How do I search for an exact multi-word phrase or special text I've selected?
* (in visual mode)
In normal mode, searches for the word under the cursor with word-boundary anchors.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
What is the unnamed register and how does it work?
""p
The unnamed register "" is the default target for yank, delete, and change operations.
How do you insert shell command output into the current buffer?
:r !date
Use :r !command to read the output of a shell command into the buffer below the cursor.
How do you manage plugins with lazy.nvim in Neovim?
require('lazy').setup(plugins)
lazy.
How do I find out what is making Vim slow to start up?
vim --startuptime /tmp/vim-startup.log
When Vim takes too long to start, the --startuptime flag writes a detailed timing log showing exactly how long each plugin, script, and initialization step take
How do I jump to the local or global declaration of the variable under the cursor without ctags?
gd and gD
Vim's gd and gD commands jump to the declaration of the identifier under the cursor by searching upward through the file — no ctags setup required.
How do I copy an entire line in Vim?
yy
The yy command yanks (copies) the entire current line, including the newline character.
How do I include spell-checked words as completion candidates in Vim insert mode?
set complete+=kspell
Adding kspell to the complete option makes and draw from the active spell word list — every word Vim considers correctly spelled.
How do I profile Vim startup time to find out which plugins are slowing it down?
vim --startuptime /tmp/vim-startup.log +qall && sort -k2 -rn /tmp/vim-startup.log | head -20
When Vim starts slowly, the --startuptime flag writes a timestamped log of every script and plugin loaded during initialization.
How do you enable enhanced command-line completion?
set wildmenu wildmode=longest:full,full
Enable wildmenu for a visual menu above the command line.
How do I scroll the screen down by one line without moving the cursor?
<C-e>
The command scrolls the window down one line at a time while keeping the cursor on its current line (until the cursor would go off-screen).
How do I make all split windows the same size?
<C-w>=
The = (Ctrl+w then =) command resizes all open split windows so they have equal width and height.
How do I scroll the screen while also jumping to the first non-blank character of the current line?
z<CR> and z. and z-
Vim has two sets of scroll-and-position commands: zt/zz/zb (which reposition the screen but keep the cursor column intact) and z/z.
How do I get syntax highlighting and indentation for every language in Vim without configuring each one?
vim-polyglot
The vim-polyglot plugin is a curated collection of language packs for Vim that provides syntax highlighting, indentation, filetype detection, and compiler suppo
How do I cycle through my previous deletions to find the one I want to paste?
"1p then u.u.u.
Vim stores your last 9 deletions (of one line or more) in the numbered registers "1 through "9.
registers #registers #editing #normal-mode #undo-redo #paste
How do I profile Vimscript functions to find what is slowing down Vim at runtime?
:profile start profile.log | profile func *
When Vim feels sluggish during editing—not just at startup—you need runtime profiling to pinpoint which functions are consuming the most time.
config #profiling #debugging #config #ex-commands #performance
How do I transfer diff hunks between files in Vim's diff mode?
dp and do
When comparing two files side by side in Vim's diff mode (:diffsplit or vim -d file1 file2), you often want to accept or push individual changes between the fil
How do I change text from the cursor to the end of the line?
C
The C command deletes everything from the cursor position to the end of the line and places you in insert mode.
How do I cycle through my jump history in Vim?
<C-o> and <C-i>
Vim maintains a jump list of positions you have visited.
How do I switch from the active command line into the command-line window to edit the command with full Vim power?
<C-f> (in command line)
Pressing while you are already typing in the Vim command line (:), search line (/ or ?), or input prompt switches you into the command-line window with the curr
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #editing #normal-mode