How do I copy all lines matching a pattern to the end of the file?

Explanation

How it works

The :g (global) command combined with :t (copy) lets you duplicate all lines matching a pattern to a specific location. The command :g/pattern/t$ finds every line matching pattern and copies it to the end of the file ($).

Breaking it down:

• :g/pattern/ selects all lines matching the pattern
• t is the copy (transfer) command -- it copies a line to another location
• $ is the destination address meaning end of file

You can copy to other locations too:

• :g/pattern/t0 copies matching lines to the top of the file
• :g/pattern/t15 copies matching lines after line 15
• :g/pattern/t. copies matching lines after the current line

To move lines instead of copying, use m (move) instead of t:

• :g/pattern/m$ moves matching lines to the end of the file

Example

Suppose you have a log file and want to collect all error lines at the bottom:

[INFO] Server started
[ERROR] Connection timeout
[INFO] Request received
[ERROR] File not found
[INFO] Processing complete

Run:

:g/ERROR/t$

The file now has all error lines duplicated at the end:

[INFO] Server started
[ERROR] Connection timeout
[INFO] Request received
[ERROR] File not found
[INFO] Processing complete
[ERROR] Connection timeout
[ERROR] File not found

This is very useful for creating summaries, extracting specific data, or collecting items that match a criteria. Combine with :v (inverse global) to copy lines that do NOT match: :v/pattern/t$.