How do I extend my incremental search pattern one character at a time from the current match without retyping?
<C-l> during / search
When searching with incsearch enabled, Vim highlights matches as you type.
Search: /pattern
640 results for "/pattern"
How do I run a :g or :s command without overwriting my current search pattern?
:keeppatterns {cmd}
Whenever Vim runs a command that involves searching — :g, :s, :v, or even moving the cursor with / — it overwrites the last search register (@/).
How do I write a Vim search pattern that matches text at or between mark positions?
\%'m
Vim's \%'m regex atom matches the exact position of mark m in a search pattern.
How do I repeatedly run a macro while a pattern is still found in the buffer?
:while search('TODO') | normal! @q | endwhile
A fixed count like 100@q is brittle: sometimes your macro needs 12 passes, sometimes 300, and over-running can corrupt already-processed text.
macros #macros #automation #search #normal-mode #ex-commands
How do I open a file and jump directly to a specific line or pattern?
:e +{line} {file}
The :edit command accepts a +{cmd} prefix that executes an Ex command immediately after the file is loaded.
command-line #buffers #ex-commands #navigation #command-line
How do I match a pattern but only highlight or capture part of it using \zs and \ze?
\zs and \ze
How it works Vim's \zs (set start) and \ze (set end) atoms let you define which portion of a pattern counts as the actual match, even though the full pattern is
How do I group part of a Vim regex pattern without creating a numbered capture group?
\%(...\)
Vim's standard grouping syntax \(.
How do I temporarily narrow quickfix entries by pattern using the cfilter plugin?
:packadd cfilter | Cfilter /ERROR/
Quickfix lists can get noisy in large projects, especially when one grep or compiler run mixes several classes of issues.
How do I match only part of a search pattern for highlighting or substitution?
/\zs and \ze
The \zs and \ze atoms let you define where the actual match starts and ends within a larger pattern.
How do I search for a second pattern relative to where the first one matched?
/pattern1/;/pattern2/
Vim's search offsets allow chaining two patterns together with a semicolon.
How do I list only search-pattern history entries in Vim?
:history /
Power users tend to run long, composable searches during refactors, but the default / and ? history navigation can be noisy when command history and search hist
How do I highlight a custom pattern in the current window without affecting the search register?
:call matchadd('ErrorMsg', 'TODO')
matchadd() lets you highlight arbitrary patterns using any highlight group — without touching the search register or search highlighting.
How do I write a Vim search pattern that matches any character including newlines for multi-line searches?
\_.{-}
The \ modifier in Vim extends any character class or atom to also match newlines.
How do I run an Ex command on all lines between two pattern matches?
:/start/,/end/ {command}
Vim's range addressing lets you specify a line range using search patterns instead of explicit line numbers.
How do I open the current file in a preview window at a specific pattern?
:pedit +/TODO %
When you need a second read-only view of the same file, opening more normal splits can disrupt your working layout.
How do I search for multiple spellings or word endings with a single Vim pattern?
/colour\%[s]
Vim's \%[.
How do I open a file and immediately execute a command, like jumping to a pattern or line?
:e +{cmd} {file}
The :e +{cmd} {file} form opens a file and executes an Ex command immediately after loading it.
How do I write a search pattern that requires two conditions to match at the same position in Vim?
\&
Vim's \& operator is the AND combinator in a search pattern.
How do I run a substitute command without overwriting my last search pattern?
:keeppatterns %s/old/new/g
The :keeppatterns modifier runs any Ex command without modifying Vim's last search pattern (stored in @/).
command-line #search #ex-commands #command-line #substitute #registers
How do I replace only part of a matched pattern using \zs and \ze in a substitution?
:%s/\zsparseData\ze(/processData/g
Vim's \zs and \ze atoms let you include context in your search pattern without including that context in the replacement.