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-rw-r--r--runtime/doc/starting.txt42
1 files changed, 20 insertions, 22 deletions
diff --git a/runtime/doc/starting.txt b/runtime/doc/starting.txt
index a8ba64fda8..d148e1d8cd 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/starting.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/starting.txt
@@ -355,35 +355,33 @@ argument.
--embed Use stdin/stdout as a msgpack-RPC channel, so applications can
embed and control Nvim via the |rpc-api|.
- By default nvim will wait for the embedding process to call
- `nvim_ui_attach` before sourcing startup files and reading
- buffers. This is so that UI can show startup messages and
- possible swap file dialog for the first loaded file. The
- process can do requests before the `nvim_ui_attach`, for
- instance a `nvim_get_api_info` call so that UI features can be
- safely detected by the UI before attaching.
-
- See |ui-startup| for more information about UI startup.
-
- To embed nvim without using the UI protocol, `--headless` should
- be supplied together with `--embed`. Then initialization is
- performed without waiting for an UI. This is also equivalent
- to the following alternative: >
- nvim --headless --cmd "call stdioopen({'rpc': v:true})"
-<
- See also |channel-stdio|.
+ Waits for the client ("embedder") to call |nvim_ui_attach()|
+ before sourcing startup files and reading buffers, so that UIs
+ can deterministically handle (display) early messages,
+ dialogs, etc. The client can do other requests before
+ `nvim_ui_attach` (e.g. `nvim_get_api_info` for feature-detection).
+ During this pre-startup phase the user config is of course not
+ available (similar to `--cmd`).
+
+ Embedders _not_ using the UI protocol must pass |--headless|: >
+ nvim --embed --headless
+
+< Then startup will continue without waiting for `nvim_ui_attach`.
+ This is equivalent to: >
+ nvim --headless --cmd "call stdioopen({'rpc': v:true})"
+
+< See also: |ui-startup| |channel-stdio|
*--headless*
---headless Start nvim without an UI. The TUI is not used, so stdio
- can be used as an arbitrary communication channel.
- |channel-stdio| When used together with `--embed`, do not wait
- for the embedder to attach an UI.
+--headless Start without UI, and do not wait for `nvim_ui_attach`. The
+ builtin TUI is not used, so stdio works as an arbitrary
+ communication channel. |channel-stdio|
Also useful for scripting (tests) to see messages that would
not be printed by |-es|.
To detect if a UI is available, check if |nvim_list_uis()| is
- empty in or after |VimEnter|.
+ empty during or after |VimEnter|.
To read stdin as text, "-" must be given explicitly:
--headless cannot assume that stdin is just text. >