How do I define or fix a macro using Vimscript instead of re-recording it?
:let @q = 'commands'
Macros in Vim are just text stored in named registers.
Search: i" a"
1034 results for "i" a""
How do I edit a recorded macro without re-recording it from scratch?
"qp
Macros are stored as plain text in named registers.
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 count the number of pattern matches in a file without making substitutions?
:s/pattern//gn
The :s///gn command counts how many times a pattern appears in the file without actually replacing anything.
command-line #search #ex-commands #substitution #command-line
How do I run a command on every individual quickfix entry in Vim?
:cdo s/old/new/ | update
:cdo {cmd} executes a command at every entry in the quickfix list, visiting each location in turn.
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 highlight trailing whitespace with a custom color in Vim?
highlight TrailingWhitespace ctermbg=red and match TrailingWhitespace /\s\+$/
How it works Vim's highlight and match commands let you create custom visual indicators.
How do I move the current window to the far left of the screen?
<C-w>H
The H command moves the current window to the far left, making it a full-height vertical split.
How do I search for a pattern that spans multiple lines in Vim?
/pattern\_s\+next
Vim's regular expressions support multi-line matching through underscore-prefixed atoms.
How do I add line numbers to the beginning of every line using a substitute expression?
:%s/^/\=line('.').' '/
Vim's substitute command supports expressions in the replacement string using \=.
How do I reuse the last search pattern without retyping it in Vim?
//
In Vim, pressing // (two forward slashes) in Normal mode repeats the last search pattern.
How do I run a macro only on lines that match a specific pattern?
:g/pattern/normal @a
The :g (global) command combined with :normal @a lets you execute a recorded macro only on lines matching a pattern.
macros #macros #ex-commands #global-command #editing #automation
How do I edit a complex Ex command in a full editing window?
q: or <C-f> from : prompt
The command-line window (q:) opens a full Vim buffer containing your Ex command history.
How do I replace a single character without entering insert mode?
r{char}
The r{char} command replaces the character under the cursor with {char} without ever entering insert mode.
How do I create a custom operator that works with any motion in Vim?
:set operatorfunc=MyFunc<CR>g@{motion}
Vim's operatorfunc and g@ let you define custom operators that accept any motion or text object, just like built-in operators d, c, and y.
How do I access and reuse the last search pattern?
"/ register
The / register contains the most recent search pattern.
How do I build and execute a command dynamically?
:execute "command"
The :execute command evaluates a string expression and runs it as an Ex command.
How do I paste from a register in insert mode without Vim interpreting special characters?
<C-r><C-r>{register}
In insert mode, {reg} pastes from a register but treats certain bytes as key inputs — so a register containing \n triggers a newline, \x08 triggers backspace,
How do I store different pieces of text in separate registers for later pasting?
"ayy "byy "cyy
How it works Vim provides 26 named registers (a through z) that you can use as independent clipboards.
How do I land on a specific position relative to a search match?
/pattern/e
Search offsets let you place the cursor at a specific position relative to the match.