augroup

An augroup is a feature in Vim and Neovim that groups autocommands into a named collection. It helps organize automatic commands and makes it possible to clear or redefine them in a controlled way, without affecting autocommands outside the group.

The typical syntax uses two blocks: an augroup declaration, followed by one or more autocommands, and an end marker. A common pattern is:

augroup GroupName

autocmd!

autocmd events patterns commands

augroup END

Events are occurrences such as BufRead, FileType, or BufWritePost; patterns restrict where the autocommands apply; and commands define the actions taken when the event occurs.

A key purpose of augroups is to facilitate clean redefinition of autocommands. Inside the group, autocmd! clears all existing autocommands defined in that group, allowing you to redefine them without creating duplicates or conflicting definitions. This is especially useful when sourcing your vimrc multiple times or when loading plugins that contribute autocommands.

Example:

augroup MyPythonSettings

autocmd!

autocmd FileType python setlocal tabstop=4

autocmd BufWritePost *.py echo "Python file saved"

augroup END

In practice, augroups help keep autocommands organized, isolated, and easier to manage. They are supported in both Vim and Neovim and are commonly used in initialization files and plugin configurations.