# Vim documentation: if_ruby

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    *if_ruby.txt*	For Vim version 9.2.  Last change: 2026 Feb 14

    		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL	  by Shugo Maeda

    The Ruby Interface to Vim				*ruby* *Ruby*

    1. Commands			|ruby-commands|
    2. The Vim module		|ruby-vim|
    3. Vim::Buffer objects		|ruby-buffer|
    4. Vim::Window objects		|ruby-window|
    5. Global variables		|ruby-globals|
    6. rubyeval() Vim function	|ruby-rubyeval|
    7. Dynamic loading		|ruby-dynamic|

    			*E266* *E267* *E268* *E269* *E270* *E271* *E272* *E273*

    {only available when Vim was compiled with the |+ruby| feature}

     The home page for ruby is	http://www.ruby-lang.org/. You can find links for
    downloading Ruby there.

    ==============================================================================

    1. Commands						*ruby-commands*

    							*:ruby* *:rub*
    :rub[y] {cmd}		Execute Ruby command {cmd}.  A command to try it out:
    				:ruby print "Hello"

    :rub[y] << [trim] [{endmarker}]
    {script}
    {endmarker}
    			Execute Ruby script {script}.

    			If [endmarker] is omitted, it defaults to a dot '.'
    			like for the |:append| and |:insert| commands.  Refer
    			to |:let-heredoc| for more information.

    			This form of the |:ruby| command is mainly useful for
    			including ruby code in vim scripts.

    			Note: This command doesn't work when the Ruby feature
    			wasn't compiled in.  To avoid errors, see
    			|script-here|.

    Example Vim script:

    	function! RedGem()
    	ruby << EOF
    	class Garnet
    		def initialize(s)
    			@buffer = Vim::Buffer.current
    			vimputs(s)
    		end
    		def vimputs(s)
    			@buffer.append(@buffer.count,s)
    		end
    	end
    	gem = Garnet.new("pretty")
    	EOF
    	endfunction

    To see what version of Ruby you have:
    	:ruby print RUBY_VERSION

    						*:rubydo* *:rubyd* *E265*
    :[range]rubyd[o] {cmd}	Evaluate Ruby command {cmd} for each line in the
    			[range], with $_ being set to the text of each line in
    			turn, without a trailing <EOL>.  Setting $_ will
    			change the text, but note that it is not possible to
    			add or delete lines using this command.
    			The default for [range] is the whole file: "1,$".

    							*:rubyfile* *:rubyf*
    :rubyf[ile] {file}	Execute the Ruby script in {file}.  This is the same
    			as `:ruby load 'file'`, but allows file name completion.

    Executing Ruby commands is not possible in the |sandbox|.

    ==============================================================================

    2. The Vim module					*ruby-vim*

    Ruby code gets all of its access to vim via the "Vim" module.

    Overview:
    	print "Hello"			      # displays a message
    	Vim.command(cmd)		      # execute an Ex command
    	num = Vim::Window.count		      # gets the number of windows
    	w = Vim::Window[n]		      # gets window "n"
    	cw = Vim::Window.current	      # gets the current window
    	num = Vim::Buffer.count		      # gets the number of buffers
    	b = Vim::Buffer[n]		      # gets buffer "n"
    	cb = Vim::Buffer.current	      # gets the current buffer
    	w.height = lines		      # sets the window height
    	w.cursor = [row, col]		      # sets the window cursor position
    	pos = w.cursor			      # gets an array [row, col]
    	name = b.name			      # gets the buffer file name
    	line = b[n]			      # gets a line from the buffer
    	num = b.count			      # gets the number of lines
    	b[n] = str			      # sets a line in the buffer
    	b.delete(n)			      # deletes a line
    	b.append(n, str)		      # appends a line after n
    	line = Vim::Buffer.current.line       # gets the current line
    	num = Vim::Buffer.current.line_number # gets the current line number
    	Vim::Buffer.current.line = "test"     # sets the current line number

    Module Functions:

    							*ruby-message*
    Vim::message({msg})
    	Displays the message {msg}.

    							*ruby-blob*
    Vim::blob({arg})
    	Return |Blob| literal string from {arg}.

    							*ruby-set_option*
    Vim::set_option({arg})
    	Sets a vim option.  {arg} can be any argument that the ":set" command
    	accepts.  Note that this means that no spaces are allowed in the
    	argument!  See |:set|.

    							*ruby-command*
    Vim::command({cmd})
    	Executes Ex command {cmd}.

    							*ruby-evaluate*
    Vim::evaluate({expr})
    	Evaluates {expr} using the vim internal expression evaluator (see
    	|expression|).  Returns the expression result as:
    	- a Integer if the Vim expression evaluates to a number
    	- a Float if the Vim expression evaluates to a float
    	- a String if the Vim expression evaluates to a string
    	- a Array if the Vim expression evaluates to a Vim list
    	- a Hash if the Vim expression evaluates to a Vim dictionary
    	Dictionaries and lists are recursively expanded.

    ==============================================================================

    3. Vim::Buffer objects					*ruby-buffer*

    Vim::Buffer objects represent vim buffers.

    Class Methods:

    current		Returns the current buffer object.
    count		Returns the number of buffers.
    self[{n}]	Returns the buffer object for the number {n}.  The first
    		number is 0.

    Methods:

    name		Returns the full name of the buffer.
    number		Returns the number of the buffer.
    count		Returns the number of lines.
    length		Returns the number of lines.
    self[{n}]	Returns a line from the buffer.  {n} is the line number.
    self[{n}] = {str}
    		Sets a line in the buffer.  {n} is the line number.
    delete({n})	Deletes a line from the buffer.  {n} is the line number.
    append({n}, {str})
    		Appends a line after the line {n}.
    line		Returns the current line of the buffer if the buffer is
    		active.
    line = {str}    Sets the current line of the buffer if the buffer is active.
    line_number     Returns the number of the current line if the buffer is
    		active.

    ==============================================================================

    4. Vim::Window objects					*ruby-window*

    Vim::Window objects represent vim windows.

    Class Methods:

    current		Returns the current window object.
    count		Returns the number of windows.
    self[{n}]	Returns the window object for the number {n}.  The first
    		number is 0.

    Methods:

    buffer		Returns the buffer displayed in the window.
    height		Returns the height of the window.
    height = {n}	Sets the window height to {n}.
    width		Returns the width of the window.
    width = {n}	Sets the window width to {n}.
    cursor		Returns a [row, col] array for the cursor position.
    		First line number is 1 and first column number is 0.
    cursor = [{row}, {col}]
    		Sets the cursor position to {row} and {col}.

    ==============================================================================

    5. Global variables					*ruby-globals*

    There are two global variables.

    $curwin		The current window object.
    $curbuf		The current buffer object.

    ==============================================================================

    6. rubyeval() Vim function				*ruby-rubyeval*

    To facilitate bi-directional interface, you can use |rubyeval()| function to
    evaluate Ruby expressions and pass their values to Vim script.

    The Ruby value "true", "false" and "nil" are converted to v:true, v:false and
    v:null, respectively.

    ==============================================================================

    7. Dynamic loading					*ruby-dynamic*

    On MS-Windows and Unix the Ruby library can be loaded dynamically.  The
    |:version| output then includes |+ruby/dyn|.

    This means that Vim will search for the Ruby DLL file or shared library only
    when needed.  When you don't use the Ruby interface you don't need it, thus
    you can use Vim even though this library file is not on your system.

    MS-Windows

    You need to install the right version of Ruby for this to work.  You can find
    the package to download from:
    	http://rubyinstaller.org/downloads/
    Currently that is rubyinstaller-2.2.5.exe

    To use the Ruby interface the Ruby DLL must be in your search path.  In a
    console window type "path" to see what directories are used.  The 'rubydll'
    option can be also used to specify the Ruby DLL.

    The name of the DLL must match the Ruby version Vim was compiled with.
    Currently the name is "msvcrt-ruby220.dll".  That is for Ruby 2.2.X.  To know
    for sure edit "gvim.exe" and search for "ruby\d*.dll\c".

    If you want to build Vim with RubyInstaller 1.9 or 2.X using MSVC, you need
    some tricks.  See the src/INSTALLpc.txt for detail.

    If Vim is built with RubyInstaller 2.4 or later, you may also need to add
    "C:\Ruby<version>\bin\ruby_builtin_dlls" to the PATH environment variable.

    Unix

    The 'rubydll' option can be used to specify the Ruby shared library file
    instead of DYNAMIC_RUBY_DLL file what was specified at compile time.  The
    version of the shared library must match the Ruby version Vim was compiled
    with.

    ==============================================================================
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