How do I visually display tabs, trailing spaces, and end-of-line characters in Vim?
:set list listchars=tab:>-,trail:~,eol:$
Enabling list mode makes Vim render normally invisible characters using configurable symbols defined in listchars.
Tag: editing
How do I undo all changes made in the last N minutes using time-based undo?
:earlier {N}m
Vim's :earlier command lets you travel back through the undo history by wall-clock time rather than by the number of changes.
How do I trigger a code action at the cursor position using Neovim's built-in LSP?
gra
Since Neovim 0.
How do I show documentation for the selected completion item in a popup window?
set completeopt+=popup
Adding popup to completeopt makes Vim display extra information — such as function signatures or documentation — for the currently highlighted completion it
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 center text on the current line using a built-in Vim command?
:ce
Vim has three built-in ex commands for text alignment that most users never discover: :ce (center), :ri (right-justify), and :le (left-justify).
How do I center, right-align, or left-align lines of text within a fixed column width using Ex commands?
:{range}center {width}
Vim has built-in Ex commands for text alignment: :center, :right, and :left.
command-line #ex-commands #formatting #editing #command-line
How do I delete all lowercase marks in the current buffer at once?
:delmarks!
Marks accumulate as you work — ma, mb, mc and so on record positions for later jumps.
How do I toggle a fold and all its nested folds open or closed at once?
zA
The zA command toggles the fold under the cursor together with all nested sub-folds in one keystroke.
How do I hard-wrap or reformat a paragraph to fit the current textwidth?
gq{motion}
The gq{motion} operator reformats text to fit within Vim's textwidth setting, inserting hard line breaks where lines are too long.
How do I rearrange or transform captured groups in a substitution using Vimscript?
:s/\(\w\+\) \(\w\+\)/\=submatch(2) . ' ' . submatch(1)/
The submatch(N) function lets you access individual capture groups inside a \= (expression replacement) in a substitution.
How do I use a pattern-based range with an offset to operate on lines relative to a search match?
:/pattern/+N and :/pattern/-N
Vim's Ex command ranges can use search patterns as line addresses, and those addresses can include a numeric offset (+N or -N) to target lines relative to the m
How do I jump directly to a specific point in the undo history by change number?
:undo {N}
:undo {N} lets you jump directly to the undo tree state after change number N was applied.
How do I insert a new line of text after every line matching a pattern using the global command?
:g/pattern/put ='text'
Combining :global with :put = lets you insert synthesized lines of content after every line matching a pattern — without plugins or complex macros.
How do I type special characters and symbols using Vim's built-in digraph system in insert mode?
<C-k>{digraph}
Vim's digraph system lets you insert special characters, accented letters, and symbols by typing a memorable two-character sequence.
How do I add a visual indicator at the start of soft-wrapped continuation lines?
:set showbreak=+++
When wrap is enabled, Vim wraps long lines at the screen edge, but there is no built-in visual marker to distinguish a wrapped continuation from a brand-new lin
How do I export the current buffer as syntax-highlighted HTML from within Vim?
:%TOhtml
Vim ships with a built-in plugin that converts the current buffer into a standalone HTML file, complete with your exact syntax highlighting colors.
Why doesn't \n insert a newline in a :s replacement, and what should I use instead?
:%s/,/,\r/g
In Vim substitutions, \n and \r behave differently depending on whether they appear in the search pattern or the replacement string — a common gotcha that sur
How do I cycle through the numbered delete registers using the dot command?
"1p and .
When you paste from a numbered register with "1p, Vim's dot command (.
How do I center, right-align, or left-align lines of text using Ex commands?
:center / :right / :left
Vim has built-in Ex commands to align text: :center, :right, and :left.