Import an error file to the quickfix list without leaving vim

Question

I know that the quickfix list is very useful for the edit-compile-edit cycle. I like the fact that we can jump directly to an error from it.

Actually I am trying to understand the way I can parse a given error message with the errorformat built-in variable efm (see :help errorformat).

I have some error messages put in some training files and I want to import them into the quickfix list to test my regexp set in my efm variable (e.g. set efm=%C %.%#...).

I know that I can open an error message in a file with:

vim -q errorfile

But this way, I need to quit vim and open the desired file (I can lose my values set on the fly).

Is there a way to open the file in the quickfix list without leaving vim?

Answer 1

Try :h :cfile or :h :cgetfile

:cf[ile][!] [errorfile] Read the error file and jump to the first error.
            This is done automatically when Vim is started with
            the -q option.  You can use this command when you
            keep Vim running while compiling.  If you give the
            name of the errorfile, the 'errorfile' option will
            be set to [errorfile].  See |:cc| for [!].
            If the encoding of the error file differs from the
            'encoding' option, you can use the 'makeencoding'
            option to specify the encoding.