How do I quickly replace the text inside quotes without manually selecting it?
ci"
The ci" command deletes everything inside the nearest pair of double quotes and drops you into insert mode, ready to type the replacement.
Search: :normal
953 results for ":normal"
How do I keep a horizontal margin between the cursor and the edge of the screen when scrolling sideways?
set sidescrolloff
set sidescrolloff={n} keeps at least n columns of context to the left and right of the cursor when long lines cause the view to scroll horizontally.
How do I search for the contents of a register without typing the pattern manually?
:let @/ = @a
Vim's search register (@/) holds the current search pattern — the same one used by n, N, *, and hlsearch highlighting.
What are Vim's built-in character class shortcuts for search patterns?
\d \w \s \a \l \u
How it works Vim provides shorthand character classes that save you from writing out full bracket expressions.
How do I insert the same text multiple times without a macro or copy-paste?
80i-<Esc>
Vim's insert commands accept a count prefix that repeats everything you type.
How do I paste text that automatically matches the indentation of the current line?
[p
When you copy code from one indentation level and paste it at another, p preserves the original indentation, leaving your code misaligned.
How do I highlight multiple different patterns simultaneously using Vim's built-in match commands?
:2match Todo /FIXME/
Vim provides three independent match slots — :match, :2match, and :3match — each of which highlights a pattern using a specified highlight group.
How do I make the K key look up words in Vim's own help instead of the man page?
:set keywordprg=:help
By default, pressing K in Normal mode runs the word under the cursor through an external program — usually man.
How do I duplicate a line in Vim?
yyp
The yyp command duplicates the current line by yanking it and immediately pasting it below.
How do I insert text at the beginning of a line?
I
The I (uppercase) command moves the cursor to the first non-blank character of the current line and enters insert mode.
How do I search for a character by its ASCII or Unicode code point value in a Vim pattern?
/\%d{decimal}
Vim's regex engine supports special atoms that match characters by their numeric value rather than their glyph.
How do I search for the word under the cursor as a substring, not a whole word?
g* and g#
The and # commands search for the exact whole word under the cursor (with word boundaries \).
How do I make Ctrl-A and Ctrl-X increment and decrement alphabetic characters?
:set nrformats+=alpha
By default, and only increment and decrement numbers (decimal, hex, and octal depending on format).
How do I write a file in Vim without triggering BufWritePre or other write autocmds?
:noautocmd w
The :noautocmd modifier runs any Ex command while suppressing all autocmd events for its duration.
How do I force a case-insensitive substitution without changing the global ignorecase setting?
:%s/pattern/replacement/ig
The :s substitute command accepts /i and /I flags that override your global ignorecase and smartcase settings for that single substitution, letting you choose c
How do I call one macro from inside another macro in Vim?
When recording a macro, you can execute another macro inside it by pressing @b (or any register) during the recording.
How do I quickly jump between function definitions or top-level blocks in a source file?
[[
The [[ and ]] commands navigate between top-level code blocks — specifically, lines where { appears in column 1.
How do I jump several older change locations at once in Vim instead of repeating g;?
5g;
Most users know g; moves backward through the changelist, but fewer people use a count with it.
How do I navigate all undo states including branches that u and Ctrl+r can't reach?
g+ and g-
Vim's undo history is a tree, not a linear stack.
How do I run text I've yanked or typed as a Vim macro without recording it first?
@"
Vim macros are stored in registers — and you can execute any register as a macro with @{register}.