How do I view or manipulate the search pattern register in Vim?
:echo @/
The / register holds the most recent search pattern.
Search: g* g#
795 results for "g* g#"
How do I jump to any visible word or character on screen instantly in Vim?
<Leader><Leader>w
The vim-easymotion plugin replaces Vim's default motion commands with a visual overlay system that lets you jump to any visible position on screen in just two o
How do I open a file explorer sidebar in Vim with NERDTree?
:NERDTreeToggle
The NERDTree plugin provides a full-featured file explorer sidebar in Vim, giving you a visual directory tree that you can navigate, search, and manipulate file
How do I make Vim sessions save global variables?
:set sessionoptions+=globals
By default, :mksession restores windows, buffers, and many editor states, but it skips most global variables.
How do I use Vim's built-in file explorer netrw to browse and manage files?
:Explore
Netrw is Vim's built-in file explorer plugin that comes with every Vim installation.
How do I undo the last change in Vim?
u
The u command undoes the last change you made in normal mode.
How do I see a live preview of substitutions as I type in Neovim?
:set inccommand=split
Neovim's inccommand option provides real-time visual feedback as you type substitution commands.
How do I search and replace text across multiple files in Vim?
:args **/*.py | argdo %s/old/new/gc | update
Vim can perform search-and-replace across multiple files without any plugins by combining the arglist with :argdo.
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #productivity #quickfix #arglist
How do I use normal regex syntax in Vim search without escaping everything?
/\v
Vim's default regex syntax requires backslashes before most special characters like +, (, ), {, and , which is the opposite of what most developers expect from
How do I see a list of recently opened files and quickly jump back to one?
:oldfiles
:oldfiles displays a numbered list of every file Vim has recorded in its viminfo (or shada in Neovim) file.
How do I move by display lines when long lines wrap?
gj
The gj command moves the cursor down by one display line rather than one physical line.
How do I override case sensitivity for a single search pattern without changing my settings?
\c
Vim lets you embed \c or \C directly inside a search pattern to control case sensitivity for that search only, regardless of your 'ignorecase' and 'smartcase' s
How do I count substitution matches before changing anything?
:%s/pattern/replacement/gn
When you are about to run a broad substitution, it is often safer to measure impact first.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #substitution #search
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 run a command between two patterns but exclude the end marker line?
:/BEGIN/,/END/-1s/\s\+$//
When you need to clean or refactor block-like regions, Ex ranges can target lines between two search patterns without selecting text manually.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #ranges #search #editing
How do I merge consecutive edits so they undo in a single step?
:undojoin<CR>
By default, separate edits often become separate undo entries, which makes replaying or backing out a multi-part change noisy.
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 filter text through an external program using a motion in normal mode?
!{motion}{program}
The ! operator in normal mode lets you pipe a range of text through any external program and replace it with the output.
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 join a specific range of lines into one line using an Ex command?
:[range]join
The :[range]join Ex command lets you join lines by specifying an explicit line range — without having to navigate there or use visual selection.