How do I change the text inside parentheses?

Explanation

The ci( command deletes everything inside the nearest pair of parentheses and places you in insert mode, ready to type a replacement. It works no matter where your cursor is within the parentheses.

How it works

• c triggers the change operator (delete + enter insert mode)
• i( is the "inner parentheses" text object, selecting everything between ( and ) but not the parentheses themselves

Example

Given the text with the cursor anywhere inside the parentheses:

console.log("hello world")

Pressing ci( deletes "hello world" and enters insert mode. Type 42 to get:

console.log(42)

The parentheses are preserved — only the content inside is replaced.

Tips

• ci) does exactly the same thing as ci( — both refer to the same text object
• Use ca( to change the content and the parentheses themselves
• Use di( to delete inside parentheses without entering insert mode
• Use yi( to yank (copy) the content inside parentheses
• This pattern works with other delimiters too: ci{ for braces, ci[ for brackets, ci" for double quotes, ci' for single quotes, ci< for angle brackets
• Vim finds the nearest enclosing pair, so your cursor does not need to be on the opening parenthesis