How do I load yanked text into search as a literal pattern without regex escaping headaches?
:let @/='\V'.escape(@", '\\')
When you yank text that contains regex characters like .
Search: :e!
488 results for ":e!"
How do I re-insert the text I typed in the previous insert session?
<C-a> (insert mode)
While in insert mode, pressing re-inserts the exact text you typed during your previous insert session.
How do I toggle the case of a rectangular column region across multiple lines?
<C-v>{motion}~
Visual block mode () selects a rectangular column region, and pressing ~ at the end toggles the case of every character in that exact column range across all se
How do I use the patience diff algorithm in Vim to get cleaner diffs on source code?
:set diffopt+=algorithm:patience
Vim's default diff algorithm (Myers) can produce noisy diffs when working with code — it sometimes matches unrelated lines containing common tokens like {, },
How do I scope a Vimscript variable to a specific buffer, window, tab, or script to avoid conflicts?
b: w: t: s:
Vimscript variables are prefixed with a one-letter scope identifier followed by a colon.
How do I join all soft-wrapped lines in each paragraph into a single line?
:g/^./,/^$/join
The :g/^.
command-line #command-line #editing #global #formatting #paragraphs
How do I run a substitute command without changing my current search pattern?
:keeppattern s/old/new/g
When you run a :s or :g command, Vim updates the search register (@/) with the pattern you used.
How do I filter a range of text through an external shell command in Vim?
!{motion} {cmd}
The ! operator passes text selected by a motion through an external shell command, replacing it with the command's output.
How do I safely use a filename containing special characters in a Vim Ex command?
fnameescape(filename)
When building Vim Ex commands dynamically, filenames with spaces, , %, #, [, or other special characters will be misinterpreted — the space looks like an argu
How do I quickly configure Vim to parse compiler errors for a specific language using a built-in compiler plugin?
:compiler
Vim ships with built-in compiler plugins for many languages and tools — including gcc, python, cargo, eslint, tsc, and more.
command-line #ex-commands #config #buffers-windows #command-line
How do I persistently highlight a pattern in Vim using a specific highlight group without a plugin?
:match {group} /pattern/
:match, :2match, and :3match give you three independent highlight slots that overlay patterns on the buffer using any highlight group — without touching the s
How do I run a command on every line that does NOT match a pattern?
:v/pattern/command
:v (short for :vglobal) is the inverse of :g.
How do I replace a visual selection with yanked text in Vim?
p (in visual mode)
In visual mode, pressing p replaces the selected text with the contents of the default register.
How do I run the same Ex command in every open window at once?
:windo {cmd}
:windo {cmd} executes an Ex command in every window in the current tab page, cycling through each one and applying the command before returning focus to the ori
buffers-windows #windows #buffers #ex-commands #buffers-windows
How do I auto-indent a block of code in visual selection without specifying a line range?
vip=
Pressing = in visual mode re-indents all selected lines according to the current filetype's indent rules — the same engine used by == for a single line, but a
visual-mode #visual-mode #indentation #editing #text-objects
How do I add a visual indicator at the start of soft-wrapped continuation lines to tell them apart from real line starts?
set showbreak=↪\
When wrap is enabled, long lines visually wrap to the next screen row.
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 step through the files in my argument list one at a time?
:next
When Vim is opened with multiple files (e.
command-line #buffers-windows #ex-commands #navigation #editing
How do I comment out multiple lines at once in Vim without a plugin?
<C-v>I#<Esc>
Vim's Visual Block mode lets you prepend characters (like comment markers) to multiple lines simultaneously.
How do I read a single keystroke from the user inside a Vimscript mapping or function?
getchar()
getchar() blocks and waits for the user to press a key, returning its numeric character code.