How do I quickly replace a word and then repeat it elsewhere?

Explanation

The ciw command followed by new text, combined with * and . creates a powerful manual search-and-replace workflow that gives you full control.

How it works

1. Place cursor on the word to replace
2. * searches for the word (highlights all occurrences)
3. ciw + type replacement + <Esc>
4. n moves to the next occurrence
5. . repeats the replacement

Example

To rename count to total selectively:

1. Cursor on count, press *
2. Press ciwtotal<Esc>
3. Press n to find next, . to replace (or n to skip)

Tips

• This is often called the "dot formula"
• More flexible than :%s because you can skip occurrences
• n finds the next, . applies the change
• Works for any word or text object change
• Combine with N to go backward