170 results for ":help"
:args **/*.py | argdo %s/old/new/ge | update
Combining :args, :argdo, and :update gives you a powerful in-editor multi-file search and replace without leaving Vim.
:set clipboard=unnamedplus
Setting clipboard=unnamedplus makes Vim's default yank and paste use the system clipboard.
: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.
:sign define and :sign place
Vim's built-in sign system lets you define custom symbols and place them in the sign column — the narrow gutter to the left of line numbers.
q?
Vim provides three command-line history windows accessible from normal mode: q: for Ex commands, q/ for forward searches, and q? for backward searches.
:ls
The :ls command displays a list of all open buffers in Vim, showing their buffer number, status indicators, file name, and the line the cursor was last on.
"1p and .
When you paste from a numbered register with "1p, Vim's dot command (.
<C-k>{char1}{char2}
Vim has a built-in digraph system that lets you insert hundreds of special characters by typing two-character mnemonics.
editing #editing #insert-mode #special-characters #unicode #productivity
:topleft split {file}
By default, Vim places horizontal splits below and vertical splits to the right (controlled by splitbelow and splitright).
<C-w>F
F opens the filename under the cursor in a new horizontal split window and jumps to the line number that follows the filename.
buffers-windows #navigation #buffers-windows #windows #editing
O (visual block mode)
In visual block mode (), pressing O (uppercase) moves your cursor to the other end of the current line — letting you expand or contract the block's horizontal
:set formatoptions
The formatoptions setting is a string of single-character flags that governs Vim's automatic text formatting: when lines wrap, whether comment syntax continues
as and is
Vim defines sentence text objects — as (around sentence) and is (inner sentence) — that allow any operator to act on an entire sentence in one motion.
CursorHold
The CursorHold autocommand event fires once whenever the cursor has been motionless in normal mode for updatetime milliseconds.
<C-v>u{code}
In insert mode, followed by u and a 4-digit hex code inserts the Unicode character with that code point.
: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.
q: or <C-f> from : prompt
The command-line window (q:) opens a full Vim buffer containing your Ex command history.
<C-f> (in command-line mode)
When you're already on the Vim command line and realize you need complex edits — inserting text from multiple positions, reordering arguments, or referencing
<C-r><C-r>x
When you press x in insert mode to paste a register, Vim inserts the text "as if you typed it" — meaning autoindent, textwidth, and other insert behaviors can
let mapleader = ' ' then nnoremap <leader>key command
The leader key is a configurable prefix for your custom key mappings.
