How do I refer to all files in the argument list at once in an Ex command?
##
The ## special token expands to the names of all files currently in Vim's argument list.
Search: :argdo
48 results for ":argdo"
How do I run a command on every open buffer?
:bufdo command
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command on every buffer in the buffer list.
How do I save a file only if it has unsaved changes, without touching the file timestamp if nothing changed?
:update
The :update command (abbreviated :up) writes the buffer to disk only if it has been modified since the last save.
How do you use the argument list to edit multiple files?
:args *.py
Use :args *.
How do I run a macro on every line in the file silently, ignoring errors on lines where the macro fails?
:silent! %normal @q
Combining :silent!, the % range, and :normal @q gives you a powerful pattern for applying a macro across an entire file while gracefully skipping lines that don
What are the useful flags for the substitute command?
:s/pattern/replace/flags
The substitute command supports several flags that modify its behavior.
How do I apply a macro only to files that appear in the current location list?
:lfdo normal! @q | update
When you already have a curated location list, :lfdo lets you apply a change only to those files instead of touching your whole project.
macros #macros #location-list #refactoring #command-line #normal-mode
How do I remove trailing whitespace across all open buffers and save only changed files?
:bufdo keeppatterns %s/\s\+$//e | update
If you keep many files open during a refactor, cleaning trailing whitespace one buffer at a time is slow and error-prone.
How do I trim trailing whitespace in a file without polluting jumplist or search history?
:keepjumps keeppatterns %s/\s\+$//e<CR>
Bulk whitespace cleanup is common, but a plain substitution can leave side effects: your last search pattern changes and jump navigation gets noisy.
How do I run a substitution in Vim without getting an error when the pattern is not found?
:%s/pattern/replacement/ge
The e flag on :substitute silences the "Pattern not found" error that Vim normally reports when a substitution has no matches.
How do I execute a macro while ignoring custom mappings that could change behavior?
:normal! @q
Recorded macros can become fragile when your config defines mappings that shadow built-in keys.
How do I inspect only Ex command history so I can quickly rerun a complex command?
:history :
When you work with long substitution pipelines or multi-part Ex commands, digging through all history (:history) adds noise.
How do I run a recorded macro on every quickfix match without touching unrelated lines?
:cdo normal! @q
When a refactor target spans many files but only specific matches matter, running a macro globally is risky.
How do I run the same Ex command in every open window at once?
:windo {cmd}
:windo {cmd} executes an Ex command in every window in the current tab page, cycling through each one and applying the command before returning focus to the ori
buffers-windows #windows #buffers #ex-commands #buffers-windows
How do I step through the files in my argument list one at a time?
:next
When Vim is opened with multiple files (e.
command-line #buffers-windows #ex-commands #navigation #editing
How do I open a file in a split window and jump directly to the first match of a pattern?
:sp +/{pattern} {file}
The +{cmd} syntax lets you run an Ex command immediately after a file is opened.
How do I speed up macro execution and bulk operations by preventing screen redraws?
:set lazyredraw
When Vim runs a macro or an :argdo / :bufdo loop, it redraws the screen after every command by default.
How do I run a command across all open buffers at once?
:bufdo %s/old/new/ge | update
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command in every loaded buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #editing #substitution
How do I execute a macro on each quickfix match and write files only when changed?
:cdo normal! @a | update
When you already have a precise quickfix list, :cdo is one of the safest ways to run a macro only where it matters.
How do I run a command on all open buffers at once?
:bufdo {cmd}
:bufdo executes an Ex command in each open buffer in sequence, cycling through every buffer in the buffer list.