How do I clear search highlighting in Vim?
:noh
The :noh (short for :nohlsearch) command clears the highlighting from the last search pattern.
Search: @a
2277 results for "@a"
How do I move by visible screen lines instead of actual lines?
gj / gk
When a long line wraps across multiple screen rows, the regular j and k motions skip the entire logical line.
How do I suspend Vim to the background shell and return to it later?
<C-z> / :stop
Pressing in Vim sends it to the background of your shell session — just like suspending any Unix process.
What is the difference between :map and :noremap, and why should I use non-recursive mappings?
:nnoremap / :inoremap / :vnoremap
Vim has two types of key mappings: recursive (:map, :nmap, :imap) and non-recursive (:noremap, :nnoremap, :inoremap).
How do I use the alternate file register to quickly reference the previous file?
"#p or <C-r># in insert mode
The # register always contains the name of the alternate file — typically the file you were editing just before the current one.
How do I search literally for the exact text I yanked last?
:let @/ = '\V' . escape(@0, '\')
When the text you yank contains regex characters, a normal / search can produce noisy or surprising matches.
How do I use mini.nvim's modular plugins for surround, comment, and more?
:lua require('mini.surround').setup()
mini.
How do I toggle common Vim options like spell, wrap, and number with single keystrokes using vim-unimpaired?
yos, yow, yol, yon, yoh
The vim-unimpaired plugin adds a set of paired bracket mappings, including a powerful family of option toggles.
How do I access my delete history beyond the last delete?
"1p ... "2p ... "9p
Vim maintains a numbered register history from "1 through "9 that stores your last 9 deletes and changes.
How do I replay macro q from command-line mode without changing @/?
:keeppatterns normal! @q<CR>
When you replay macros from Ex commands, Vim can overwrite @/ (the last search pattern) depending on what the macro does.
How do I search only the message part of TODO comments using match boundaries?
/\vTODO:\s*\zs.{-}\ze\s*($|#)
When TODO comments include prefixes, owners, or trailing metadata, a plain search often lands on the wrong part of the line.
How do I indent or unindent selected lines in visual mode?
> and <
How it works In visual mode, you can shift selected lines to the right or left using the > and to indent them or or shifts the selected lines one shiftwidth to
How do I paste the current Git commit hash directly from Vim using the expression register?
"=system('git rev-parse --short HEAD')->trim()<CR>p
If you frequently write commit references in notes, code comments, or release docs, you can avoid shell context switches and paste the hash straight from Vim.
How do I swap two adjacent lines?
ddp
The ddp sequence swaps the current line with the line below it.
How do I run tests from inside Vim?
:TestNearest (vim-test)
vim-test provides commands to run tests from within Vim.
How do I look up documentation for the keyword under the cursor?
K
Pressing K in normal mode runs a lookup program on the word under the cursor.
navigation #navigation #help #documentation #normal-mode #keywordprg
How do I reorder tab pages in Vim without specifying an absolute position?
:tabmove +1
:tabmove normally takes an absolute position (:tabmove 0 moves the tab to the far left), but it also accepts relative offsets using + and -.
How do I customize the vertical split separator and fold indicator characters in Vim?
:set fillchars+=vert:│,fold:·
The fillchars option controls the filler characters Vim uses for various UI elements — window separators, fold fill lines, diff padding, and more.
How do I keep each search match centered and unfolded as I jump with n?
nzzzv
When you are stepping through many matches, plain n often lands with poor context and can hide the match inside a closed fold.
How do I create shortcuts for long Ex commands I type frequently?
:cabbrev
:cabbrev (command-line abbreviation) lets you define short aliases for longer Ex commands.