How do I create custom fold regions with markers in my code?
:set foldmethod=marker
Setting foldmethod=marker lets you define fold boundaries using special comment markers — {{{ to start a fold and }}} to end it.
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Searching...How do I use marks to define a range for Ex commands?
:'a,'b s/old/new/g
Marks can be used as range specifiers in any Ex command.
command-line #marks #command-line #ex-commands #ranges #editing
How do I join lines without adding spaces between them?
gJ
The gJ command joins the current line with the line below it without inserting any space between them.
How do I jump between matching if/else/endif or other language constructs?
% with matchit plugin
The % command jumps between matching brackets by default, but with the built-in matchit plugin, it extends to match language-specific keywords like if/else/endi
How do I collect all lines matching a pattern into a register?
:g/pattern/y A
The :g/pattern/y A command yanks every line matching the pattern and appends it to register a.
command-line #command-line #registers #global #ex-commands #filtering
How do I increment or decrement a number under the cursor?
<C-a> / <C-x>
Pressing increments and decrements the number under or after the cursor.
How do I see the Unicode code point of the character under the cursor?
ga
The ga command displays the ASCII/Unicode value of the character under the cursor in decimal, hexadecimal, and octal.
editing #editing #unicode #debugging #normal-mode #inspection
How do I automatically fold code based on indentation level?
:set foldmethod=indent
Setting foldmethod=indent tells Vim to create folds based on the indentation level of each line.
How do I run a macro on every line matching a pattern?
:g/pattern/normal @q
The :global command combined with :normal lets you execute a recorded macro on every line that matches a given pattern.
macros #macros #command-line #ex-commands #global #batch-editing
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the end of a file?
:g/pattern/m$
The :g (global) command combined with :m (move) relocates all matching lines to a specified destination.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #global #editing #organization
How do I encrypt a file directly in Vim?
:X
The :X command sets an encryption key for the current file.
command-line #command-line #security #file-management #ex-commands
How do I add text to the end of every line in a range?
:'<,'>normal A;
The :normal command executes normal-mode keystrokes on every line in a range.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #editing #normal-mode #batch-editing
How do I pipe selected text through an external command and replace it?
!{motion}command
The ! operator in normal mode pipes text through an external shell command and replaces it with the output.
How do I quickly change the text between any pair of delimiters?
ci" / ci( / ci{ / ci[ / ci` / ci'
The ci{delimiter} family of commands changes the text inside any matching pair of delimiters.
editing #editing #text-objects #change #delimiters #normal-mode
How do I target outer nested brackets using counted text objects?
d2i(
Vim text objects accept a count prefix that lets you target outer layers of nested delimiters.
How do I create custom text objects for my own operator-pending motions?
onoremap ih :<C-u>execute "normal! ?^==\+$\r:noh\rkvg_"<CR>
Vim lets you define custom text objects using operator-pending mode mappings (onoremap) and visual mode mappings (vnoremap).
How do I edit a file on a remote server directly from Vim?
:e scp://user@host//path/to/file
Vim's built-in netrw plugin supports editing files over the network using protocols like SCP, SFTP, and HTTP.
How do I align text into columns using an external command in Vim?
:%!column -t
The column -t command formats whitespace-separated text into neatly aligned columns.
command-line #command-line #shell #formatting #text-manipulation
How do I automatically open or close the quickfix window based on results?
:cwindow
The :cwindow command intelligently manages the quickfix window — it opens the window only if there are entries in the quickfix list, and closes it if the list
How do I force a motion to act blockwise, linewise, or characterwise?
d<C-v>2j
Vim lets you override the natural type of any motion by pressing v, V, or between the operator and the motion.
editing #editing #motions #visual-mode #advanced #normal-mode