:cnoremap %% <C-r>=expand('%:h').'/'<CR>
By mapping %% in command-line mode, you can type %% wherever you would normally type a path and have Vim automatically expand it to the directory of the current
<C-r><C-l>
Pressing on the command line inserts the full text of the current buffer line (the line the cursor is on when you pressed :) directly at the command-line cursor
:messages
:messages displays the full log of recent Vim messages — errors, warnings, echo output, and status notifications.
:e +/pattern filename
The +{cmd} flag on :edit (and most file-opening commands) runs an Ex command immediately after the file loads.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #navigation #search #buffers
:execute
:execute evaluates a string as an Ex command, letting you build commands dynamically or embed special key sequences (like or ) as literal characters.
:put =execute('{cmd}')
The :put =execute('{cmd}') idiom inserts the output of any Vim Ex command as text in your buffer.
registers #registers #ex-commands #command-line #normal-mode
set wildcharm=<Tab>
By default, pressing in a : mapping inserts a literal tab character rather than triggering wildmenu completion.
:/pattern1/,/pattern2/
Ex command ranges in Vim are not limited to line numbers and marks — you can use /pattern/ as a range boundary to select lines between any two matching patter
:argdo %s/old/new/g | w
:argdo {cmd} executes an Ex command against every file in the argument list—the set of files you opened Vim with or set explicitly with :args.
:s/pattern/\=expr/g
Vim's :s command normally replaces matches with a literal string.
command-line #search #editing #ex-commands #command-line #registers
:let @a="text"
:let @{register}=".
:s/pattern/\=expr/
Prefixing the replacement field of :s with \= makes Vim evaluate the rest as a Vimscript expression and use the result as the replacement string.
:e +{line} {file}
The :edit command accepts a +{cmd} prefix that executes an Ex command immediately after the file is loaded.
command-line #buffers #ex-commands #navigation #command-line
:vim /pattern/ **
:vimgrep /pattern/ (shortened to :vim) is Vim's built-in project-wide search.
:e %:r.html
In Vim's command line, % expands to the current buffer's filename.
command-line #ex-commands #command-line #buffers #navigation
<C-r><C-a>
When you are in command-line mode, inserts the word under the cursor (alphanumeric and _ only).
:botright split
When you split a window with :split or :vsplit, Vim subdivides only the current window.
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #ex-commands #command-line
:history
:history displays a numbered list of your recently entered Ex commands, giving you a full audit of what you have run in the current session (and across sessions
:s/pattern//gn
The :s///gn command counts how many times a pattern appears in the file without actually replacing anything.
command-line #search #ex-commands #substitution #command-line
:.!{cmd}
:.
