How do I use capture groups in Vim substitutions to rearrange or swap matched text?
:s/\v(\w+) (\w+)/\2 \1/
Vim's substitute command supports capture groups using \( and \) (or ( and ) in \v very-magic mode).
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Searching...How do I add or remove words from Vim's spell check dictionary?
zg and zw
When Vim's spell checker marks a word as incorrect but it is intentionally spelled that way (a name, abbreviation, or domain-specific term), you can permanently
How do I quickly browse the directory of the current file without leaving Vim?
- (vim-vinegar)
The vim-vinegar plugin by Tim Pope enhances Neovim's built-in netrw file browser.
How do I make % jump between matching HTML tags and language keywords like if/end?
packadd matchit
Vim ships with matchit.
How do I center-align a block of selected lines at a specific column width in Vim?
:'<,'>center
After making a visual selection, typing : automatically inserts ' to scope the command to the selection.
visual-mode #visual-mode #formatting #ex-commands #indentation
How do I navigate quickfix and location list entries with intuitive bracket mappings?
[q / ]q
The vim-unimpaired plugin by Tim Pope provides bracket-pair mappings for navigating quickfix and location list entries: [q moves to the previous entry and ]q mo
How do I open a file for reference in a dedicated preview window without disturbing my split layout?
:pedit
Vim has a built-in preview window — a special window distinct from regular splits.
How do I open a file and automatically jump to the first line matching a pattern?
:e +/pattern filename
The +{cmd} flag on :edit (and most file-opening commands) runs an Ex command immediately after the file loads.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #navigation #search #buffers
How do I insert text at the very first column of a line, ignoring indentation?
gI
Most Vim users know I to insert at the start of a line — but I actually jumps to the first non-blank character, skipping leading whitespace.
How do I embed Vim settings directly in a file so they apply automatically when it is opened?
# vim: set tabstop=2 shiftwidth=2 expandtab :
A modeline is a specially formatted comment that Vim reads when it opens a file and applies as local settings — no plugin or project-level vimrc required.
How do I restrict a Vim search to match only within a specific range of line numbers?
/\%>5l\%<10l pattern
Vim's \%>{lnum}l and \%5l — matches only at positions after line 5 (i.
How do I wrap a word in quotes or brackets using vim-surround?
ysiw"
The ysiw" command wraps the word under the cursor in double quotes using the vim-surround plugin.
How do I programmatically set a register's content in Vim without yanking?
:let @a = 'text'
Vim's :let command lets you assign a value directly to any named register without performing a yank or delete operation.
registers #registers #macros #vimscript #ex-commands #normal-mode
How do I run a recorded macro on every file in my argument list at once?
:argdo normal @a
The :argdo command applies any Ex command to every file in the argument list.
How do I run a dynamically constructed Ex command or pass special keys to :normal?
:execute
:execute evaluates a string as an Ex command, letting you build commands dynamically or embed special key sequences (like or ) as literal characters.
How do I search for and highlight text that exceeds a specific column width like 80 or 120?
/\%>80v.
The pattern /\%>80v.
How do I auto-indent a block of code in visual selection without specifying a line range?
vip=
Pressing = in visual mode re-indents all selected lines according to the current filetype's indent rules — the same engine used by == for a single line, but a
visual-mode #visual-mode #indentation #editing #text-objects
How do I run a macro a dynamically computed number of times or interleave it with other commands?
:for i in range(1,10) | execute "normal @q" | endfor
Using a Vimscript :for loop with execute "normal @q" lets you run a macro with a dynamically computed iteration count and interleave other Ex commands between i
How do I insert the output of any Vim Ex command directly into the current buffer?
:put =execute('{cmd}')
The :put =execute('{cmd}') idiom inserts the output of any Vim Ex command as text in your buffer.
registers #registers #ex-commands #command-line #normal-mode
How do I define autocmds safely so they don't duplicate when my vimrc is re-sourced?
:augroup
Wrapping autocmds in a named augroup with autocmd! at the start prevents duplicate autocommands from accumulating every time your vimrc is sourced.