How do I export my syntax-highlighted Vim buffer to an HTML file?
:TOhtml
The :TOhtml command converts the current buffer — complete with its syntax highlighting colors — into a standalone HTML file.
Category: command-line
How do I join every line matching a pattern with the line that follows it?
:g/pattern/join
The :g/pattern/join command combines the :global command with :join to merge every line matching a pattern with the line immediately following it.
command-line #ex-commands #editing #command-line #search #normal-mode
How do I save a file only if it has unsaved changes, without touching the file timestamp if nothing changed?
:update
The :update command (abbreviated :up) writes the buffer to disk only if it has been modified since the last save.
What is the difference between :norm and :norm! when running normal commands from the command line?
:norm! {cmd}
Both :norm and :norm! execute a sequence of Normal mode keystrokes from the command line or a script, but they differ in how they handle user-defined mappings.
How do I run a substitution only on lines that match a specific pattern using the global command?
:g/pattern1/s/pattern2/replacement/g
Combining :g with :s lets you apply a substitution using two independent patterns: :g selects which lines to act on, and :s controls what gets replaced within t
How do I programmatically inject keystrokes into Vim's input queue from a function or mapping?
feedkeys()
The feedkeys({keys}, {flags}) function inserts a string of keystrokes into Vim's input queue as if the user had typed them.
How do I programmatically populate the quickfix list from Vimscript?
setqflist()
setqflist() lets you build the quickfix list from a Vimscript list of dictionaries rather than relying on compiler output or :vimgrep.
How do I undo all changes made within the last hour using time-based undo?
:earlier 1h
Vim's undo history is annotated with timestamps, allowing you to travel back to any point in time using :earlier and forward using :later.
How do I collapse each paragraph of text into a single long line, removing the hard line breaks within it?
:g/./,/^$/join
Hard-wrapped text (where each sentence is on its own line) is common in commit messages, email threads, and older documentation.
How do I change the filename associated with the current buffer in Vim without saving to disk?
:file {newname}
:file {newname} (short form: :f {newname}) changes the filename Vim associates with the current buffer.
How do I run a normal mode command from the ex command line without triggering my custom key mappings?
:norm! {command}
:normal {command} runs a sequence of Normal mode keystrokes from the command line (or a range of lines with :%normal), but it applies your custom key mappings.
command-line #ex-commands #macros #normal-mode #command-line
How do I collapse multiple consecutive blank lines into a single blank line throughout a file?
:g/^$/,/./-j
The command :g/^$/,/.
How do I redisplay the output from the last Ex command that already scrolled away?
g<
Pressing g or q to dismiss it again Example Tips :messages also shows recent messages (and those accumulate across the session), while g< only shows the last pa
How do I configure command-line Tab completion to show a list and complete the longest common match first?
:set wildmode=list:longest,full
Vim's default Tab completion in the command-line cycles through matches one at a time, making it hard to see all available options at once.
How do I right-align a block of text to a specific column width using an Ex command?
:[range]right {width}
Vim has built-in Ex commands for text alignment — :right, :left, and :center — that work over any line range without plugins.
command-line #formatting #indentation #command-line #ex-commands
How do I run a command on every entry in the location list, like a window-local quickfix?
:ldo {cmd}
Vim maintains two parallel systems for collections of file positions: the quickfix list (global, one per Vim session) and the location list (local to each windo
How do I make Vim's command-line tab completion case-insensitive for file and buffer names?
:set wildignorecase
:set wildignorecase makes Vim's command-line tab completion treat uppercase and lowercase letters as equivalent when completing file names, buffer names, and ot
How do I sort lines by a field in the middle or end of each line using a pattern?
:sort r /\w\+$/
The :sort r /{pattern}/ command sorts lines using the text that matches the pattern as the sort key.
How do I enable fuzzy matching for command-line tab completion in Neovim?
:set wildoptions=fuzzy
Enables fuzzy matching for Neovim's command-line tab completion (wildmenu), so you can match any part of a filename, command, or option — not just from the be
command-line #completion #command-line #neovim #config #wildmenu
How do I center or right-align a range of lines in Vim?
:[range]center / :[range]right / :[range]left
Vim has built-in Ex commands for text alignment: :center, :right, and :left.