How do I create text abbreviations that auto-expand while typing in Vim?
:iabbrev {abbr} {expansion}
How it works The :iabbrev command creates abbreviations that automatically expand when you type them in insert mode.
Search Vim Tricks
Searching...How do I match a pattern but only highlight or capture part of it using \zs and \ze?
\zs and \ze
How it works Vim's \zs (set start) and \ze (set end) atoms let you define which portion of a pattern counts as the actual match, even though the full pattern is
How do I move a line or range of lines to a different location in the file?
:m {address}
How it works The :m command (short for :move) moves one or more lines to after the specified address.
How do I toggle line wrapping on or off in Vim?
:set wrap! or :set nowrap
How it works By default, Vim wraps long lines that extend past the window width, displaying them across multiple screen lines.
How do I copy all lines matching a pattern to the end of the file?
:g/pattern/t$
How it works The :g (global) command combined with :t (copy) lets you duplicate all lines matching a pattern to a specific location.
How do I list all lines in the current file matching the word under my cursor?
[I
How it works The [I command searches the current file (and included files) for the word under the cursor and displays a list of all matching lines with their li
How do I copy a line to another location without using yank and paste?
:t {address}
How it works The :t command (short for :copy) copies one or more lines and places them below the specified address.
How do I store different pieces of text in separate registers for later pasting?
"ayy "byy "cyy
How it works Vim provides 26 named registers (a through z) that you can use as independent clipboards.
What are Vim's built-in character class shortcuts for search patterns?
\d \w \s \a \l \u
How it works Vim provides shorthand character classes that save you from writing out full bracket expressions.
How do I convert all tabs to spaces in a file in Vim?
:retab
How it works The :retab command replaces all tab characters in the current buffer with the appropriate number of spaces, based on your current tabstop and expan
How do I write a visual selection to a separate file in Vim?
:'<,'>w filename
How it works Vim's :w command can take a range, and when used with a visual selection, it writes only the selected lines to a file.
How do I copy the word under the cursor regardless of cursor position within it?
yiw
How it works The command yiw yanks (copies) the inner word under the cursor.
How do I perform a non-greedy (minimal) match in Vim search?
.\{-}
How it works In most regex engines, ? or +? make quantifiers non-greedy (matching as little as possible).
How do I search for multiple alternative patterns at once in Vim?
/foo\|bar
How it works The \ operator in Vim's search pattern works like a logical OR, letting you match any one of several alternatives.
How do I jump between misspelled words in Vim?
]s and [s
How it works When spell checking is enabled in Vim with :set spell, misspelled words are highlighted.
How do I browse and reuse my previous search patterns in Vim?
q/
How it works Vim keeps a history of all your search patterns.
How do I jump to the global definition of a variable or function in Vim?
gD
How it works Vim provides two built-in commands for jumping to where an identifier is defined, without needing tags or an LSP: gd (lowercase) searches backward
How do I view the list of positions where I made edits in Vim?
:changes
How it works Vim maintains a change list that records the position of every change you make to a buffer.
How do I search case-insensitively in Vim without changing global settings?
/\cpattern
How it works By default, Vim searches are case-sensitive: /Hello will not match hello or HELLO.
How do I filter a visual selection through an external shell command?
:'<,'>!command
How it works Vim can pipe selected text through any external shell command, replacing the selection with the command's output.