[vim/vim] setline() will clear text property (Issue #15030)

[Yggdroot]

Steps to reproduce

setline({lnum}, {text}) 
                Set line {lnum} of the current buffer to {text}.  To insert
                lines use append(). To set lines in another buffer use
                setbufline().  **Any text properties in {lnum} are cleared.**

As the help says: Any text properties in {lnum} are cleared.
If a plugin uses setline, the text properties defined by other plugins will be removed. This is unexpected.

I think it is reasonable that setline() does not clear text property.
The following operations have the same effect as call setline(line('.'), '')：

1. in normal mode
2. type 0 to go to the first column
3. type D

This won't remove the text property.

Another reason, setline() won't clear extmarks set by nvim_buf_set_extmark() in neovim.

Expected behaviour

setline() does not clear text property.

Version of Vim

all

Environment

all

Logs and stack traces

No response

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[Christian Brabandt]

Well, I can only say this is done intentionally since v8.1.0690. The idea probably was that once you replace a line, all attached properties to it may no longer be valid, which I think makes sense.

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[Yggdroot]

Although it was intentional, I can not see the advantage of it, but lots of disadvantages. Because I can not prevent the text properties defined by my plugin from being removed by others which use setline().

I don't think it make sense that the text property is removed after call setline(line('.'), getline('.')), the text is not changed in the user's view.

What is more, as I said above, Another reason, setline() won't clear extmarks set by nvim_buf_set_extmark() in neovim， where extmarks in neovim is equivalent to text property in vim.

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

looks it make sense if the text was changed.
but I am curious you said the by D then it would be remained?

--
shane.xb.qian

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[Christian Brabandt]

What is more, as I said above, Another reason, setline() won't clear extmarks set by nvim_buf_set_extmark() in neovim， where extmarks in neovim is equivalent to text property in vim.

I don't see how this relates to Vim. We don't have this: nvim_buf_set_extmark().

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[Yggdroot]

looks it make sense if the text was changed. but I am curious you said the by D then it would be remained?
…
-- shane.xb.qian

call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})
call prop_add(line('.'), 0, {'type':'aaa', 'text': 'test'})

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[Yggdroot]

What is more, as I said above, Another reason, setline() won't clear extmarks set by nvim_buf_set_extmark() in neovim， where extmarks in neovim is equivalent to text property in vim.

I don't see how this relates to Vim. We don't have this: nvim_buf_set_extmark().

I mean in neovim's point of view, setline should not remove text property just like setline does not remove extmarks.

Another reason current behavior is thought to be buggy is : setline also removes zero-width text property.

https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/c52a8560792b47a19fd0686377f588ef25e5a7d4/runtime/doc/textprop.txt#L509-L517

However, a text property that was defined as zero-width will remain, unless the whole line is deleted.

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[Christian Brabandt]

However, a text property that was defined as zero-width will remain, unless the whole line is deleted.

I think this is essentially what setline does. It deletes the line and replaces it with a new one, even if it is empty.

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[zeertzjq]

Maybe this can be made configurable as a flag of text properties?

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[Yggdroot]

However, a text property that was defined as zero-width will remain, unless the whole line is deleted.

I think this is essentially what setline does. It deletes the line and replaces it with a new one, even if it is empty.

Is it not the same with :
norm! 0D
then append some text ?

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[Christian Brabandt]

I rahter thought of making the behaviour of setline() configurable.

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[Maxim Kim]

I rather thought of making the behaviour of setline() configurable.

How it would solve the issue then? There still will be setline() calls that would remove text properties:

Because I can not prevent the text properties defined by my plugin from being removed by others which use setline().

I think removal of text properties as of current implementation is expected.

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[Christian Brabandt]

I think removal of text properties as of current implementation is expected.

Yes, that is also my expectation, see also: https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/c52a8560792b47a19fd0686377f588ef25e5a7d4/runtime/doc/textprop.txt#L534-L538

it looks like even :move drops the text properties.

There still will be setline() calls that would remove text properties

Well, would you expect the text-property to be still there after doing

:5d
:4put ='foobar'

? Once you remove the line and add a new line, how would do you know the attached text-property attached to that line is still valid?

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

> > looks it make sense if the text was changed. but I am curious you said the by D then it would be remained?

> > […](#)
> > -- shane.xb.qian
>
> ```vim

> call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})
> call prop_add(line('.'), 0, {'type':'aaa', 'text': 'test'})

> ```

not sure why `D` was special..
// if delete by :delete, then it was removed too.

--
shane.xb.qian

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[Yggdroot]

looks it make sense if the text was changed. but I am curious you said the by D then it would be remained? > … > -- shane.xb.qian vim call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'}) call prop_add(line('.'), 0, {'type':'aaa', 'text': 'test'})

not sure why D was special.. // if delete by :delete, then it was removed too.
…
-- shane.xb.qian

It is different.
:delete is the same as dd, not D

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

yes, it is different, but the answer maybe as @chrisbra commented above, to D maybe it was intended to make it happy with instant edit. 🤷

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[Yggdroot]

I think removal of text properties as of current implementation is expected.

Yes, that is also my expectation, see also:

https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/c52a8560792b47a19fd0686377f588ef25e5a7d4/runtime/doc/textprop.txt#L534-L538

it looks like even :move drops the text properties.

There still will be setline() calls that would remove text properties

Well, would you expect the text-property to be still there after doing

:5d
:4put ='foobar'

? Once you remove the line and add a new line, how would do you know the attached text-property attached to that line is still valid?

Actually, my expectation is :
for example,

call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})
call prop_add(line('.'), 0, {'type':'aaa', 'text': 'test'})

call setline(line('.'), '') has the same effect as norm! 0D.

call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})

call prop_add(line('.'), 1, {'type':'aaa', 'length': 0})

call setline(line('.'), '') has the same effect as norm! 0D.

Because However, a text property that was defined as zero-width will remain, unless the whole line is deleted.
I think setline is not delete line 3 and insert a new line after line 2, it is replacing line 3 with new text. Am I right?

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

unless the whole line is deleted it is D

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

unless the whole line is deleted it was said for D 😅

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[Yggdroot]

unless the whole line is deleted it was said for D 😅

I think it's dd

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

i meant that statement was expressed why D was special.

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[Christian Brabandt]

I posted the link to the documentation already. It's simply not possible to retain the text property, because how should Vim know where you added some text?

call setline(1, 'You are a hero!')
cal prop_type_add('Highlight', #{highlight: 'Search'})
call prop_add(1, 11, {'end_col': 15, 'type': 'Highlight'})
" doesn't work, but would add an off by one error
call getline(1)->substitute('\<a\>', 'my', 'g')->setline(1) 

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[Yggdroot]

Notice that my example is special, one is virtual text, the column is 0, another is 0-width.

call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})
call prop_add(line('.'), 0, {'type':'aaa', 'text': 'test'})

call prop_type_add('aaa', {'highlight': 'Number'})

call prop_add(line('.'), 1, {'type':'aaa', 'length': 0})

:call setline(line('.'), '') will remove the virtual text, :norm! 0D won't.
Can we make their behavior the same?

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[Maxim Kim]

:call setline(line('.'), '') will remove the virtual text, :norm! 0D won't.
Can we make their behavior the same?

If properties wouldn't be removed, then a lot of things would need to be changed internally...
You have a text property, then you changed a line and now it is invalid.

image.png (view on web)

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[Maxim Kim]

Now if the case is virtual text at the edges of the line -- it could be safe to preserve it, although I am not sure it worth the complexity it brings.

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[Shane-XB-Qian]

> Can we make their behavior the same?

the 'question' had been answered above.

--
shane.xb.qian

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[Yggdroot]

Can we make their behavior the same?
the 'question' had been answered above.
…
-- shane.xb.qian

I don't think so.

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[bfrg]

I would also expect setline() and setbufline() to remove any text-properties.

I think what you want is something like subbufline() that substitutes text in a line while preserving text-properties in that line, similar to the :substitute command. There's already an open feature request for #5632. Bram wasn't opposed to this idea, it just needs to be implemented. 😄

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[Yggdroot]

In my view, :call setline(line('.'), '') and :norm! 0D do the same thing, why :norm! 0D don't remove the virtual-text column starts from 0 and the 0-width text property?

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[Christian Brabandt]

The effect might be the same, but it is not the same, it's essentially a :d followed by a :put.
There is also listener_add() not sure, if one can use it to save and restore text-properties.

The current behaviour is well documented, so let's close this as a duplicate of #5632 then.

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[Christian Brabandt]

Closed #15030 as not planned.

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