How do I execute the contents of a register as an Ex command?
:@a
How it works The command :@a executes the contents of register a as an Ex command.
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How do I execute buffer text as a macro dynamically?
:let @a=getline('.')<CR>@a
How it works Instead of recording keystrokes interactively, you can write a sequence of Vim commands as plain text in your buffer and then execute that text as
How do I save a file I opened without sudo permissions?
:w !sudo tee %
The :w !sudo tee % command lets you save a file that requires root permissions, even if you forgot to open Vim with sudo.
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.
How do I add Emacs-style editing shortcuts to Vim's command line?
:cnoremap <C-a> <Home>
Vim's command line has limited navigation by default.
How do I run a macro on every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>normal @a
The :'normal @a command executes the macro stored in register a on every line within the current visual selection.
How do I match a pattern only if it is NOT followed by something?
/pattern\@!
The \@! atom is a negative lookahead in Vim regex.
How do I use the expression register for calculations?
"=2+3<CR>p
The expression register = evaluates a Vimscript expression and stores the result.
How do I use Git from within Vim with vim-fugitive?
:Git command (e.g., :Git status)
vim-fugitive by Tim Pope is a comprehensive Git wrapper for Vim.
How do I reverse the order of lines in a file or selection?
:%!tac
Vim doesn't have a built-in reverse command, but you can pipe the buffer through tac (reverse of cat) to flip line order.
How do I make a macro repeat itself until it fails?
qaq qa...@aq @a
A recursive macro calls itself at the end of its recording, causing it to repeat indefinitely until a command inside it fails (like a search hitting the end of
How do I open a new line above the cursor and start typing?
O
The O (uppercase) command opens a new blank line above the current line and places you in insert mode, ready to type.
How do I surround a visual selection with delimiters using vim-surround?
S"
The vim-surround plugin provides the S command in visual mode to wrap any selection with a delimiter pair.
How do I temporarily highlight a custom text pattern in my buffer without changing the syntax file?
:match {group} /{pattern}/
:match lets you apply a highlight group to any pattern in the current window without touching the buffer or its syntax rules.
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 quickly select an entire function body using visual mode?
Va{ or Vi{
The a{ (around braces) and i{ (inside braces) text objects combined with visual mode let you instantly select an entire function body or code block, regardless
visual-mode #visual-mode #text-objects #code-navigation #selection
How do I display available keybindings in a popup when pressing leader?
:WhichKey
which-key.
How do I search for a pattern only on a specific line number or at a specific column position?
\%l and \%c
Vim's \%l and \%c pattern atoms anchor a search to a particular line number or column, enabling surgical searches and substitutions that standard regex cannot e
How do I open an existing buffer in a new tab page in Vim?
:tab sb N
How it works The :tab sb N command opens buffer number N in a brand new tab page.
How do I run a macro until it can no longer proceed without specifying an exact count?
100@a
When you give a large count to a macro — such as 100@a — Vim automatically stops replaying the macro as soon as any step inside it fails.