How do I limit a search pattern to a specific line range without using :global?
/\%>10l\%<20lTODO
Vim regex supports position atoms that can constrain where a match is allowed to occur.
Search: :marks
142 results for ":marks"
How do I view only command-history entries matching a pattern in Vim?
:filter /{pattern}/ history cmd
When command history gets crowded, scanning :history cmd manually is slow.
How do I run a command without moving the cursor or changing the scroll position?
:let view=winsaveview() | {cmd} | call winrestview(view)
When writing Vimscript functions or mappings, commands like :substitute, gg, or :%normal will move the cursor and change the scroll position.
How do I open a file and jump directly to a specific line or pattern?
:e +{line} {file}
The :edit command accepts a +{cmd} prefix that executes an Ex command immediately after the file is loaded.
command-line #buffers #ex-commands #navigation #command-line
How do I run a macro on only the lines I've visually selected?
:'<,'>norm @q
When you visually select lines and then type a : command, Vim automatically inserts ' (the visual range marks) into the command line.
How do I switch to a specific buffer by its number in Vim?
:b N
How it works Every buffer in Vim is assigned a unique number when it is opened.
How do I limit a search or substitution to only the text I visually selected?
\%V
The \%V atom in a Vim pattern matches only inside the last visual selection.
search #search #visual-mode #substitute #regex #text-objects
How do I run commands without polluting the jump list?
:keepjumps
When writing scripts or running commands that move the cursor (like :g, :s, or :normal), Vim normally adds each cursor position to the jump list.
How do I delete each line matching a pattern along with a fixed number of lines that follow it?
:g/pattern/.,+2d
Inside a :global command, .
command-line #ex-commands #global #delete #editing #command-line
How do I make Ctrl-O and Ctrl-I behave like browser back and forward in Vim?
:set jumpoptions+=stack
By default, Vim's jumplist can feel surprising: if you jump backward and then make a new jump, the old forward path is not always discarded like a browser histo
How do I delete the line immediately following every line that matches a pattern?
:g/pattern/+1d
Using :g/pattern/+1d you can delete the line that comes right after each line matching a pattern, in one pass.
How do I open a scratch split that is not listed and disappears when I close it?
:vnew | setlocal buftype=nofile bufhidden=wipe nobuflisted noswapfile
For quick throwaway notes, command output cleanup, or temporary edits, a normal buffer is noisy: it appears in :ls, can prompt you to save, and may leave swap a
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #buffers #windows #scratch #workflow
How do I prevent Vim from automatically resizing a window when others open or close?
:set winfixwidth
Setting winfixwidth on a window tells Vim not to adjust its width when other windows are created, closed, or resized with =.
How do I use \zs to set the start of a search match so only part of the pattern is highlighted or operated on?
/prefix\zsword
Vim's \zs atom marks the start of the match within a longer pattern.
How do I discard all unsaved changes and reload the file from disk in Vim?
:e!
:e! forces Vim to reload the current file from disk, discarding every unsaved change in the buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #editing #undo-redo #ex-commands
How do I run a Vim command without adding entries to the jump list?
:keepjumps {cmd}
:keepjumps is a command modifier that suppresses any jump list updates caused by the command that follows it.
How do I find invalid UTF-8 byte sequences in a file in Vim?
8g8
The 8g8 command searches forward from the cursor for the first byte that belongs to an invalid UTF-8 sequence.
How do I copy a specific line by number to after the current line?
:5t.
The :t ex command (also spelled :copy) copies a range of lines to a target address without touching any register.
How do I create a custom operator that works with any motion in Vim?
:set operatorfunc=MyFunc<CR>g@{motion}
Vim's operatorfunc and g@ let you define custom operators that accept any motion or text object, just like built-in operators d, c, and y.
How do I use search patterns to define the start and end of an Ex command range?
:/pattern1/,/pattern2/
Ex command ranges in Vim are not limited to line numbers and marks — you can use /pattern/ as a range boundary to select lines between any two matching patter