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ExplainPattern : Give detailed help on a given regexp pattern.

 script karma  Rating 13/7, Downloaded by 2279  Comments, bugs, improvements  Vim wiki

created by
Andy Wokula
 
script type
utility
 
description
Continued here: https://github.com/Houl/ExplainPattern-vim (2017 Aug 06)

:ExplainPattern {pattern}               or
:ExplainPattern {register}

        parse the given Vim {pattern} and print a line of help
        (with color) for each found pattern item.  Nested
        items get extra indent.

        A single-char argument is used as {register} argument:
                / explain the last search pattern
                * explain pattern from the clipboard
                a explain pattern from register a


Example:  :ExplainPattern *

Register: *
Pattern: \C^\%(\\\%(@<.\|%[dxouU[(^$V#<>]\=\|z[1-9se(]\|@[>=!]\|_[[^$.]\=\|.\)\|.\)
  \C         match case while matching the pattern
  ^          match at start of line (or string)
  \%(        start of non-capturing group
  |   \\         literal string (1 atom(s))
  |   \%(        start of non-capturing group
  |   |   @<         literal string (2 atom(s))
  |   |   .          match any character
  |   | \|         OR branch
  |   |   %          literal string (1 atom(s))
  |   |   [dxouU[(^$V#<>] collection
  |   |   \=         (multi) zero or one of the preceding atom
  |   | \|         OR branch
  |   |   z          literal string (1 atom(s))
  |   |   [1-9se(]   collection
  |   | \|         OR branch
  |   |   @          literal string (1 atom(s))
  |   |   [>=!]      collection
  |   | \|         OR branch
  |   |   _          literal string (1 atom(s))
  |   |   [[^$.]     collection
  |   |   \=         (multi) zero or one of the preceding atom
  |   | \|         OR branch
  |   |   .          match any character
  |   \)         end of group
  | \|         OR branch
  |   .          match any character
  \)         end of group

2013 Jan 17
 
install details
This is a vimball archive, edit it in vim, do  :so %   , then restart.
 

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script versions (upload new version)

Click on the package to download.

package script version date Vim version user release notes
explainpat_0.5.vmb 0.5 2013-03-09 7.0 Andy Wokula Bug fixes (accept more patterns): `\z(', `\z1', ..., `[foo'; added cases where `^', `*', `$' become literal; `[=a=]` in collections, a few more.
explainpat_0.2.vmb 0.2 2012-12-19 7.0 Andy Wokula include suggestions from vim_use
explainpat_0.1.vmb 0.1 2012-12-19 7.0 Andy Wokula Uploaded again, this time not gzipped (vimball anyway keeps an unpacked version on disk)
ip used for rating: 18.97.14.85

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