How do I edit a recorded macro by treating it as plain text?
"qp {edit} 0"qy$ dd
When you record a macro and realize it has a mistake, the easiest fix is to paste the macro's keystrokes as text, edit them, and yank the corrected version back
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Searching...How do I open folds one level at a time in Vim without revealing all nested folds at once?
zr
zr ("reduce" fold level) decrements the global foldlevel option by 1, opening the next layer of folds across the entire file.
How do I create a Neovim mapping that runs an Ex command without entering command-line mode or changing the current mode?
<Cmd>
The pseudo-key in Neovim allows a mapping to execute an Ex command directly, without going through command-line mode.
How do I replay the last executed macro with a single key in Neovim?
Q
In Neovim, the Q key is mapped to replay the last executed macro — the same as @@ in both Vim and Neovim.
How do I indent all lines from the cursor to the matching closing bracket in Vim?
>%
Vim's > operator (indent) works with any motion or text object — including %, which jumps to the bracket, parenthesis, or brace matching the one under the cur
editing #editing #indentation #text-objects #normal-mode #motions
How do I navigate Vim's undo tree in chronological order to recover changes from an abandoned undo branch?
g+
Vim's undo history is a tree, not a linear stack.
How do I use a named mark as a motion target for operators like delete, yank, or indent in Vim?
d'a
Named marks are not just jump destinations — they serve as motion targets for any operator.
navigation #navigation #marks #editing #motions #normal-mode
How do I swap two adjacent words on a line using a substitute command in Vim?
:s/\v(\w+)\s+(\w+)/\2 \1/
By using capture groups in a substitute command with very magic mode (\v), you can swap two adjacent words in a single operation.
How do I restrict the :global command to operate on only a portion of the file?
:[range]g/pattern/command
The :global command accepts an optional line range prefix that restricts which lines it even considers matching.
How do I write an Ex range where the second address is evaluated relative to the first match instead of the cursor?
/pattern/;+3
In Vim's range notation, a semicolon (;) between two addresses makes the second address relative to the line the first address matched, not to the current curso
How do I join all soft-wrapped lines in each paragraph into a single line?
:g/^./,/^$/join
The :g/^.
command-line #command-line #editing #global #formatting #paragraphs
How do I inspect the current contents of a specific register before pasting or running it as a macro?
:reg {name}
The :reg {name} command displays the current contents of one or more named registers in a formatted listing.
How do I shift-indent all lines from the current cursor position to the end of the file?
>G
The >G command applies a right-indent shift to every line from the cursor through the last line of the buffer.
How do I populate the argument list with a glob pattern to work across multiple files?
:args {pattern}
The :args command sets Vim's argument list to all files matching a glob pattern.
How do I prevent Vim from pausing at the --More-- prompt when displaying long command output?
:set nomore
When a Vim command produces output that exceeds the terminal height, Vim pauses and displays a -- More -- prompt, requiring you to press a key to continue.
How do I replace exactly N consecutive characters with the same character without entering visual mode?
{count}r{char}
The {count}r{char} command replaces a precise number of characters starting at the cursor position with a single repeated character.
How do I open the directory containing the current file in netrw from within Vim?
:e %:h
The command :e %:h opens netrw (Vim's built-in file browser) in the directory that contains the current file.
command-line #command-line #navigation #buffers #netrw #editing
How do I duplicate the current line to the end of the file without yanking or moving the cursor?
:.t$
The Ex command :.
How do I reuse the replacement text from my last substitution in a new one without retyping it?
:s/pattern/~/
In a Vim substitution, using ~ as the replacement string repeats the replacement text from the most recent :s command.
How do I run a command without triggering any autocommands, such as saving without auto-formatting?
:noautocmd {cmd}
The :noautocmd (abbreviated :noa) prefix suppresses all autocommand events for the duration of the command that follows it.