How do I match a pattern only when followed or preceded by another pattern in Vim?
\@= and \@! and \@<= and \@<!
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions using the \@=, \@!, \@<=, and \@<! atoms.
Search: :w
366 results for ":w"
How do I insert all completion matches at once on the command line instead of cycling through them one by one?
<C-a> (command-line mode)
In command-line mode, inserts all completions for the word before the cursor at once, as a space-separated list.
How do I use a VimScript expression as the replacement in a substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expression/g
Prefixing the replacement string with \= in a :substitute command tells Vim to evaluate the rest as a VimScript expression rather than literal text.
How do I make the focused window automatically expand to a minimum size while keeping other windows visible?
:set winwidth=85 winheight=20
Setting winwidth and winheight tells Vim the minimum column width and line height the current focused window must have.
How do I use a Vim expression to dynamically compute substitution replacement text?
:s/pattern/\=expression/
The \= prefix in the replacement field of :s/// tells Vim to evaluate the right-hand side as a Vim script expression and use the result as the replacement text.
What is the difference between ' and ` when jumping to a mark in Vim?
' vs `
Vim provides two distinct ways to jump to a mark, and they behave differently: the apostrophe ' jumps to the first non-blank character of the marked line, while
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 toggle a boolean Vim option on and off without typing the full :set option or :set nooption each time?
:set option!
For any boolean option, appending ! to :set inverts its current value.
How do I indent or unindent the current line while staying in Insert mode?
<C-t> / <C-d>
While in Insert mode, you can adjust indentation without switching back to Normal mode.
How do I execute the contents of the system clipboard as a Vim macro?
@+
In Vim, @{register} executes the contents of any register as a macro.
How do I open a split window that spans the full width or height of the editor instead of splitting only the current window?
:botright split
When you split a window with :split or :vsplit, Vim subdivides only the current window.
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #ex-commands #command-line
How do I open the previous file I was editing in a split window?
:split #
In Vim, # is a special filename that always refers to the alternate file — the most recently active buffer before the current one.
How do I change existing surrounding quotes to parentheses with vim-surround?
cs"(
The cs operator in vim-surround (change surrounding) swaps one pair of delimiters for another without touching the content inside.
How do I evaluate a Vimscript expression and insert the result into a command-line command?
<C-r>= (command-line mode)
Just like = lets you insert evaluated expressions in insert mode, you can use it inside an Ex command on the command line to embed any Vimscript expression resu
How do I pass a range of lines through a shell command and replace them?
:{range}!command
The :{range}!command syntax pipes the specified lines through an external shell command and replaces them with the output.
command-line #command-line #shell #filtering #unix #ex-commands
How do I export the current buffer as syntax-highlighted HTML from within Vim?
:%TOhtml
Vim ships with a built-in plugin that converts the current buffer into a standalone HTML file, complete with your exact syntax highlighting colors.
How do I get just the filename without its path or extension to use in a command?
%:t:r
Vim's % special character expands to the current filename and accepts a chain of colon-delimited modifiers.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #editing #navigation
How do I search for the word under my cursor across all project files using Telescope?
require('telescope.builtin').grep_string()
Telescope's grepstring() function performs a project-wide search for the exact word currently under the cursor, displaying live-previewed results in an interact
How do I paste or reuse my last search pattern from the search register?
"/p
Vim stores the last search pattern in the search register "/.
How do I run a substitute command on every file in the quickfix list at once?
:cfdo %s/old/new/ge | update
When you grep across your project and want to perform a search-and-replace on every file that matched, :cfdo is the most efficient approach.
command-line #quickfix #substitute #search #ex-commands #editing