How do I match a pattern only if it is followed by another pattern?
/pattern\ze followed
The \ze atom marks the end of the match, so you can match a pattern only when it appears before specific text.
Search: i" a"
1031 results for "i" a""
How do I align columns in a visual selection using an external command?
:'<,'>!awk '{printf "%-20s %s\n", $1, $2}'
By piping a visual selection through awk with printf formatting, you can align columns to fixed widths.
visual-mode #visual-mode #formatting #alignment #external-command
How do I jump to a tag definition using the tag stack?
<C-]>
The command jumps to the definition of the keyword under the cursor using tag files.
How do I run database queries directly from Vim using vim-dadbod?
:DB sqlite:mydb.sqlite SELECT * FROM users
vim-dadbod by Tim Pope is a plugin that lets you interact with databases directly from Vim.
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 save a file under a new name in Vim?
:saveas
The :saveas {filename} command writes the current buffer to a new file and makes that new file the current buffer's file.
How do I rotate or swap window positions in Vim?
<C-w>R
Vim provides commands to rotate windows within a row or column, and to swap the current window with another.
How do I switch to a buffer by typing only part of its filename?
:b {partial}
The :b command accepts a partial filename and switches to the first buffer whose name contains that string.
How do I set up a debugger with breakpoints in Neovim?
:lua require'dap'.toggle_breakpoint()
The nvim-dap plugin implements the Debug Adapter Protocol in Neovim, providing a full debugging experience with breakpoints, step-through execution, variable in
How do I open a file in a new tab in Vim?
:tabnew filename
The :tabnew filename command opens a file in a new tab page in Vim.
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #tabs #ex-commands #navigation
How do I customize Vim's statusline to show useful file information?
:set statusline=%f\ %y\ [%l/%L]
Vim's statusline option lets you build a custom status bar from format items.
How do I jump forward by sentence in Vim?
)
The ) motion moves the cursor to the beginning of the next sentence.
How do I run a substitution or command on every line in the quickfix list?
:cdo
:cdo {cmd} executes {cmd} on each entry in the quickfix list — one by one, jumping to each location in turn.
command-line #ex-commands #quickfix #search #editing #buffers
How do I navigate and operate on sentences and paragraphs in Vim?
( / ) / { / }
Vim treats sentences and paragraphs as first-class navigation units.
navigation #navigation #motions #text-objects #prose #editing
How do I edit a recorded macro in Vim?
"ap, edit, "ayy
Vim stores macros in registers, which means you can paste a macro's contents into a buffer, edit it as regular text, and yank it back into the register.
How do I collapse multiple consecutive spaces into a single space throughout a file?
:%s/\s\+/ /g
The pattern \s\+ matches one or more whitespace characters (spaces, tabs).
How do I use a Vimscript expression to compute the replacement text in a substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expr/
Prefixing the replacement field of :s with \= makes Vim evaluate the rest as a Vimscript expression and use the result as the replacement string.
How do I open the file whose name is under the cursor in a new tab?
<C-w>gf
gf reads the filename under the cursor and opens it in a new tab page, keeping your current buffer untouched.
How do I load a set of files matching a glob pattern into Vim's argument list for bulk editing?
:args **/*.py
Vim's argument list (arglist) is a named list of files that you can operate on as a group.
How do I run a macro across all open buffers at once?
:bufdo normal @a
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command in every open buffer, and when combined with :normal @a, it replays macro a across all of them.
macros #macros #buffers #ex-commands #automation #productivity