How do I run text I've yanked or typed as a Vim macro without recording it first?
@"
Vim macros are stored in registers — and you can execute any register as a macro with @{register}.
Search: i' a'
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How do I run a normal-mode append on only matching lines inside a visual selection?
:'<,'>g/let /normal! A;<CR>
When you need a structural edit in part of a file, Visual mode ranges combine well with :global and :normal!.
visual-mode #visual-mode #command-line #ex-commands #editing
How do I programmatically create a blockwise register with setreg()?
:call setreg('a', "foo\nbar", 'b')
Most register examples focus on interactive yanks, but setreg() lets you construct registers programmatically, including their type.
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.
How do I modify the contents of a register without re-recording it?
:let @a = substitute(@a, 'old', 'new', 'g')
After recording a macro or yanking text into a named register, you may need to tweak it — fix a typo in a recorded macro, change a variable name in yanked tex
How do I record a macro to add semicolons at the end of every line?
qaA;<Esc>jq
This macro appends a semicolon to the current line and moves down, ready to repeat.
How do I see a live preview of substitutions as I type in Neovim?
:set inccommand=split
Neovim's inccommand option provides real-time visual feedback as you type substitution commands.
How do I copy the most recent yank into a named register without yanking again?
:let @a = getreg('0')
When you want to preserve a valuable yank before doing destructive edits, copying register 0 into a named register is safer than re-yanking text.
registers #registers #yanking #editing #command-line #refactoring
How do I get a start screen with recent files and sessions?
vim-startify plugin
vim-startify provides a configurable start screen when you open Vim without a file.
How do I toggle the case of all characters in a visual selection?
~ (in visual mode)
In visual mode, pressing ~ toggles the case of every character in the selection.
How do I append text at the end of multiple lines using visual block?
<C-v>jj$A
Combining visual block mode with $ and A lets you append text at the end of multiple lines, even when the lines have different lengths.
How do I append a semicolon to every non-blank line with one Vim command?
:g/[^[:space:]]/normal! A;\<CR>
When you need to patch many lines at once, :g with :normal! is often faster and safer than recording a macro.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #editing #normal-mode
How do I append the current line to a register from command line without using yank?
:let @a .= getline('.') . "\n"
Named registers are usually filled with yanks and deletes, but they are also plain variables you can edit with Vimscript.
How do I save a macro permanently in my vimrc?
let @a = 'sequence'
How it works Macros recorded with q are stored in registers, but they are lost when you close Vim (unless you have the viminfo or shada file preserving them).
How do I yank a visual selection to a specific named register?
"ayv
Using named registers with visual mode lets you store multiple independent snippets simultaneously.
How do I create a custom key mapping?
:nnoremap key command
The :nnoremap command creates a non-recursive normal mode mapping.
How do I apply a recorded macro to a range of lines without re-recording it in Vim?
:[range]normal @a
The :[range]normal @a command runs a recorded macro against every line in a given range.
macros #macros #registers #ex-commands #normal-mode #advanced
How do I open the previous file I was editing in a split window?
:split #
In Vim, # is a special filename that always refers to the alternate file — the most recently active buffer before the current one.
How do I create a new empty buffer?
:enew
The :enew command creates a new unnamed empty buffer in the current window.
How do I find where a Vim option or mapping was last set?
:verbose set option?
The :verbose prefix shows where an option was last set (which file, which line).