VI Versions

VI "Version SVR3.1"

I am still not sure whether the manual here applies to that version. So a lot of options are listed as "???" in the table below. (Gotta check this still...)

VIM 4.0

I think the number of options set a new record for vi clones. :-)

VILE 5.6

The options are taken from the manual. I hope it lists all of them.

Vi Options

Option	abbr	VI	VIM	VILE	ALL!
aleph	al	???	VIM	----
alt-tabpos	atp	---	---	VILE
animated	---	---	---	VILE
autobuffer	ab	---	---	VILE
autoindent	ai	VI	VIM	VILE	*
autoprint	???	VI	---	----
autowrite	aw	---	VIM	VILE
autosave	as	---	---	VILE
autosavecnt	ascnt	---	---	VILE
backspace	bs	???	VIM	----
backspacelimit	bl	---	---	VILE
backup	bk	???	VIM	----
backupdir	bdir	???	VIM	----
backupext	bex	???	VIM	----
bcolor	---	---	---	VILE
backupstyle	---	---	---	VILE
beautify	???	VI	---	----
binary	bin	???	VIM	----
bioskey	bk	???	VIM	----
breakat	brk	???	VIM	----
check-modtime	---	---	---	VILE
cindent	cin	???	VIM	----
cinkeys	cink	???	VIM	----
cinoptions	cino	???	VIM	----
cinwords	cinw	???	VIM	----
cmdheight	ch	???	VIM	----
cmode	---	---	---	VILE
columns	co	???	VIM	----
comments	com	---	VIM	VILE
compatible	cp	???	VIM	----
cpoptions	cpo	???	VIM	----
crypt	---	---	---	VILE
c-shiftwidth	csw	---	---	VILE
c-suffixes	csuf	---	---	VILE
c-tabstop	cts	---	---	VILE
define	def	???	VIM	----
dictionary	dict	???	VIM	----
digraph	dg	???	VIM	----
dirc	---	---	---	VILE
directory	dir	VI	VIM	----
dos	---	---	---	VILE
edcompatible	ed	VI	VIM	----
endofline	eol	???	VIM	----
equalalways	ea	???	VIM	----
equalprg	ep	???	VIM	----
errorbells	eb	VI	VIM	VILE	*
errorfile	ef	???	VIM	----
errorformat	efm	???	VIM	----
esckeys	ek	???	VIM	----
expand-chars	---	---	---	VILE
expand-path	---	---	---	VILE
expandtab	et	???	VIM	----
exrc	~	???	VIM	----
fcolor	---	---	---	VILE
fence-pairs	---	---	---	VILE
flash	---	VI	---	VILE
fillcol	fc	---	---	VILE
formatoptions	fo	???	VIM	----
formatprg	fp	???	VIM	----
gdefault	gd	???	VIM	----
glob	---	---	---	VILE
guifont	gfn	???	VIM	----
guioptions	go	???	VIM	----
guipty	~	???	VIM	----
hardtabs	???	VI	---	----
helpfile	hf	???	VIM	----
helpheight	hh	???	VIM	----
hidden	hid	???	VIM	----
highlight	hl	???	VIM	----
history	hi	---	VIM	VILE
horizscroll	---	---	---	VILE
hkmap	hk	???	VIM	----
icon	~	???	VIM	----
ignorecase	ic	VI	VIM	VILE	*
implybuffer	ib	---	---	VILE
include	inc	???	VIM	----
incsearch	is	???	VIM	----
infercase	inf	???	VIM	----
insertmode	im	???	VIM	----
isfname	isf	???	VIM	----
isident	isi	???	VIM	----
isprint	isp	???	VIM	----
iskeyword	isk	???	VIM	----
joinspaces	js	???	VIM	----
keywordprg	kp	???	VIM	----
langmap	lmap	???	VIM	----
laststatus	ls	???	VIM	----
linebreak	lbr	???	VIM	----
lines	~	???	VIM	----
linewrap	lw	---	---	VILE
lisp	~	VI	VIM	----
list	~	---	VIM	VILE
magic	~	VI	VIM	VILE	*
makeprg	mp	???	VIM	----
maplonger	---	---	---	VILE
maxmapdepth	mmd	???	VIM	----
maxmem	mm	???	VIM	----
maxmemtot	mmt	???	VIM	----
mesg	???	VI	---	----
meta-insert-bindings	mib	---	---	VILE
modeline	ml	VI	VIM	----
modelines	mls	???	VIM	----
modified	mod	???	VIM	----
more	~	???	VIM	----
mouse	~	???	VIM	----
mousetime	mouset	???	VIM	----
multibeep	---	---	---	VILE
newline	nl	---	---	VILE
novice	???	VI	---	----
number	nu	VI	VIM	VILE	*
optimize	???	VI	---	----
paragraphs	para	VI	VIM	VILE
paste	~	???	VIM	----
patchmode	pm	???	VIM	----
path	pa	???	VIM	----
popup-choices	pc	---	---	VILE
popup-msgs	pm	---	---	VILE
printing-high	---	---	---	VILE
printing-low	---	---	---	VILE
prompt	???	VI	---	----
readonly	ro	VI	VIM	----
redraw	???	VI	---	----
remap	~	VI	VIM	VILE	*
remapfirst	---	---	---	VILE
report	~	VI	VIM	VILE	*
restorescreen	rs	???	VIM	----
resolve-links	---	---	---	VILE
revins	ri	???	VIM	----
rightleft	rl	???	VIM	----
ruler	ru	???	VIM	VILE
samebangs	sb	---	---	VILE
scroll	scr	VI	VIM	----
scrolljump	sj	???	VIM	----
scrolloff	so	???	VIM	----
sections	sect	VI	VIM	VILE	*
secure	~	???	VIM	----
shell	sh	VI	VIM	----
shellpipe	sp	???	VIM	----
shellredir	srr	???	VIM	----
shelltype	st	???	VIM	----
shiftround	sr	???	VIM	----
shiftwidth	sw	VI	VIM	VILE	*
shortmess	shm	???	VIM	----
shortname	sn	???	VIM	----
showbreak	sbr	???	VIM	----
showcmd	sc	???	VIM	----
showmatch	sm	VI	VIM	VILE	*
showmode	smd	VI	VIM	VILE	*
showram	sr	---	---	VILE
sideways	---	---	---	VILE
sidescroll	ss	???	VIM	----
slowopen	???	VI	---	----
smartcase	scs	???	VIM	----
smartindent	si	???	VIM	----
smarttab	sta	???	VIM	----
smoothscroll	ss	---	---	VILE
sourceany	???	VI	---	----
splitbelow	sb	???	VIM	----
startofline	sol	???	VIM	----
suffixes	su	???	VIM	----
swapsync	sws	???	VIM	----
tabinsert	ti	---	---	VILE
tabstop	ts	VI	VIM	VILE	*
taglength	tl	VI	VIM	VILE	*
tagrelative	tr	???	VIM	VILE
tags	tag	VI	VIM	VILE	*
tagstack	???	VI	---	----
term	~	VI	VIM	----
terse	~	VI	VIM	VILE	*
terse-selections	tsel	---	---	VILE
textauto	ta	???	VIM	----
textmode	tx	???	VIM	----
textwidth	tw	???	VIM	----
tildeop	top	???	VIM	----
timeout	to	VI	VIM	----
ttimeout	~	???	VIM	----
timeoutlen	tm [1]	???	VIM	VILE
timeoutlen-user	---	---	---	VILE
ttimeoutlen	ttm	???	VIM	----
title	~	???	VIM	----
ttybuiltin	tbi	???	VIM	----
ttyfast	tf	???	VIM	----
ttyscroll	tsl	???	VIM	----
ttytype	tty	VI	VIM	----
undolevels	ul	???	VIM	----
undolimit	ul	---	---	VILE
updatecount	uc	???	VIM	----
updatetime	ut	???	VIM	----
unprintable-as-octal	uo	---	---	VILE
view	---	---	---	VILE
view-only-readonly	---	---	---	VILE
viminfo	vi	???	VIM	----
visual-matches	---	---	---	VILE
visualbell	vb	???	VIM	----
warn	~	VI	VIM	----
warn-unread	---	---	---	VILE
weirdinvert	wi	???	VIM	----
whichwrap	ww	???	VIM	----
wildchar	wc	???	VIM	----
winheight	wh	???	VIM	----
window	???	VI	---	----
working	---	---	---	VILE
wrap	~	???	VIM	----
wrapmargin	wm	VI	VIM	VILE	*
wrapwords	ww	---	---	VILE
wrapscan	ws	VI	VIM	VILE	*
writeany	wa	VI	VIM	----
writebackup	wb	???	VIM	----
writedelay	wd	???	VIM	----
xterm-mouse	---	---	---	VILE
	-	VI	VIM	VILE

[1]  Abbreviation "tm" not used by VILE.

Comments

The manual to VILE does not tell you about the "type" of the options and the options are not strictly ordered alphabetically.

Both manuals to VIM and VILE tell you whether the options are "global" (VIM) = "universal" (VILE), ie apply to all windows and buffers, or whether they are "local to buffer" or "local to window".

VIM's options explained

|'aleph'|	   |'al'|	ASCII code of the letter Aleph (RIGHTLEFT)
|'autoindent'|	   |'ai'|	take indent for new line from previous line
|'autowrite'|	   |'aw'|	automatically write file if changed
|'backspace'|	   |'bs'|	how backspace works at start of line
|'backup'|	   |'bk'|	keep backup file after overwriting a file
|'backupdir'|	   |'bdir'|	list of directories for the backup file
|'backupext'|	   |'bex'|	extension used for the backup file
|'binary'|	   |'bin'|	edit binary file mode
|'bioskey'|	   |'bk'|	MS-DOS: use bios calls for input characters
|'breakat'|	   |'brk'|	characters that may cause a line break
|'cindent'|	   |'cin'|	do C program indenting
|'cinkeys'|	   |'cink'|	keys that trigger indent when 'cindent' is set
|'cinoptions'|	   |'cino'|	how to do indenting when 'cindent' is set
|'cinwords'|	   |'cinw'|	words where 'si' and 'cin' add an indent
|'cmdheight'|	   |'ch'|	number of lines to use for the command-line
|'columns'|	   |'co'|	number of columns in the display
|'comments'|	   |'com'|	patterns that can start a comment line
|'compatible'|	   |'cp'|	behave vi-compatible as much as possible
|'cpoptions'|	   |'cpo'|	flags for vi-compatible behaviour
|'define'|	   |'def'|	pattern to be used to find a macro definition
|'dictionary'|	   |'dict'|	list of file names used for keyword completion
|'digraph'|	   |'dg'|	enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode
|'directory'|	   |'dir'|	list of directory names for the swap file
|'edcompatible'|   |'ed'|	toggle flags of ":substitute" command
|'endofline'|	   |'eol'|	write end of line for last line in file
|'equalalways'|    |'ea'|	windows are automatically made the same size
|'equalprg'|	   |'ep'|	external program to use for "=" command
|'errorbells'|	   |'eb'|	ring the bell for error messages
|'errorfile'|	   |'ef'|	name of the error file for the QuickFix mode
|'errorformat'|    |'efm'|	description of the lines in the error file
|'esckeys'|	   |'ek'|	recognize function keys in insert mode
|'expandtab'|	   |'et'|	use spaces when  is inserted
|'exrc'|			read .vimrc and .exrc in the current directory
|'formatoptions'|  |'fo'|	how automatic formatting is to be done
|'formatprg'|	   |'fp'|	name of external program used with "Q" command
|'gdefault'|	   |'gd'|	the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on
|'guifont'|	   |'gfn'|	GUI: Name(s) of font(s) to be used
|'guioptions'|	   |'go'|	GUI: Which components and options are used
|'guipty'|			GUI: try to use a pseudo-tty for :! commands
|'helpfile'|	   |'hf'|	name of this help file
|'helpheight'|	   |'hh'|	minimal height of a new help window
|'hidden'|	   |'hid'|	don't unload buffer when it is abondoned
|'highlight'|	   |'hl'|	sets highlighting mode for various occasions
|'history'|	   |'hi'|	number of command-lines that are remembered
|'hkmap'|	   |'hk'|	Hebrew keyboard mapping (RIGHTLEFT)
|'icon'|			set icon of the window to the name of the file
|'ignorecase'|	   |'ic'|	ignore case in search patterns
|'include'|	   |'inc'|	pattern to be used to find an include file
|'incsearch'|	   |'is'|	highlight match while typing search pattern
|'infercase'|	   |'inf'|	adjust case of match for keyword completion
|'insertmode'|	   |'im'|	start the edit of a file in Insert mode
|'isfname'|	   |'isf'|	characters included in file and path names
|'isident'|	   |'isi'|	characters included in identifiers
|'isprint'|	   |'isp'|	printable characters
|'iskeyword'|	   |'isk'|	characters included in keywords
|'joinspaces'|	   |'js'|	two spaces after a period with a join command
|'keywordprg'|	   |'kp'|	program to use for the "K" command
|'langmap'|	   |'lmap'|	alphabetic characters for other language mode
|'laststatus'|	   |'ls'|	tells when last window has status lines
|'linebreak'|	   |'lbr'|	wrap long lines at a blank
|'lines'|			number of lines in the display
|'lisp'|			automatic indenting for lisp
|'list'|			show  and end-of-line
|'magic'|			changes special characters in search patterns
|'makeprg'|	   |'mp'|	program to use for the ":make" command
|'maxmapdepth'|    |'mmd'|	maximum recursive depth for mapping
|'maxmem'|	   |'mm'|	maximum memory (in Kbyte) used for one buffer
|'maxmemtot'|	   |'mmt'|	maximum memory (in Kbyte) used for all buffers
|'modeline'|	   |'ml'|	recognize modelines at start or end of file
|'modelines'|	   |'mls'|	number of lines checked for modelines
|'modified'|	   |'mod'|	buffer has been modified
|'more'|			pause listings when the whole screen is filled
|'mouse'|			enable the use of mouse clicks
|'mousetime'|	   |'mouset'|	max time between mouse double click
|'number'|	   |'nu'|	print the line number in front of each line
|'paragraphs'|	   |'para'|	nroff macros that separate paragraphs
|'paste'|			allow pasting text
|'patchmode'|	   |'pm'|	UNIX: keep the oldest version of a file
|'path'|	   |'pa'|	list of directories searched with "gf" et.al.
|'readonly'|	   |'ro'|	disallow writing the buffer
|'remap'|			allow mappings to work recursively
|'report'|			threshold for reporting nr. of lines changed
|'restorescreen'|  |'rs'|	WIN32: restore screen when exiting
|'revins'|	   |'ri'|	inserting characters will work backwards
|'rightleft'|	   |'rl'|	window is right-to-left oriented (RIGHTLEFT)
|'ruler'|	   |'ru'|	show cursor line and column in the status line
|'scroll'|	   |'scr'|	lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D
|'scrolljump'|	   |'sj'|	minimal number of lines to scroll
|'scrolloff'|	   |'so'|	minimal nr. of lines above and below cursor
|'sections'|	   |'sect'|	nroff macros that separate sections
|'secure'|			secure mode for reading .vimrc in current dir
|'shell'|	   |'sh'|	name of shell to use for external commands
|'shellpipe'|	   |'sp'|	string to put output of ":make" in error file
|'shellredir'|	   |'srr'|	string to put output of filter in a temp file
|'shelltype'|	   |'st'|	Amiga: influences how to use a shell
|'shiftround'|	   |'sr'|	round indent to multiple of shiftwidth
|'shiftwidth'|	   |'sw'|	number of spaces to use for (auto)indent step
|'shortmess'|	   |'shm'|	list of flags, reduce length of messages
|'shortname'|	   |'sn'|	non-MS-DOS: File names assumed to be 8+3 chars
|'showbreak'|	   |'sbr'|	string to use at the start of wrapped lines
|'showcmd'|	   |'sc'|	show (partial) command in status line
|'showmatch'|	   |'sm'|	briefly jump to matching bracket if insert one
|'showmode'|	   |'smd'|	message on status line to show current mode
|'sidescroll'|	   |'ss'|	minimal number of columns to scroll horizontal
|'smartcase'|	   |'scs'|	no ignore case when pattern has upper case
|'smartindent'|    |'si'|	smart autoindenting for C programs
|'smarttab'|	   |'sta'|	use 'shitfwidth' when inserting 
|'splitbelow'|	   |'sb'|	new window from split is below the current one
|'startofline'|    |'sol'|	commands move cursor to first blank in line
|'suffixes'|	   |'su'|	suffixes that are ignored with multiple match
|'swapsync'|	   |'sws'|	how to sync swap file
|'tabstop'|	   |'ts'|	number of spaces that  in file uses
|'taglength'|	   |'tl'|	number of significant characters for a tag
|'tagrelative'|    |'tr'|	file names in tag file are relative
|'tags'|	   |'tag'|	list of file names used by the tag command
|'term'|			name of the terminal
|'terse'|			shorten some messages
|'textauto'|	   |'ta'|	set 'textmode' automatically when reading file
|'textmode'|	   |'tx'|	lines are separated by 
|'textwidth'|	   |'tw'|	maximum width of text that is being inserted
|'tildeop'|	   |'top'|	tilde command "~" behaves like an operator
|'timeout'|	   |'to'|	time out on mappings and key codes
|'ttimeout'|			time out on mappings
|'timeoutlen'|	   |'tm'|	time out time in milliseconds
|'ttimeoutlen'|	   |'ttm'|	time out time for key codes in milliseconds
|'title'|			set title of window to the name of the file
|'ttybuiltin'|	   |'tbi'|	use builtin termcap before external termcap
|'ttyfast'|	   |'tf'|	indicates a fast terminal connection
|'ttyscroll'|	   |'tsl'|	maximum number of lines for a scroll
|'ttytype'|	   |'tty'|	alias for 'term'
|'undolevels'|	   |'ul'|	maximum number of changes that can be undone
|'updatecount'|    |'uc'|	after this many characters flush swap file
|'updatetime'|	   |'ut'|	after this many milliseconds flush swap file
|'viminfo'|	   |'vi'|	use .viminfo file upon startup and exiting
|'visualbell'|	   |'vb'|	use visual bell instead of beeping
|'warn'|			warn for shell command when buffer was changed
|'weirdinvert'|    |'wi'|	for terminals that have weird inversion method
|'whichwrap'|	   |'ww'|	allow specified keys to cross line boundaries
|'wildchar'|	   |'wc'|	command-line character for wildcard expansion
|'winheight'|	   |'wh'|	minimal number of lines for the current window
|'wrap'|			long lines wrap and continue on the next line
|'wrapmargin'|	   |'wm'|	chars from the right where wrapping starts
|'wrapscan'|	   |'ws'|	searches wrap around the end of the file
|'writeany'|	   |'wa'|	write to file with no need for "!" override
|'writebackup'|    |'wb'|	make a backup before overwriting a file
|'writedelay'|	   |'wd'|	delay this many msec for each char (for debug)

Small comparison

"Modal distinction for :map and :ab"
Allows definition of mappings and abbreviations for each mode (insert, command, command line, visual).