How do I switch to a specific buffer by its number in Vim?
:b N
How it works Every buffer in Vim is assigned a unique number when it is opened.
Search: i" a"
1039 results for "i" a""
How do I search for an exact multi-word phrase or special text I've selected?
* (in visual mode)
In normal mode, searches for the word under the cursor with word-boundary anchors.
How do I configure Vim to find files recursively in subdirectories?
:set path+=**
Adding to the path option tells Vim to search recursively through all subdirectories when using :find, gf, and other path-related commands.
How do I view Git log with graph visualization inside Vim using fugitive?
:Git log --oneline --graph
Tim Pope's vim-fugitive provides a complete Git interface inside Vim.
How do I select or operate on the entire buffer as a text object?
ggVG
While Vim doesn't have a built-in "entire buffer" text object, the ggVG sequence achieves it: go to the first line, enter line-wise visual mode, then select to
How do I use a VimScript expression as the replacement in a substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expression/g
Prefixing the replacement string with \= in a :substitute command tells Vim to evaluate the rest as a VimScript expression rather than literal text.
How do I set the tab width in Vim?
:set tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab
The :set tabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab command configures Vim to use 4-space indentation with spaces instead of tab characters.
How do I compare two files side by side using Vim's built-in diff mode?
:vertical diffsplit {file}
Vim has a built-in diff mode that highlights added, removed, and changed lines between two (or more) buffers.
How do I completely remove a buffer from Vim?
:bwipeout
The :bwipeout command (:bw) completely removes a buffer from Vim's memory, including its marks, options, and variables.
How do I indent a line in Vim?
>>
The >> command shifts the current line one shiftwidth to the right, adding indentation.
How do I write a visual selection to a separate file in Vim?
:'<,'>w filename
How it works Vim's :w command can take a range, and when used with a visual selection, it writes only the selected lines to a file.
How do I search for a pattern only within specific columns of a line?
/\%>5c\%<20cpattern
How it works Vim's search patterns support column position constraints using the \%c family of atoms.
How do I paste text above the current line?
P
The P (uppercase) command pastes the contents of the default register before the cursor position.
How do I make Vim automatically reload a file when it changes on disk?
:set autoread
The autoread option tells Vim to automatically re-read a file when it detects the file has been changed outside of Vim.
How do I create a macro that runs continuously until it hits an error?
@q
A recursive macro is a macro that calls itself as its last step, causing it to loop automatically until an operation fails (such as reaching the end of the file
How do I navigate between spelling errors and fix them in Vim?
]s / [s / z=
Vim has a built-in spell checker that highlights misspelled words and provides correction suggestions — all without plugins.
How do I make Vim wrap long lines at word boundaries instead of mid-word?
:set linebreak
By default, when wrap is enabled, Vim wraps long lines at the window edge — which can split words in the middle.
How do I edit multiple lines at once using multiple cursors in Vim?
<C-n>
The vim-visual-multi plugin (formerly vim-multiple-cursors) brings VS Code-style multiple cursor editing to Vim.
plugins #plugins #visual-multi #editing #multiple-cursors #refactoring
How do I lowercase a word in Vim?
guiw
The guiw command converts the entire word under the cursor to lowercase.
How do I set a minimum number of lines to keep visible above and below the cursor?
:set scrolloff=5
The scrolloff option keeps a minimum number of lines visible above and below the cursor when scrolling.