Re: From function: directing error from external command to window and open files in specific windows of current tab

On Monday, November 25, 2013 5:40:15 AM UTC-6, BPJ wrote:
> I need help with the following. I've googled for half an hour
>
> but don't seem to be able to formulate the questions correctly.
>
> As usual it's probably in the help but I don't know where to look!
>
>

In the future please start two separate threads if you have two questions.

>
> * How to call an external script from inside a function without
>
> affecting anything inside Vim, but getting its error message
>
> if any, preferably in a window without polluting any important
>
> existing window.
>

The system() function will return (as a string) the output of an external command without modifying any text in buffers.

After system() runs the error code returned is in v:shell_error.

See :help system()

>
>
> * How to open a specific file in a specific window of the
>
> current tab from inside a function, given the path to that
>
> file as a string argument. There are three windows like this,
>
> and I wan't to open two other files in a and c, so I guess
>
> I'll also need to know how to identify those windows, with a
>
> on the left as well as the mirror image with a on the right:
>
>
>
> +--+--+
>
> | |b |
>
> |a +--+
>
> | |c |
>
> +--+--+
>

Each window inside Vim is assigned a number. Window numbers start at 1 in the topmost leftmost window and always increase as you go down or right. So in this example 'a' will have window number 1, b will have 2, and c will have 3.

To open a specific file in a specific window, you will need 2 or 3 steps:

1. Jump to the desired window
2. Open the file
3. [optional] jump back to the previous window

For example, to edit "myfile.txt" in window 3 and then return to the previous window:

3wincmd w | e myfile.txt | wincmd p

You can build such a string with a few :execute commands if you need to calculate file names or window numbers from variables.

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