How do I repeat the last Ex command I ran?
@:
The @: command re-executes the most recently run Ex command (any command starting with :).
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #repeat #normal-mode #productivity
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I repeat my last substitution across the entire file?
g&
The g& command repeats the last substitute command across the entire file.
How do I temporarily disable all autocommands when running an Ex command?
:noautocmd {command}
The :noautocmd prefix (abbreviated :noa) suppresses all autocommand events for the duration of the following command.
command-line #ex-commands #autocommands #performance #command-line #scripting
How do I display multiple column guide lines at different widths simultaneously in Vim?
:set colorcolumn=80,120
colorcolumn highlights one or more screen columns to serve as a visual ruler.
How do I center or right-align lines of text using Vim's built-in Ex commands?
:%center 80
Vim has three built-in Ex formatting commands — :left, :center, and :right — that align text within a specified column width.
How do I run an interactive replacement across quickfix entries and only save changed files?
:cdo keeppatterns s/\<foo\>/bar/gec | update
When quickfix already contains precise targets, :cdo gives you a safer multi-file replace loop than broad project substitutions.
command-line #command-line #quickfix #substitute #refactoring
How do I remove trailing spaces only within the currently selected visual block?
:'<,'>s/\%V\s\+$//
Sometimes you need to clean alignment artifacts in a rectangular region without touching the rest of each line.
visual-mode #visual-mode #substitution #regex #formatting #editing
How do I fold and unfold sections of code to hide details I'm not working on?
zf / zo / zc / za
Vim's folding system lets you collapse blocks of code into a single line, hiding the details so you can focus on the structure.
editing #editing #folding #navigation #normal-mode #productivity
How do I allow the cursor to sit one position past the end of the line in normal mode?
:set virtualedit=onemore
By default, Vim's cursor cannot go past the last character of a line in normal mode — pressing $ lands on the final character, not after it.
How do I copy the current file's full path to the system clipboard?
:let @+ = expand('%:p')
Sometimes you need to share or use the full path of the file you're editing — for a terminal command, a config file, or a chat message.
How do I run an Ex command on all lines between two pattern matches?
:/start/,/end/ {command}
Vim's range addressing lets you specify a line range using search patterns instead of explicit line numbers.
How do I highlight the column just past my textwidth to visually mark line length limits?
set colorcolumn=+1
The colorcolumn option highlights one or more vertical columns to help keep lines within a length limit.
How do I make Neovim's background transparent so the terminal background color or wallpaper shows through?
vim.api.nvim_set_hl(0, 'Normal', {bg='NONE'})
By default, Neovim paints a solid background color defined by the active colorscheme.
config #neovim #lua #config #highlight #colorscheme #transparency
How do I jump forward by sentence in Vim?
)
The ) motion moves the cursor to the beginning of the next sentence.
How do I close one more level of folds without collapsing all folds at once?
zm
Instead of jumping between fully open (zR) and fully closed (zM), zm and zr let you step through fold levels one at a time.
How do I define custom fold marker strings instead of the default {{{ }}} in Vim?
:set foldmarker=region,endregion
When using foldmethod=marker, Vim looks for the strings in foldmarker to identify fold boundaries.
How do I fill quickfix from ripgrep output without leaving Vim?
:cexpr system('rg --vimgrep "TODO"')
When you already know you want an external search tool, :cexpr lets you import results directly into quickfix without opening a terminal buffer or shelling out
How do I insert all Vim messages into the current buffer so I can read, search, or save them?
:put =execute('messages')
Vim's :messages command shows recent output — error messages, echo'd values, and diagnostic information — but the display is ephemeral and hard to search.
How do I configure Vim's command-line tab completion to show all matches and complete to the longest common prefix?
:set wildmode=list:longest
Vim's wildmode option controls how the command line behaves when you press to complete filenames, buffer names, or Ex commands.
How do I close the current buffer in Vim?
:bdelete
How it works The :bdelete command (often abbreviated :bd) removes the current buffer from Vim's buffer list and closes it.