How do I insert all completion matches at once on the command line instead of cycling through them one by one?

Explanation

In command-line mode, <C-a> inserts all completions for the word before the cursor at once, as a space-separated list. This is useful when you want to batch-operate on multiple files or buffers that share a pattern — without manually typing or cycling through each one with <Tab>.

How it works

• <Tab> — cycles through completions one at a time, replacing the current word
• <C-d> — lists completions below the command line without inserting them
• <C-a> — inserts all completions into the command line simultaneously

Example

To close all JavaScript buffers at once:

:bdelete *.js<C-a>

After pressing <C-a>, Vim expands to something like:

:bdelete app.js utils.js router.js

Press <CR> to close them all in one shot.

Similarly, to quickly diff all modified files:

:diffsplit *.patch<C-a>

Tips

• Works with any command that supports filename or name completion: :edit, :buffer, :source, etc.
• If the list is too long, you can edit it after expansion — <C-w> to delete words, or <C-u> to clear the line
• Pair with wildcards: :bd test_*<C-a> closes all buffers starting with test_
• Use <C-d> first to preview the list, then <C-a> to actually insert it