How do I convert between tabs and spaces in a visual selection?
:'<,'>retab!
The :retab! command converts between tabs and spaces based on your expandtab setting.
Search: visual mode
432 results for "visual mode"
How do I reselect the last visual selection?
gv
The gv command reselects the exact same area that was last selected in visual mode.
How do I uppercase only the characters inside a visual selection with :substitute?
:'<,'>s/\%V./\U&/g
When you need to transform text in-place without touching surrounding content, \%V is one of Vim's most precise tools.
How do I create a mapping that applies only in visual mode but not in select mode?
:xmap
:vmap applies to both visual mode and select mode, which can silently break snippet plugins (like UltiSnips, LuaSnip) that use select mode to position the curso
How do I append the same suffix to every selected line in Visual mode?
:'<,'>normal! A;
Visual selections are not just for direct operators; they also define an Ex range.
visual-mode #visual-mode #normal-mode #editing #ex-commands #automation
How do I append text at the end of lines with different lengths using visual block?
<C-v>j$A;<Esc>
When lines have varying lengths, a normal visual block selection stops at the shortest line.
How do I ROT13 encode text using visual mode in Vim?
g?
Vim has a built-in ROT13 encoding operator accessible via g?.
visual-mode #visual-mode #encoding #rot13 #text-transformation
How do I align columns in a visual selection using an external command?
:'<,'>!awk '{printf "%-20s %s\n", $1, $2}'
By piping a visual selection through awk with printf formatting, you can align columns to fixed widths.
visual-mode #visual-mode #formatting #alignment #external-command
How do I restrict a substitute command to only the text within my last visual selection using the percent-V atom?
:s/\%Vfoo/bar/
The \%V atom in Vim's regex engine matches only within the area of the last visual selection.
search #search #visual-mode #substitute #advanced #ex-commands
How do I run a substitution only within the exact characters of my visual selection?
:%s/\%Vpattern/replacement/g
The \%V atom restricts a regex match to the last visual selection — more precisely than :'s/.
How do I remove trailing spaces only within the currently selected visual block?
:'<,'>s/\%V\s\+$//
Sometimes you need to clean alignment artifacts in a rectangular region without touching the rest of each line.
visual-mode #visual-mode #substitution #regex #formatting #editing
How do I search and replace only within a visual block selection?
:'<,'>s/\%Vold/new/g
The \%V atom restricts a search pattern to match only within the visual selection area, including visual block selections.
How do I change text in a visual block selection?
<C-v>selection c
In visual block mode, pressing c changes (replaces) all the text in the selected rectangle.
How do I prepend ascending numbers only to the lines in my visual selection?
:'<,'>s/^/\=line('.')-line("'<")+1 . '. '/
When you need quick numbered steps, logs, or checklist entries, this pattern adds numbers only to the lines you selected, not the whole buffer.
How do I reindent the previous visual selection and keep it selected?
gv=gv
When you are iterating on indentation, repeating selection steps is wasted motion.
visual-mode #visual-mode #indentation #editing #formatting #workflow
How do I replace a visual block selection with digraph or special characters?
<C-v>jjr<C-k>12
Visual block mode combined with the replace command and digraph input lets you replace a column of characters with special Unicode characters.
How do I insert sequential line numbers using visual block mode?
<C-v>jjI\=printf('%02d ', line('.')-line("'<")+1)<CR><Esc>
By combining visual block insert with Vim's expression register, you can insert dynamically computed line numbers at the start of each selected line.
visual-mode #visual-mode #block-mode #line-numbers #expression-register
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 decrement a visual block of numbers as a sequence?
g<C-x>
Most people know decrements one number under the cursor, but g in Visual mode performs a sequential decrement across the selection.
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.