Search Vim Tricks
Searching...:set sidescroll=1
When wrap is off and the cursor moves past the edge of the screen, Vim jumps the view horizontally by a number of columns determined by sidescroll.
##
The ## special token expands to the names of all files currently in Vim's argument list.
:'<,'>w {filename}
After making a visual selection, you can write only those lines to a new file using :'w {filename}.
:sort i
By default, :sort uses byte-value ordering, which places all uppercase letters before lowercase.
:sort /pattern/
The :sort /{pattern}/ command sorts lines by their content after the first match of the pattern.
:map <unique> {key} {rhs}
The modifier causes Vim to fail with an error if you try to create a mapping for a key that is already mapped in that mode.
:cnoreabbrev {lhs} {rhs}
:cnoreabbrev defines a non-recursive command-line abbreviation — like noremap but for Ex commands.
{args -> expr}
Vim 8.
:e ++enc={encoding}
When Vim auto-detects the wrong character encoding — mojibake where é shows as é is a classic symptom — you can reload the current buffer with a specifi
:iabbrev <expr> {trigger} {expression}
The flag on :iabbrev turns the right-hand side into a Vimscript expression that is evaluated at expansion time rather than stored as a literal string.
%:t:r
Vim's % special character expands to the current filename and accepts a chain of colon-delimited modifiers.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #editing #navigation
:set guicursor=n-v-c:block,i-ci-ve:ver25,r-cr:hor20
Neovim's guicursor option lets you assign a distinct cursor shape and style to each mode, providing immediate visual feedback about which mode you are in.
z{height}<CR>
The z{height} command simultaneously resizes the current window to exactly {height} lines, scrolls so the current line sits at the top of the window, and moves
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #windows #resize #navigation
:silent !{cmd}
Running :!cmd in Vim shows the command's output and then pauses with a "Press ENTER or type command to continue" prompt.
:let maplocalleader = ','
Vim provides two separate leader keys: (global) and (local to the current buffer).
:mkview / :loadview
:mkview saves a snapshot of the current window — its fold states, cursor position, and local option values — to a view file on disk.
buffers-windows #folding #buffers-windows #config #ex-commands
:%retab!
The :retab command converts leading whitespace according to the current tabstop and expandtab settings, but it only touches indentation at the start of lines.
nnoremap <key> :<C-u>call MyFunc(v:count)<CR>
When writing custom mappings that call Vimscript functions, a common pitfall is that any count you type before the key (e.
:'a,'bs/old/new/g
Named marks can serve as range endpoints for any Ex command, including :substitute.
:%d
The % range address in Ex commands stands for the entire file — it is shorthand for 1,$ (first line to last line).
