Print the line number in front of each line. When the 'n' option is excluded from 'cpoptions' a wrapped line will not use the column of line numbers (this is the default when 'compatible' isn't set). The 'numberwidth' option can be used to set the room used for the line number. When a long, wrapped line doesn't start with the first character, '-' characters are put before the number. For highlighting see hl-LineNr, and hl-CursorLineNr, and the :sign-define "numhl" argument.

The 'relativenumber' option changes the displayed number to be relative to the cursor. Together with 'number' there are these four combinations (cursor in line 3):

    'nonu'          'nu'            'nonu'          'nu'
    'nornu'         'nornu'         'rnu'           'rnu'

|apple          |  1 apple      |  2 apple      |  2 apple
|pear           |  2 pear       |  1 pear       |  1 pear
|nobody         |  3 nobody     |  0 nobody     |3   nobody
|there          |  4 there      |  1 there      |  1 there

(default off)