Vim: Understanding local settings - when to use buffer local vs setlocal?

Question

In a line like autocmd InsertEnter <buffer> setlocal foo=bar, are <buffer> and setlocal redundant? What are the functional differences between each of the following?

autocmd InsertEnter <buffer> setlocal foo=bar

autocmd InsertEnter <buffer> set foo=bar

autocmd InsertEnter setlocal foo=bar

autocmd InsertEnter set foo=bar

Also, is there any difference between using set and setlocal on settings that are "local to window" or "local to buffer" rather than global?

Luc Hermitte · Accepted Answer · 2017-02-28T17:01:18.310

3

<buffer> on autocommands only serves to define an autocommand that applies only on the current buffer at the moment the autocommand is registered. There are events with which it won't make sense (like buffer creation events).

Then, some options are global, some are local to buffers and some are local to windows. To know exactly, you'll have to dig into their documentation. Sometimes we can have global and local settings for an option. However, IIRC and I may be wrong, some options don't have global settings and are always local.

PS: Thanks to you, I've just discovered :set {option}<. I've been expecting it for a long time, without being aware of its existence... Thanks :)

edited Feb 28 '17 at 17:01

answered Feb 28 '17 at 10:28

Luc Hermitte

31,979
7
69
83

Does that mean it would not make sense to use `` with `InsertEnter` in `~/.vimrc` unless you (a) only want it to take effect when editing `~/.vimrc` or (b) explicitly `:so ~/.vimrc` in another buffer? – Kvass Feb 28 '17 at 10:34
(a): yes, that's it. – Luc Hermitte Feb 28 '17 at 11:55
(b): no `InsertEnter` don't apply to buffers other than the currently edited one. – Luc Hermitte Feb 28 '17 at 11:55
Upvoted for the PS clause -- taught me something I'm very glad I now know :D – CrashNeb Sep 07 '21 at 14:41

Vim: Understanding local settings - when to use buffer local vs setlocal?

1 Answers1