How do I run a macro on every line in a specific line number range?
:{range} normal @{reg}
The :normal command lets you execute Normal mode keystrokes over a range of lines.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the end of a file?
:g/pattern/m$
The :g (global) command combined with :m (move) relocates all matching lines to a specified destination.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #global #editing #organization
How do I set a colorscheme with a fallback in case it is not installed?
try | colorscheme gruvbox | catch | colorscheme default | endtry
How it works When you share your vimrc across multiple machines, a colorscheme you have installed on one system may not exist on another.
How do I create a self-repeating recursive macro that runs until it reaches the end of the file?
qaq qa...@aq
A recursive macro calls itself at the end of its recording, causing it to repeat automatically until an error — such as reaching the end of the file — stops
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the top or bottom of a file?
:g/pattern/m 0
The :global command combined with :move lets you restructure a file by relocating all lines that match a pattern.
How do I prevent Vim from adding a newline at the end of a file when saving?
:set nofixendofline
By default, Vim enforces POSIX compliance by appending a final newline to any file that lacks one.
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 display a vertical line at a specific column width?
:set colorcolumn=80
The :set colorcolumn=80 command displays a vertical highlight at column 80, giving you a visual guide for line length.
How do I center-align a line or range of lines to a specific column width in Vim?
:[range]center {width}
Vim has a built-in :center command that pads lines with leading spaces to visually center them within a given column width.
command-line #formatting #text-alignment #ex-commands #editing
How do I append keystrokes to an existing macro without re-recording it?
:let @q .= "A;\<Esc>"
If a recorded macro is almost correct but missing a final step, re-recording from scratch is slow and error-prone.
How do I reflow and hard-wrap a paragraph or selected lines to a fixed width in Vim?
gq (visual mode)
Pressing gq on a visual selection reformats the selected lines to hard-wrap at textwidth columns.
How do I compile a custom word list into a Vim spell file for faster spell checking?
:mkspell ~/.vim/spell/en.utf-8.add
When you add words to your personal spell file with zg, Vim writes them to a plain-text .
How do I edit a recorded macro?
"ap, edit, "add
Since macros are stored in registers, you can paste the register content into the buffer, edit it, and yank it back.
How do I edit an existing macro by modifying its register text instead of rerecording it?
:let @q = substitute(@q, '\n$', 'A;<Esc>\n', '')
Rerecording a long macro for one tiny change is slow and error-prone.
How do I delete text and save it to a specific named register?
"add
How it works When you delete text in Vim with commands like dd, dw, or x, the deleted text goes into the unnamed register and the numbered registers (1-9).
How do I open a file in a new tab or switch to it if it is already open?
:tab drop filename
When working with many tabs, you often want to open a file — but only if it is not already open somewhere.
How do I highlight all occurrences of a yanked word without typing a search pattern?
:let @/ = @"
After yanking text, you can promote it directly to the search register with :let @/ = @".
How do I use a Vim expression as the replacement string in a :s substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expr/g
Vim's :s command normally replaces matches with a literal string.
command-line #search #editing #ex-commands #command-line #registers
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