How do I run a substitution across multiple files using Vim's argument list?
:argdo %s/old/new/g | w
:argdo {cmd} executes an Ex command against every file in the argument list—the set of files you opened Vim with or set explicitly with :args.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I configure Vim's :grep command to use a faster external search tool like ripgrep or ag?
:set grepprg={cmd} grepformat={fmt}
Vim's :grep command delegates to an external tool defined by grepprg, then parses the output according to grepformat to populate the quickfix list.
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 search for a pattern across all files in my project with Vim's built-in grep?
:vim /pattern/ **
:vimgrep /pattern/ (shortened to :vim) is Vim's built-in project-wide search.
How do I jump to the local definition of a variable in Vim?
gd
The gd command jumps to the local definition of the word under the cursor.
How do I quickly see where a keyword was first defined or used without jumping there?
[i
Pressing [i in normal mode displays the first line above the cursor (including included files) that contains the keyword under the cursor.
How do I quickly delete all the arguments inside a function call?
di(
The di( command deletes everything inside the nearest pair of parentheses without removing the parentheses themselves.
How do I undo all changes made since the last time I saved the file in a single step?
:earlier 1f
The :earlier {count}f command navigates Vim's undo tree to the state of the buffer at the time of the last (or Nth) file write.
How do I keep my undo history after closing and reopening a file?
:set undofile
By default, Vim's undo history is lost when you close a file.
How do I inspect the contents of specific Vim registers without listing all of them?
:reg {names}
The :registers command dumps every register at once, which is noisy when you only care about a handful.
How do I run database queries directly from Vim using vim-dadbod?
:DB sqlite:mydb.sqlite SELECT * FROM users
vim-dadbod by Tim Pope is a plugin that lets you interact with databases directly from Vim.
How do I copy a range of lines to another location without yanking and pasting?
:10,20t30
The :t command (short for :copy) duplicates lines from one location to another without touching any registers.
command-line #editing #ex-commands #lines #productivity #ranges
How do I build a custom statusline without plugins?
:set statusline=%f\ %m%r%h%w\ %=%l/%L\ %p%%
Vim's statusline option accepts printf-style format codes that display file info, position, mode, and any custom expression.
How do I run a global command only on lines that match two different patterns simultaneously?
:g/pattern1/g/pattern2/command
Vim's :g command can be nested — the command part of one :g can itself be another :g.
How do I stop :mkview from restoring local options when loading a view?
:set viewoptions-=options
When you use :mkview and :loadview, Vim stores more than folds and cursor position.
How do I jump between changed lines in a Git-tracked file in Vim?
]c / [c
The vim-gitgutter plugin shows Git diff markers in the sign column and provides ]c and [c mappings to jump between changed hunks — groups of added, modified,
How do I replace a visual selection with yanked text without losing my clipboard?
"0p in visual mode
When you paste over a visual selection with p, Vim replaces the selection with the register contents — but it also puts the deleted selection into the unnamed
How do I paste over a visual selection without losing my yanked text?
P (in visual mode)
When you paste over a visual selection using p (lowercase), Vim replaces the selection with your register contents — but the replaced text overwrites your unn
How do I match a pattern only when followed or preceded by another pattern in Vim?
\@= and \@! and \@<= and \@<!
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions using the \@=, \@!, \@<=, and \@<! atoms.
How do I search for a pattern across multiple files and navigate the results?
:vimgrep /pattern/ **/*.ext | copen
The :vimgrep command searches for a regex pattern across multiple files and populates the quickfix list with every match.
search #search #quickfix #ex-commands #navigation #productivity #grep