How do I set a bookmark that takes me back to a specific line in any file?
mA
Uppercase marks (A–Z) are global marks in Vim — they persist across files and even across sessions (when viminfo or shada is configured).
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Searching...How do I refer to the current filename, extension, or directory in Vim ex commands?
%:p:h
Vim's filename modifiers let you derive path components from the current file's name directly inside ex commands.
How do I make the = operator format code with an external tool like gofmt or black?
:set equalprg=gofmt
By default, Vim's = operator re-indents text using its internal rules.
config #config #editing #ex-commands #formatting #indentation
How do I quickly see where a keyword was first defined or used without jumping there?
[i
Pressing [i in normal mode displays the first line above the cursor (including included files) that contains the keyword under the cursor.
How do I uppercase or capitalize matched text inside a Vim substitution?
:s/\v\w+/\U&/g
Vim's substitute command supports special case-conversion sequences in the replacement string, letting you transform matched text to upper or lower case without
How do I run a shell command on a range of lines in normal mode and replace them with the output?
!{motion}{cmd}<CR>
In normal mode, !{motion} sends the lines covered by the motion to a shell command's stdin and replaces them with stdout.
How do I filter the output of a Vim command to show only lines matching a pattern?
:filter /pattern/ {command}
:filter /pattern/ {command} runs any Ex command but suppresses every output line that does not match the pattern.
How do I create a macro that repeats itself automatically until it can no longer proceed?
qq{actions}@qq
A recursive macro ends by calling itself, so it loops automatically without you pressing @q repeatedly.
How do I make Vim always open new splits below and to the right instead of above and to the left?
:set splitright splitbelow
By default, :split opens a new window above the current one and :vsplit opens to the left — the opposite of most modern IDEs and editors.
How do I select an entire code block from opening brace to closing brace in visual mode?
V%
Pressing V% enters visual line mode on the current line and immediately extends the selection to the line containing the matching bracket or brace.
How do I comment out an entire paragraph or code block with a single motion using vim-commentary?
gcip
The vim-commentary plugin exposes gc as a comment operator, which means it composes with any Vim motion or text object.
plugins #plugins #editing #commenting #text-objects #normal-mode
How do I wrap an entire line in surrounding characters using vim-surround?
yss"
The yss{char} mapping from the vim-surround plugin surrounds the entire current line (ignoring leading whitespace) with the chosen delimiter.
How do I reset the jump list to start fresh in the current window?
:clearjumps
The :clearjumps command wipes the jump list for the current window, giving you a clean slate for and navigation.
How do I paste back a small deletion (like a deleted character) while in insert mode?
<C-r>-
In insert mode, - pastes the contents of the small delete register ("-).
How do I sort lines by their numeric value instead of alphabetically?
:sort n
:sort n sorts lines by the first number found on each line, comparing values numerically rather than as strings.
How do I keep a horizontal margin between the cursor and the edge of the screen when scrolling sideways?
set sidescrolloff
set sidescrolloff={n} keeps at least n columns of context to the left and right of the cursor when long lines cause the view to scroll horizontally.
How do I search across all Vim help files for a keyword or phrase?
:helpgrep
:helpgrep {pattern} searches all installed Vim help files for a pattern and populates the quickfix list with every match.
How do I move to the first non-blank character of the next line?
+
The + command moves the cursor to the first non-blank character of the next line.
How do I rename a variable across all case variants (snake_case, camelCase, MixedCase) at once?
:Subvert
The vim-abolish plugin's :Subvert command (abbreviated :S) substitutes a word across all its case variants simultaneously.
How do I create a self-repeating macro that runs until there is nothing left to process?
@q (inside macro recording)
A recursive macro calls itself as its last action, causing it to repeat indefinitely until it hits an error (like reaching end of file or failing a search).