How do I create a custom key mapping?
:nnoremap key command
The :nnoremap command creates a non-recursive normal mode mapping.
Search: :normal
953 results for ":normal"
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 scroll the current line to the top of the screen and move the cursor to the first non-blank character?
z<CR>
While zt scrolls the current line to the top of the screen, z does the same scroll but also moves the cursor to the first non-blank character of that line.
How do I run a command on lines matching a pattern within blocks matching another pattern?
:g/outer/,/end/g/inner/
The :global command accepts a range, which lets you scope its search to sections of the file rather than the entire buffer.
How do I repeat a macro as many times as possible until it fails?
999@q
Prefixing a macro invocation with a large count like 999@q tells Vim to run register q up to 999 times.
How do I reformat a paragraph to fit a specific line width?
gqip
The gqip command reformats the current paragraph to fit within the configured textwidth.
How do I search for text in Vim?
/pattern
The /pattern command searches forward through the file for the given pattern.
How do I run a macro as many times as needed until it hits an error and stops automatically in Vim?
1000@q
Vim macros stop executing the moment any step in the macro causes an error — a failed search, a motion that cannot proceed, or a substitution with no matches.
How do I quickly append text to the end of a word under the cursor in Vim?
ea
The ea compound shortcut moves to the last character of the current word with e, then enters insert mode after the cursor with a.
How do I use the caret mark to jump to the exact cursor position where I last left insert mode?
'^
Vim automatically maintains a special mark ^ that records the exact position of the cursor the last time you left insert mode.
How do I quickly change an entire sentence in Vim?
cis
The cis command deletes the entire sentence under the cursor and drops you into insert mode, ready to type a replacement.
How do I create a macro that repeats itself automatically until it can no longer proceed?
qq{actions}@qq
A recursive macro ends by calling itself, so it loops automatically without you pressing @q repeatedly.
How do I make a key mapping fire immediately without waiting for longer mappings to time out?
nnoremap <nowait> {key} {action}
The flag on a mapping tells Vim not to delay waiting for a longer key sequence.
How do I select an entire line in visual mode?
V
The V (uppercase) command enters visual line mode, which selects the entire current line.
How do I scroll a full page up or down in Vim?
<C-f> to scroll forward, <C-b> to scroll backward
How it works Vim provides two commands for scrolling by an entire screen (page) at a time: Ctrl-F (Forward) scrolls the view one full page down through the file
How do I jump between sentences in Vim?
( and )
How it works Vim defines a sentence as text ending with .
How do I run a macro a specific number of times at once?
{count}@{register}
Prefix any macro execution with a count to repeat it that many times in a single command.
How do I jump forward and backward through all marks in the current buffer?
]' and ['
The ]' and [' motions let you traverse every lowercase mark set in the current buffer without needing to remember which registers you used.
How do I undo changes back to how the file looked 5 minutes ago?
:earlier
Vim's undo history is not just a linear list of changes — it records timestamps too.
How do I browse and restore previously deleted text using Vim's numbered registers?
"1p then u. to cycle through delete history
Vim silently maintains a rolling history of your last 9 deletions in numbered registers "1 through "9.