How do I pick from multiple tag matches instead of jumping to the first one?
g]
g] is the disambiguation-aware alternative to .
Search: G
411 results for "G"
How do I create an incrementing number sequence across multiple lines?
<C-v>jjjg<C-a>
Selecting a column of identical numbers with visual block mode and pressing g turns them into an incrementing sequence.
How do I use Vim expressions and functions in substitute replacements?
:%s/\<\w\+\>/\=toupper(submatch(0))/g
The \= flag in the replacement part of :substitute tells Vim to evaluate what follows as a Vimscript expression instead of treating it as a literal string.
How do I show context lines around each match when using the :global command?
:g/pattern/z#.5
The :global command is great for finding lines matching a pattern, but by default it only shows the matching lines themselves.
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 search and replace with case-preserving substitution?
:%S/old/new/g (vim-abolish)
vim-abolish by Tim Pope provides :%S (Subvert), a substitute command that preserves the case pattern of the original text.
How do I use yanked text as the replacement in a substitute command?
:%s/pattern/\=@0/g
The \=@0 replacement expression inserts the contents of register 0 (last yank) as the replacement text.
How do I search and replace text only on the current line?
:s/old/new/g
The :s/old/new/g command replaces all occurrences of old with new on the current line only.
How do I navigate undo branches to recover changes that were overwritten by a new edit?
g- / g+
Vim doesn't have a simple linear undo stack — it maintains a full undo tree with branches.
editing #editing #undo-redo #normal-mode #advanced #productivity
How do I increment or add to all numbers in a file using Vim substitution?
:%s/\d\+/\=submatch(0)+1/g
Vim's expression replacement (\=) in substitutions lets you perform arithmetic on matched text.
How do I create a custom operator that works with motions and text objects?
:set operatorfunc=MyFunc<CR>g@
Vim lets you define custom operators that behave like built-in ones (d, c, y) — they wait for a motion or text object, then act on the selected region.
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 search and replace only within a visual selection?
:'<,'>s/old/new/g
After making a visual selection, you can run a substitute command that only affects the selected text.
How do I apply commands to specific line ranges?
:{start},{end} command
Ex commands accept range specifiers that control which lines are affected.
How do I run a command on lines between two search patterns?
:/start/,/end/command
Vim allows pattern-based ranges in Ex commands, letting you operate on lines between two search matches.
How do I run a macro on all lines matching a pattern?
:g/pattern/norm @a
The :g/pattern/norm @a command combines the global command with macro execution.
How do I switch between visual mode and select mode in Vim?
v{motion}<C-g>
Vim has a lesser-known select mode that behaves like selection in typical GUI editors: any typed character replaces the selection.
How do I add line numbers to multiple lines using visual block?
<C-v>jjI1. <Esc>
Visual block insert can add numbered prefixes to lines.
How do you replace text with a newline in Vim?
:%s/; /;\r/g
In the replacement part, use \r to insert a newline.
How do you run a command in every tab?
:tabdo %s/old/new/g
Use :tabdo to execute a command in every tab page.