How do I create a mapping that runs an Ex command without switching modes or affecting the current state?
nnoremap <key> <Cmd>command<CR>
The special key (Vim 8.
config #config #macros #ex-commands #normal-mode #insert-mode
Category: config
How do I prevent Vim's file completion and wildcard expansion from matching build artifacts or binary files?
:set wildignore
:set wildignore defines a comma-separated list of glob patterns that Vim excludes from wildcard expansion and file completion.
How do I transform or filter a list inline using Vimscript lambdas with map() and filter()?
map() and filter() with lambdas
Vim 8 introduced lambda expressions with the syntax {args -> expr}, enabling concise inline list transformations.
How do I save and restore the cursor position and scroll state in a Vimscript function?
winsaveview() and winrestview()
When writing Vimscript functions or complex mappings that move the cursor, it is essential to restore the original view afterward so the user does not notice an
How do I prepend a value to the front of a comma-separated Vim option like path or runtimepath?
:set path^=./src
Vim's :set command supports three operators for modifying list-style options: += appends, -= removes, and ^= prepends.
How do I see exactly which highlight groups are responsible for the color of the character under the cursor in Neovim?
:Inspect
When customizing a colorscheme or debugging unexpected syntax colors, it's difficult to know which highlight group to override.
How do I make Vim's indent commands always align to a clean shiftwidth boundary?
:set shiftround
shiftround causes indent commands (>, always adds exactly shiftwidth spaces to whatever indentation the line already has With shiftround: > rounds up to the nex
How do I make Vim's search stop at the end of the file instead of wrapping back to the top?
:set nowrapscan
By default Vim's wrapscan option is enabled, which causes / and ? searches to wrap silently from the end of the file back to the beginning (and vice versa).
How do I set up filetype-specific documentation lookup for the K key in Vim?
:autocmd FileType python setlocal keywordprg=pydoc3
The K command looks up the word under the cursor using the program defined by keywordprg (default: man).
How do I trigger wildcard filename completion from inside a custom key mapping in Vim?
:set wildcharm=<C-z>
The wildchar option (default ) triggers wildcard completion interactively on the command line.
How do I speed up Vim when editing files with very long lines like minified code or CSV?
:set synmaxcol=200
The synmaxcol option tells Vim the maximum column up to which it will apply syntax highlighting on each line.
How do I add a per-window title bar in Neovim that shows context like the current filename?
:set winbar=%f
Neovim 0.
How do I permanently add a word to my personal spell file so Vim stops marking it as misspelled?
zg
When Vim's spell checker flags a technical term, proper noun, or project-specific identifier as misspelled, you can permanently silence it with zg ("mark as goo
How do I configure Tab and Backspace to always move by a fixed number of spaces when using expandtab?
:set softtabstop=4
When expandtab is enabled, Vim inserts spaces instead of a real tab character, but without softtabstop, Backspace only deletes one space at a time — not a ful
How do I highlight a custom pattern in the current window without affecting the search register?
:call matchadd('ErrorMsg', 'TODO')
matchadd() lets you highlight arbitrary patterns using any highlight group — without touching the search register or search highlighting.
How do I make Vim spell check CamelCase and mixedCase identifiers as individual words?
:set spelloptions=camel
By default, Vim treats camelCase as a single word and flags it as a spelling error even when both camel and case are correctly spelled.
How do I prevent autocommands from being registered multiple times when re-sourcing my vimrc?
augroup MyGroup | autocmd! | augroup END
Every time you run :source $MYVIMRC or :source % to reload your config, any bare autocmd calls are appended to Vim's autocommand table — no checking for dupli
How do I make Vim remove the comment leader from the second line when joining two comment lines?
:set formatoptions+=j
Adding the j flag to formatoptions causes Vim to strip the comment leader from the second line when two comment lines are joined with J.
How do I toggle all folding on and off globally with a single keystroke?
zi
Pressing zi in normal mode toggles the foldenable option, which controls whether folds are active in the current window.
How do I configure Vim's completion menu to show a popup without auto-selecting the first candidate?
:set completeopt=menuone,noselect
By default, Vim's and completion can auto-insert the first match, or only show a menu when there are multiple matches.