How do I create a custom undo checkpoint while in Insert mode so I can undo in smaller steps?
<C-g>u
By default, Vim treats an entire Insert mode session (from entering Insert mode to pressing ) as a single undo unit.
Search: i" a"
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How do I insert a literal tab character in insert mode even when expandtab is enabled?
<C-v><Tab>
When expandtab is set, pressing the Tab key inserts spaces instead of a real tab character.
How do I run a Vim command in a restricted sandbox to prevent side effects?
:sandbox {cmd}
The :sandbox command modifier executes any Ex command in a restricted environment where potentially dangerous operations are blocked.
How do I repeatedly run a macro while a pattern is still found in the buffer?
:while search('TODO') | normal! @q | endwhile
A fixed count like 100@q is brittle: sometimes your macro needs 12 passes, sometimes 300, and over-running can corrupt already-processed text.
macros #macros #automation #search #normal-mode #ex-commands
How do I jump to a tag definition in a new split window instead of the current buffer?
<C-w>g<C-]>
Pressing g jumps to the definition of the tag under the cursor — just like — but opens the destination in a new horizontal split window.
How do I switch from typing a command to the full command-line window so I can edit it with all normal Vim keys?
<C-f> (from command-line)
When you are already in the middle of typing a command (after pressing :) and realize you need to compose something complex — a long substitution, a multi-pip
How do I reformat a paragraph to fit a specific line width in Vim?
gqap
The gq operator reformats text by wrapping lines to fit within the textwidth setting.
How do I open a new empty buffer in a horizontal split without opening any file?
<C-w>n
n creates a new empty buffer and opens it in a horizontal split above the current window.
How do I pass special keys like Ctrl or arrow keys to :execute normal! in a Vimscript function or mapping?
:execute "normal! \<{key}>"
When building dynamic :execute normal! calls in Vimscript, you must use double-quoted strings with the \ notation so Vim interprets the special key codes.
How do I change text in a visual block selection?
<C-v>selection c
In visual block mode, pressing c changes (replaces) all the text in the selected rectangle.
How do I center-align text within a specific width in Vim?
:center
The :center command pads a line with leading spaces so the text is centered within a given width.
How do I resize a split window by an exact number of columns or rows using a count in Vim?
{n}<C-w>>
All four window resize mappings accept an optional count prefix that multiplies the resize amount.
How do I reverse the order of all lines in a file?
:g/^/m0
The :g/^/m0 command is a clever use of Vim's global command to reverse every line in the file.
How do I change the case of matched text in a substitute?
:%s/\(\w\+\)/\u\1/g
Vim provides case-conversion atoms in substitute replacements: \u uppercases the next character, \l lowercases it, \U uppercases until \e, and \L lowercases unt
How do I clear a macro register to start fresh without using Vimscript?
qqq
Pressing qqq in normal mode is the quickest way to empty a macro register.
How do I replace a visual block selection with digraph or special characters?
<C-v>jjr<C-k>12
Visual block mode combined with the replace command and digraph input lets you replace a column of characters with special Unicode characters.
How do I run a targeted health check for a specific Neovim plugin or module to diagnose issues?
:checkhealth {module}
:checkhealth {module} runs the health check only for the specified module, making it much faster than the full :checkhealth which interrogates every registered
command-line #neovim #diagnostics #debugging #plugins #health
How do I change whether a register pastes as character, line, or block-wise?
:call setreg('"', @", 'l')
Vim registers carry not just their text content but also a type: charwise (c), linewise (l), or blockwise (b).
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 open an existing buffer in a new split window?
:sb {buffer}
The :sb (short for :sbuffer) command opens a buffer that is already loaded in Vim in a new horizontal split window.