How do I autocomplete Vim command names and their arguments while in insert mode?
<C-x><C-v>
The key sequence in insert mode triggers Vim command-line completion — the same completion engine used at the : command prompt.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I swap the contents of two split windows in Vim?
<C-w>x
How it works The x command exchanges the current window with the next one.
How do I reformat text to fit the line width without moving the cursor?
gwip
The gw operator reformats text just like gq, but leaves the cursor in its original position after reformatting.
How do I insert text at the beginning of multiple lines at once using visual block mode?
<C-v>I
Visual block mode's I command lets you type once and have the text inserted at the cursor column across all selected lines simultaneously.
How do I define autocmds safely so they don't duplicate when my vimrc is re-sourced?
:augroup
Wrapping autocmds in a named augroup with autocmd! at the start prevents duplicate autocommands from accumulating every time your vimrc is sourced.
How do I create text abbreviations that auto-expand while typing in Vim?
:iabbrev {abbr} {expansion}
How it works The :iabbrev command creates abbreviations that automatically expand when you type them in insert mode.
How do I prevent autocommands from being registered multiple times when re-sourcing my vimrc?
augroup MyGroup | autocmd! | augroup END
Every time you run :source $MYVIMRC or :source % to reload your config, any bare autocmd calls are appended to Vim's autocommand table — no checking for dupli
How do I switch between charwise, linewise, and blockwise visual mode without losing my selection?
<C-v> (in visual mode)
Once you are in any visual mode, pressing v, V, or switches to charwise, linewise, or blockwise visual mode respectively — without cancelling the current sele
How do I increase or decrease indentation while staying in insert mode?
<C-t> and <C-d> in insert mode
When typing in insert mode, you can adjust the current line's indentation without leaving to normal mode.
How do I make Vim show the beginning of long lines that don't fit on screen instead of just showing @@@ placeholders?
:set display=lastline
By default, when the last visible line of a window is too long to fit on screen, Vim shows @@@ in its place — hiding the content entirely.
What is the difference between the inner word (iw) and inner WORD (iW) text objects in Vim?
iW vs iw
Vim has two flavors of the "inner word" text object that are easy to confuse: iw (lowercase) and iW (uppercase).
How do I jump anywhere on screen with labeled targets using flash.nvim?
:lua require('flash').jump()
flash.
How do I control how many lines Ctrl-U and Ctrl-D scroll?
:set scroll=10
The scroll option determines how many lines (scroll up) and (scroll down) move the viewport.
How do I search files on 'path' and open the first match in the preview window instead of replacing my current buffer?
:psearch /pattern/
When you need quick context from another file but do not want to disturb your current editing window, :psearch gives you a clean workflow.
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #preview-window #search #navigation
How do I quickly select an entire function body using visual mode?
Va{ or Vi{
The a{ (around braces) and i{ (inside braces) text objects combined with visual mode let you instantly select an entire function body or code block, regardless
visual-mode #visual-mode #text-objects #code-navigation #selection
How do I jump back to locations where I previously made edits?
g; and g,
Vim tracks every position where you made a change in the changelist.
How do I make Vim always open new splits below and to the right instead of above and to the left?
:set splitright splitbelow
By default, :split opens a new window above the current one and :vsplit opens to the left — the opposite of most modern IDEs and editors.
How do I jump between method or function definitions in code?
]m / [m / ]M / [M
When navigating large source files, ]m and [m let you jump directly to the start of the next or previous method.
How do I see exactly which highlight groups are responsible for the color of the character under the cursor in Neovim?
:Inspect
When customizing a colorscheme or debugging unexpected syntax colors, it's difficult to know which highlight group to override.
How do I move the cursor in insert mode without creating an undo break point?
<C-g>U{motion}
By default, moving the cursor with arrow keys while in insert mode creates an undo break — meaning a subsequent u will undo only back to when you last moved,