How do I prevent Vim's file completion and wildcard expansion from matching build artifacts or binary files?
:set wildignore defines a comma-separated list of glob patterns that Vim excludes from wildcard expansion and file completion.
category:
config
tags:
#config
#ex-commands
#navigation
How do I configure Vim's built-in auto-completion?
:set completeopt=menu,menuone,noselect
The completeopt option controls the behavior of the completion popup menu.
category:
config
tags:
#config
#completion
#ex-commands
How do I navigate all undo states including branches that u and Ctrl+r can't reach?
Vim's undo history is a tree, not a linear stack.
category:
navigation
tags:
#undo-redo
#navigation
#normal-mode
What is the difference between word and WORD motions in Vim?
Vim distinguishes between "words" (sequences of keyword characters) and "WORDS" (sequences of non-blank characters).
category:
navigation
tags:
#navigation
#motions
#word
#word-motion
How do I navigate through wrapped lines visually instead of by actual lines?
When wrap is enabled, long lines wrap across multiple screen lines.
category:
navigation
tags:
#navigation
#motions
#wrapped-lines
#display
How do I prepend ascending numbers only to the lines in my visual selection?
:'<,'>s/^/\=line('.')-line("'<")+1 . '. '/
When you need quick numbered steps, logs, or checklist entries, this pattern adds numbers only to the lines you selected, not the whole buffer.
category:
visual-mode
tags:
#visual-mode
#ex-commands
#editing
#formatting
How do I filter buffer contents through an external shell command?
The :%!{cmd} command pipes the entire buffer through an external shell command and replaces the buffer contents with the command's output.
category:
command-line
tags:
#editing
#ex-commands
#shell
#filtering
#productivity
How do I run shell commands without leaving Vim?
Vim lets you execute any shell command directly from within the editor using the :! (bang) command.
category:
command-line
tags:
#ex-commands
#editing
#buffers
How do I jump between misspelled words in Vim?
How it works When spell checking is enabled in Vim with :set spell, misspelled words are highlighted.
category:
navigation
tags:
#navigation
#normal-mode
#motions
How do I swap the position of two windows?
The r command rotates windows in the current row or column.
category:
buffers-windows
tags:
#windows
#normal-mode
How do I make Vim's completion popup menu partially transparent so I can see text behind it?
Neovim's 'pumblend' option controls the pseudo-transparency of the insert-mode completion popup menu (and other floating windows).
category:
config
tags:
#config
#completion
How do I quickly open my vimrc configuration file from anywhere in Vim?
The :e $MYVIMRC command opens your Vim or Neovim configuration file instantly, no matter where it lives.
category:
config
tags:
#config
#vimrc
#workflow
How do I find trailing whitespace while skipping completely blank lines in Vim?
A plain trailing-whitespace search like /\s\+$ also matches fully blank lines, which is noisy when you only want accidental spaces after real content.
category:
search
tags:
#search
#regex
#whitespace
#cleanup
#patterns
How do I jump to the previous change and reveal it clearly in Vim?
Jumping through the changelist with g; is useful, but in real files the destination can land inside a closed fold or off-center on screen, which slows review.
category:
navigation
tags:
#navigation
#changelist
#folding
#motions
How do I temporarily narrow quickfix entries by pattern using the cfilter plugin?
:packadd cfilter | Cfilter /ERROR/
Quickfix lists can get noisy in large projects, especially when one grep or compiler run mixes several classes of issues.
category:
plugins
tags:
#plugins
#quickfix
#search
#ex-commands
How do I paste text and automatically adjust its indentation?
The ]p command pastes text and adjusts its indentation to match the current line.
category:
editing
tags:
#editing
#indentation
#normal-mode
How do I use the caret mark to jump to the exact cursor position where I last left insert mode?
Vim automatically maintains a special mark ^ that records the exact position of the cursor the last time you left insert mode.
category:
navigation
tags:
#navigation
#marks
#insert-mode
#normal-mode
How do I quickly change an entire sentence in Vim?
The cis command deletes the entire sentence under the cursor and drops you into insert mode, ready to type a replacement.
category:
editing
tags:
#editing
#text-objects
#normal-mode
#motions
#prose
How do I diagnose slow Neovim startup and identify which plugins are taking the longest to load?
When Neovim starts slowly, finding the culprit plugin is tedious without tooling.
category:
plugins
tags:
#config
#plugins
#performance
How do I create abbreviations for the Vim command line to fix typos like W and Q?
:cnoreabbrev defines a non-recursive command-line abbreviation — like noremap but for Ex commands.
category:
command-line
tags:
#command-line
#ex-commands
#config