How do I run a global command only on lines within a visual selection?
:'<,'>g/pattern/command
How it works The :g (global) command is one of Vim's most powerful features.
Search: visual mode
261 results for "visual mode"
How do I join all selected lines into one line?
J (in visual mode)
In visual mode, pressing J joins all selected lines into a single line with spaces between them.
How do I select to the end of each line in visual block mode?
<C-v>$
In visual block mode, pressing $ extends the selection to the end of every line, even when lines have different lengths.
How do I perform a substitute only within a visual block column?
:'<,'>s/\%Vpattern/replacement/g
Using \%V in a substitute pattern restricts matching to within the visual block area only, rather than the full lines.
How do I select a rectangular block past the end of shorter lines in visual block mode?
:set virtualedit=block
By default, Vim's visual block mode () is limited by line length — if some lines are shorter than others, the block selection gets ragged.
How do I search for the exact text I have selected?
y/\V<C-r>"<CR>
By yanking a visual selection and pasting it into the search prompt with \V (very nomagic), you can search for exact text including special characters.
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 create an incrementing number sequence from identical numbers in Vim?
g<C-a> in visual mode
When you have multiple lines with the same number and want to turn them into a sequence (1, 2, 3.
How do I run a macro on every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>normal @a
The :'normal @a command executes the macro stored in register a on every line within the current visual selection.
How do I align columns of text into a neatly formatted table in Vim?
:'<,'>!column -t
When working with data that has uneven spacing — such as variable assignments, CSV-like data, or configuration entries — you can select the lines and pipe t
visual-mode #visual-mode #editing #formatting #external-command #alignment
How do I filter a visual selection through an external shell command?
!sort
Vim can pipe a visual selection through any shell command and replace the selection with the command's output.
visual-mode #visual-mode #ex-commands #external-commands #filtering
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 edit multiple locations simultaneously like multiple cursors?
<C-n> to select (vim-visual-multi)
vim-visual-multi provides VS Code-style multiple cursor support for Vim.
How do I run a normal mode command on every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>norm I//
After making a visual selection, :norm {commands} executes normal-mode keystrokes on every line in the range.
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 select the contents inside curly braces?
vi{
The vi{ command visually selects everything inside the nearest pair of curly braces {}, without selecting the braces themselves.
visual-mode #visual-mode #text-objects #editing #normal-mode
How do I append text to the end of multiple lines of different lengths?
<C-v>$A
When you need to append text to the end of several lines that have different lengths, visual block mode with $ is the key.
How do I sort selected lines in Vim?
:'<,'>sort
The :'sort command sorts the currently selected lines in visual mode alphabetically.
How do I get a detailed word, character, and byte count in Vim?
g<C-g>
While shows basic file info (filename, line count, position), g provides a much more detailed statistical breakdown of your file or visual selection.
How do I select an HTML tag and its contents in Vim?
vat
The vat command visually selects the nearest enclosing HTML or XML tag and all of its contents, including the opening and closing tags themselves.
visual-mode #visual-mode #text-objects #editing #normal-mode