How do I change each occurrence of a search match one at a time, confirming each with the dot command?

Explanation

The cgn + . workflow is a surgical alternative to :%s/old/new/gc. Search for a pattern, then cgn selects the next match as a text object and opens change mode. After typing your replacement and pressing <Esc>, the . command repeats the entire cgn{text} change on the next match, while n skips a match without changing it. This gives you per-match control without the awkward confirm prompt of :%s///gc.

How it works

• /pattern<CR> sets the search pattern (or use * to search for the word under cursor)
• c is the change operator; gn is the text object that selects the next match
• Together, cgn deletes the match and enters insert mode
• After <Esc>, Vim records the entire cgn{replacement} sequence as a repeatable change
• . applies that same change to the next match; n moves to the next match without changing it

Example

You want to rename foo to bar selectively:

/foo<CR>    " search for foo
cgn         " change next match (enters insert mode)
bar<Esc>    " type replacement and exit insert mode
.           " change next match
n           " skip this one
.           " change the one after

Tips

• Unlike :%s/foo/bar/gc, there's no y/n/a/q prompt — use . to apply and n to skip
• Works with complex replacements that aren't simple string swaps
• Use gN instead of gn to operate on the previous match
• Combine with a count: 3. to apply the change to the next 3 matches in sequence