the
start of the trailing comment.
>
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'do': 'yes \| ./install' }
<
But you can avoid the escaping if you extract the inline specification using a
variable (or any Vim script expression) as follows:
>
    let g:fzf_install = 'yes | ./install'
    Plug 'junegunn/fzf', { 'do': g:fzf_install }
<

< PlugInstall! and PlugUpdate! >______________________________________________~
                                                    *pluginstall-and-plugupdate*

The installer takes the following steps when installing/updating a plugin:

 1. `git clone` or `git fetch` from its origin
 2. Check out branch, tag, or commit and optionally `git merge` remote branch
 3. If the plugin was updated (or installed for the first time)
   1. Update submodules
   2. Execute post-update hooks

The commands with the `!` suffix ensure that all steps are run
unconditionally.


ON-DEMAND LOADING OF PLUGINS                 *plug-on-demand-loading-of-plugins*
==============================================================================
>
    " NERD tree will be loaded on the first invocation of NERDTreeToggle command
    Plug 'preservim/nerdtree', { 'on': 'NERDTreeToggle' }

    " Multiple commands
    Plug 'junegunn/vim-github-dashboard', { 'on': ['GHDashboard', 'GHActivity'] }

    " Loaded when clojure file is opened
    Plug 'tpope/vim-fireplace', { 'for': 'clojure' }

    " Multiple file types
    Plug 'kovisoft/paredit', { 'for': ['clojure', 'scheme'] }

    " On-demand loading on both conditions
    Plug 'junegunn/vader.vim',  { 'on': 'Vader', 'for': 'vader' }

    " Code to execute when the plugin is lazily loaded on demand
    Plug 'junegunn/goyo.vim', { 'for': 'markdown' }
    autocmd! User goyo.vim echom 'Goyo is now loaded!'
<
[!NOTE] #### Should I set up on-demand loading?

You probably don't need to.

A properly implemented Vim plugin should already load lazily without any help
from a plugin manager (`:help autoload`). So there are few cases where these
options actually make much sense. Making a plugin load faster is the
responsibility of the plugin developer, not the user. If you find a plugin
that takes too long to load, consider opening an issue on the plugin's issue
tracker.

Let me give you a perspective. The time it takes to load a plugin is usually
less than 2 or 3ms on modern computers. So unless you use a very large number
of plugins, you are unlikely to save more than 50ms. If you have spent an hour
carefully setting up the options to shave off 50ms, you will have to start Vim
72,000 times just to break even. You should ask yourself if that's a good
investment of your time.

Make sure that you're tackling the right problem by breaking down the startup
time of Vim using `--startuptime`.
>
    vim --startuptime /tmp/log
<
On-demand loading should only be used as a last resort. It is basically a
hacky workaround and is not always guaranteed to work.

                                                                     *plug#load*

[!TIP] You can pass an empty list to `on` or `for` option to disable the
loading of the plugin. You can manually load the plugin using
`plug#load(NAMES...)` function.

See https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug/wiki/tips#loading-plugins-manually


COLLABORATORS                                               *plug-collaborators*
==============================================================================

 - {Jan Edmund Lazo}{7} - Windows support
 - {Jeremy Pallats}{8} - Python installer

                                           {7} https://github.com/janlazo
                                           {8} https://github.com/starcraftman


LICENSE                                                           *plug-license*
==============================================================================

MIT

==============================================================================
vim:tw=78:sw=2:ts=2:ft=help:norl:nowrap: