How do I sort selected lines and remove duplicates in one command?

Explanation

:sort u sorts lines alphabetically and removes exact duplicate lines in a single operation. Select lines in visual mode, type : (which auto-fills :'<,'>), then sort u. The u flag means unique — after sorting, any consecutive duplicates are collapsed to one line.

Sort flags

Example

Given:

banana
apple
cherry
apple
banana

Select all with ggVG, then :'<,'>sort u:

apple
banana
cherry

Sort a CSS file's properties alphabetically within a block:

vi{:sort

Tips

• :sort without a range sorts the entire file; with :'<,'> it sorts only the selection
• :sort /.*\%2c/ sorts by everything from column 2 onward (ignoring a leading character)
• :sort is stable — lines that compare equal keep their original relative order
• Combine with :g for advanced filtering: :g/pattern/sort sorts blocks matching a pattern