How do I replace a word under the cursor?
ciw
The ciw command deletes the inner word under the cursor and drops you into insert mode so you can type a replacement.
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How do I quickly replace a word and then repeat it elsewhere?
ciw + new text + Esc, then n.
The ciw command followed by new text, combined with and .
What is the difference between cw and ciw when changing a word?
cw vs ciw
The cw and ciw commands both change a word, but they behave differently depending on cursor position.
editing #editing #text-objects #motions #normal-mode #productivity
How do I replace the next word with a yanked word without clobbering the unnamed register?
yiww"_ciw\<C-r>0\<Esc>
When you are doing repetitive refactors, cw is fast but it overwrites the unnamed register with the replaced text.
How do I quickly surround a word with quotes, brackets, or parentheses?
ciw""<Esc>P
Vim doesn't have a built-in "surround" operator, but you can wrap any word in quotes or brackets with a short sequence: ciw""P.
editing #editing #text-objects #normal-mode #productivity #surround
How do I make word motions like w, b, and e treat hyphens or other characters as part of a word?
:set iskeyword+=-
By default, Vim treats hyphens, dots, and many punctuation characters as word boundaries.
What is the difference between the inner word (iw) and inner WORD (iW) text objects in Vim?
iW vs iw
Vim has two flavors of the "inner word" text object that are easy to confuse: iw (lowercase) and iW (uppercase).
How do I combine the dot command with macros for powerful repeat workflows?
qq;.q then @q or @@
The dot command (.
How do I convert a recorded macro into a permanent key mapping?
:let @q then use in nnoremap
Macros are stored in registers as plain keystroke strings.
How do I save a recorded macro permanently so it survives Vim restarts?
let @q = 'keystrokes'
Macros recorded with q{register} are stored in registers and lost when Vim exits.
How do I define or fix a macro using Vimscript instead of re-recording it?
:let @q = 'commands'
Macros in Vim are just text stored in named registers.
How do I change from the cursor to the end of the word?
ce
The ce command changes from the cursor position to the end of the current word.
How do I delete a word under the cursor?
diw
The diw command deletes the inner word under the cursor.
How do I record a macro to wrap each word in quotes?
qaciw"<C-r>""<Esc>wq
This macro wraps the current word in double quotes by changing the word, inserting quotes around the original content, and moving to the next word.
How do I customize what Vim considers a 'word' for motions and text objects?
:setlocal iskeyword+=-
The iskeyword option defines which characters are part of a "word" for motions like w, b, e, , and text objects like iw.
How do I uppercase a word and then jump back to my exact original cursor position?
mzgUiw`z
When you run an operator like gUiw, Vim can leave your cursor in a slightly different place than where you started.
What is the difference between word and WORD motions in Vim?
w vs W, b vs B, e vs E
Vim distinguishes between "words" (sequences of keyword characters) and "WORDS" (sequences of non-blank characters).
How do I repeat the last change in Vim?
.
The .
How do I duplicate a line in Vim?
yyp
The yyp command duplicates the current line by yanking it and immediately pasting it below.
How do I create a macro by typing it out instead of recording it interactively?
:let @q = "dwelp"
Recording macros with q works well for simple sequences, but complex macros with special keys can be hard to get right in one take.