How do I force a case-sensitive or case-insensitive search for just one pattern without changing my settings?
\C
Vim's \C and \c atoms let you override ignorecase and smartcase on a per-pattern basis.
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How do I run a macro only on lines that match a specific pattern?
:g/pattern/normal @a
The :g (global) command combined with :normal @a lets you execute a recorded macro only on lines matching a pattern.
macros #macros #ex-commands #global-command #editing #automation
How do I use the expression register inside a macro for dynamic values?
qa<C-r>=expression<CR>q
How it works The expression register (=) lets you evaluate Vimscript expressions and insert the result.
How do I record a macro that processes one line and moves to the next?
qa0f:dwj0q
How it works When recording a macro that you plan to repeat across multiple lines, the key technique is to end the macro positioned on the next line, ready for
How do I change the same column of text across multiple lines at once?
<C-v>jjc replacement<Esc>
Visual block mode's change command lets you replace a rectangular column of text across multiple lines in a single operation.
visual-mode #editing #visual-mode #block-mode #normal-mode #productivity
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the end of the file in Vim?
:g/pattern/m $
The :g (global) command combined with :m (move) lets you collect all lines matching a pattern and relocate them to a specific position in the file.
command-line #ex-commands #editing #global #search #formatting
How do I define or modify a macro without recording keystrokes?
:let @q =
Instead of recording a macro with q, you can assign any string directly to a named register using :let @{register} = 'keys'.
How do I add more steps to an existing macro without re-recording it from scratch?
qQ...q
When you record a macro into register q with qq.
How do I cycle through previously deleted text using numbered registers?
"1p then u then . to cycle
Vim stores your last 9 deletions in numbered registers "1 through "9.
How do I visually select the text of a sentence without selecting surrounding whitespace?
vis
The is (inner sentence) text object selects the sentence the cursor is in — excluding any leading or trailing whitespace that separates sentences.
How do I move to the first non-blank character of a line?
^
The ^ command moves the cursor to the first non-blank character of the current line.
How do I jump back to where I last inserted text and continue typing?
gi
The gi command moves the cursor to the position where you last exited insert mode and immediately enters insert mode again.
navigation #navigation #insert-mode #marks #normal-mode #productivity
How do I change the working directory for only the current window without affecting other windows or tabs?
:lcd
:cd changes the global working directory, affecting every window and tab in the session.
How do I indent or dedent the current line without leaving insert mode?
<C-t> and <C-d>
When you're typing in insert mode and realize the current line needs more or less indentation, you don't have to leave insert mode to fix it.
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the top of the file?
:g/pattern/m0
When working with large files, you sometimes need to reorganize content by pulling all lines matching a certain pattern to the top.
command-line #global #move #ex-commands #editing #command-line
How do I profile Vim functions at runtime to find what's making it slow?
:profile start /tmp/profile.log | profile func *
When Vim feels sluggish during editing (not just at startup), the :profile command lets you measure the execution time of every function call.
What are Vim's read-only special registers and how do I use them?
". / "% / ": / "# registers
Vim has four read-only special registers that automatically contain useful contextual information.
registers #registers #special-registers #workflow #productivity
How do I run a command across all open buffers at once?
:bufdo %s/old/new/ge | update
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command in every loaded buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #editing #substitution
How do I automatically detect and match a file's indentation settings in Vim?
vim-sleuth
The vim-sleuth plugin by Tim Pope automatically detects the indentation style (tabs vs spaces) and width used in a file and sets shiftwidth, expandtab, tabstop,
How do I store different pieces of text in separate registers for later pasting?
"ayy "byy "cyy
How it works Vim provides 26 named registers (a through z) that you can use as independent clipboards.