How do I open the command-line window while in the middle of typing a command?
<C-f>
While typing in Vim's command line (after pressing :), pressing opens the command-line window with your current, unfinished command already filled in.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I run a substitute command without overwriting my current search pattern?
:keeppattern %s/old/new/g
When you run a :s or :%s substitute command, Vim updates the search register (@/) with the substitution pattern.
command-line #ex-commands #search #editing #registers #substitute
How do I copy a character from the line directly above or below while staying in insert mode?
<C-y> and <C-e>
In Insert mode, copies the character at the same column position from the line above the cursor, and copies the character from the line below.
How do I move to the diagonally opposite corner of a blockwise visual selection?
O (visual-block)
In Visual-Block mode (), pressing O moves the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner of the rectangular selection.
How do I specify line ranges in Ex commands to target specific parts of a file?
:{range}command
Every Ex command in Vim can be preceded by a range that specifies which lines it should operate on.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #ranges #editing #productivity
How do I switch to a buffer by typing part of its filename?
:b partial<Tab>
The :b (buffer) command accepts partial filename matching with tab completion.
How do I visually select a double-quoted string including the quotes themselves?
va"
Vim's text objects let you select structured regions of text with two-keystroke shortcuts.
How do I toggle a boolean Vim option on and off without typing the full :set option or :set nooption each time?
:set option!
For any boolean option, appending ! to :set inverts its current value.
How do I chain multiple commands on lines matching a pattern with :g?
:g/pattern/cmd1 | cmd2
The :g (global) command can execute multiple Ex commands per matching line by chaining them with .
command-line #command-line #global #ex-commands #batch-editing #advanced
How do I sort lines by a specific column or field in Vim?
:'<,'>!sort -t',' -k2 -n
Vim does not have a built-in multi-column sort, but you can leverage the external sort command to sort selected lines by any field.
editing #editing #sorting #ex-commands #external-commands #command-line
How do I load plugins without a plugin manager using Vim's built-in package system?
:packadd
Since Vim 8 and Neovim, Vim has a built-in package system that can load plugins directly from the filesystem — no external plugin manager required.
How do I pull a diff change from another window into the current buffer in Vim?
do
The do command (diff obtain) is shorthand for :diffget.
How do I create a project-specific Lua config that Neovim loads automatically from the project directory?
:trust
Neovim supports project-local configuration via a .
How do I run a command without triggering any autocommands, such as saving without auto-formatting?
:noautocmd {cmd}
The :noautocmd (abbreviated :noa) prefix suppresses all autocommand events for the duration of the command that follows it.
How do I choose between multiple tag definitions when jumping to a symbol in Vim?
g<C-]>
When a symbol (function, class, variable) is defined in multiple places, CTRL-] blindly jumps to the first match.
How do I check if a specific Vim feature or capability is available before using it in my vimrc?
has('feature')
The has('feature') function returns 1 if the specified feature is available in the current Vim/Neovim instance, 0 otherwise.
How do I visually select multiple paragraphs or text objects at once using a count prefix?
v2ap
In Vim, text objects accept a count prefix in visual mode, letting you select multiple consecutive text objects in one keystroke.
How do I save the current buffer to a different filename and continue editing under the new name?
:saveas {newname}
:saveas saves the buffer to a new file and redirects all future :w commands to write to that new filename — making it the true "Save As" command in Vim.
How do I append more commands to a recorded macro without re-recording it?
:let @q .= 'j.'
When a recorded macro is almost right but missing one repeated step, re-recording from scratch is usually slower and riskier than patching the register directly
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