How do I progressively expand or contract a visual selection by text objects?
v3aw
In visual mode, repeating text object motions progressively expands the selection.
Search: n N
181 results for "n N"
How do I control automatic text wrapping and comment formatting in Vim?
:set formatoptions+=cro
The formatoptions setting controls how Vim automatically formats text as you type — including comment continuation, auto-wrapping, and paragraph formatting.
How do I convert a register's type between characterwise and linewise?
:call setreg('a', @a, 'l')
Registers in Vim have a type — characterwise, linewise, or blockwise — that affects how their contents are pasted.
How do I search for a pattern that spans multiple lines?
/pattern1\_.*pattern2
Vim's \ modifier makes any character class match newlines too.
How do I create a macro that only acts on lines matching a search pattern?
qa/pattern<CR>dd@aq
By starting a macro with a search command, the macro becomes conditional — it jumps to the next match before acting, and terminates when no more matches are f
How do I change the cursor shape for different Vim modes in the terminal?
:let &t_SI = "\e[6 q"
Modern terminals support cursor shape changes via escape sequences.
How do I search for multiple alternative patterns at once in Vim?
/foo\|bar
How it works The \ operator in Vim's search pattern works like a logical OR, letting you match any one of several alternatives.
How do I open a terminal in the current window instead of a new split?
:terminal ++curwin
By default, :terminal opens a new split window for the terminal emulator.
buffers-windows #terminal #buffers #windows #shell #ex-commands
How do I fix a misspelled word using Vim's spell checker while staying in insert mode?
<C-x>s
When spell checking is enabled (:set spell), s in insert mode opens a popup menu of suggested corrections for the most recently flagged misspelled word — with
How do I copy a character from the line above or below while in insert mode?
<C-y> / <C-e>
When typing in insert mode, you can pull individual characters from adjacent lines without leaving insert mode.
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 filter a visual selection through an external shell command?
:'<,'>!command
How it works Vim can pipe selected text through any external shell command, replacing the selection with the command's output.
How do I search for a pattern only within specific columns of a line?
/\%>10c\%<20cpattern
When working with columnar data like CSV files, log files, or fixed-width records, you often need to match a pattern only when it appears in a specific column r
How do I trigger language-aware autocompletion in Vim?
<C-x><C-o>
The keystroke triggers omni completion, Vim's built-in language-aware completion system.
How do I populate the quickfix list from any shell command?
:cexpr system('grep -rn pattern .')
While :make and :grep populate the quickfix list, they are limited to their configured programs.
How do I create a key mapping that behaves differently depending on context?
:nnoremap <expr> j (v:count == 0 ? 'gj' : 'j')
Expression mappings use the flag to evaluate a Vimscript expression at the time the key is pressed.
How do I list all lines matching a pattern across the current file and its includes?
:ilist /pattern/
The :ilist command searches for a pattern not only in the current buffer but also in files referenced by #include directives (or whatever 'include' is set to).
How do I jump to the end of a word in Vim?
e
The e command moves the cursor to the last character of the current word.
How do I make a macro repeat itself until it fails?
qaq qa...@aq @a
A recursive macro calls itself at the end of its recording, causing it to repeat indefinitely until a command inside it fails (like a search hitting the end of
How do I jump back and forth between my two most recent cursor positions?
<C-o> / <C-i>
Vim maintains a jumplist — a history of every "jump" you make (searches, marks, gg, G, %, etc.