How do I set each window's local working directory to its buffer path?
:windo lcd %:p:h<CR>
When multiple splits point at files from different projects, relative-path commands can become inconsistent and error-prone.
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Searching...How to navigate between buffers, quickfix entries, and location list items using bracket pairs with vim-unimpaired?
[b and ]b
The vim-unimpaired plugin by Tim Pope adds symmetric [ and ] bracket mappings for navigating common Vim lists.
plugins #navigation #buffers #quickfix #plugins #normal-mode
How do I capture command-line output directly into a register?
:redir @a | messages | redir END<CR>
When debugging a session or building repeatable edits, it is useful to turn command output into editable text.
How do I search only a sub-part of a larger pattern using \zs and \ze?
/foo\zsbar\zebaz<CR>
Sometimes you need Vim to match a long structural pattern but only treat one piece of it as the actual match.
How do I jump to the Nth next search match instead of pressing n repeatedly?
{count}n
Like most Vim motions, the n and N search repeat commands accept a count prefix.
How do I delete all lines between two delimiter patterns without removing the delimiters themselves?
:g/BEGIN/+1,/END/-1 delete
By combining the :global command with a relative address range, you can delete the content between repeating delimiter pairs while leaving the delimiters intact
How do I force a normally linewise motion to operate characterwise when combined with an operator?
dv{motion}
In operator-pending mode — after typing an operator like d, y, or c but before the motion — you can press v, V, or to override the motion type to characterw
How do I move the cursor to the horizontal midpoint of the current screen view?
gm
The gm command moves the cursor horizontally to the middle of the current screen width on the current line.
How do I use an expression in a substitution to perform arithmetic on matched numbers?
:%s/\(\d\+\)/\=submatch(1)+1/g
Vim's substitute command supports using a VimScript expression as the replacement by prefixing it with \=.
How do I yank text from the cursor to the next occurrence of a pattern without entering visual mode?
y/{pattern}<CR>
Any operator in Vim can take a search motion as its argument.
How do I avoid backslash-escaping slashes in a substitution when replacing file paths or URLs?
:s#pattern#replacement#g
Vim's substitution command accepts any non-alphanumeric, non-whitespace character as the delimiter — not just /.
How do I customize which invisible characters are shown in list mode, including trailing spaces and off-screen indicators?
:set listchars=
The listchars option controls exactly which invisible characters Vim highlights when list mode is active.
How do I integrate a custom build tool like cargo or pytest with Vim's :make and quickfix workflow?
:set makeprg=
The makeprg option defines the command that :make runs.
How do I define a multi-line string in Vimscript without concatenation or escape sequences?
let {var} =<< {marker}
Vim 8.
How do I handle errors gracefully in Vimscript using try-catch blocks?
:try / :catch / :endtry
Vimscript has a structured exception handling system using :try, :catch, :finally, and :endtry.
How do I define Vimscript functions that load automatically on demand without slowing down startup?
function! {name}#{funcname}() in autoload/{name}.vim
Vim's autoload mechanism lets you place functions in autoload/*.
How do I control what state gets saved when I use :mkview to snapshot a window?
:set viewoptions=cursor,folds,slash,unix
The viewoptions setting is a comma-separated list that determines exactly what :mkview (and the auto-save view pattern) stores in a view file.
How do I jump back to the exact cursor position from my last Vim session?
`0
Vim automatically saves your cursor position when you exit, storing it as the 0 mark in the viminfo file (or shada file in Neovim).
How do I make the active window automatically expand to take up most of the screen?
:set winheight=999 winminheight=5
Setting winheight to a very large number forces Vim to always try to make the focused window as tall as possible.
How do I run a find-and-replace across multiple files at once using the argument list?
:args **/*.py | argdo %s/old/new/ge | update
Combining :args, :argdo, and :update gives you a powerful in-editor multi-file search and replace without leaving Vim.