How do I view the first macro or keyword definition without leaving my current position?

Explanation

The [d command searches from the beginning of the file for the first line matching the define pattern for the word under the cursor, and displays it in the status bar — all without moving your cursor. It's a quick way to inspect a macro value or constant definition while keeping your place in the code.

How it works

• [d — searches from the start of the file and displays the first definition of the keyword under the cursor
• ]d — searches from the cursor forward to find the next definition
• [D — lists all matching definitions in the file (like :dlist /word/)
• [<C-D> — actually jumps to the first definition (vs. just displaying it)
• Vim uses the define option pattern to identify definition lines (default: ^\s*#\s*define for C preprocessor macros)

Example

#define MAX_RETRIES 5
...
if (retries > MAX_RETRIES) {  ← cursor here

With the cursor on MAX_RETRIES, pressing [d shows in the status bar:

  1 #define MAX_RETRIES 5

Tips

• For non-C languages, customize the search: :set define=^\s*const\s for JavaScript/TypeScript constants
• Use [D when you want to see all occurrences at once (for example, when a symbol is defined in multiple #ifdef branches)
• Once you've seen the definition with [d, use [<C-D> to actually navigate there