How do I pipe the contents of my current buffer as input to a shell command in Vim?
:w !cmd
The :w !cmd command sends the buffer's contents as standard input to an external command without modifying the buffer.
Tag: editing
How do I quickly append text to the end of a word under the cursor in Vim?
ea
The ea compound shortcut moves to the last character of the current word with e, then enters insert mode after the cursor with a.
How do I pull a diff change from another window into the current buffer in Vim?
do
The do command (diff obtain) is shorthand for :diffget.
How do I open the command-line window mid-command to edit it with full Vim capabilities?
<C-f> (in command-line mode)
When you're already on the Vim command line and realize you need complex edits — inserting text from multiple positions, reordering arguments, or referencing
How do I paste a register literally in insert mode without triggering auto-indent or special key handling?
<C-r><C-r>x
When you press x in insert mode to paste a register, Vim inserts the text "as if you typed it" — meaning autoindent, textwidth, and other insert behaviors can
How do I uppercase or lowercase the entire current line in one keystroke?
gUU
The gUU command uppercases every character on the current line instantly — no visual selection or motion required.
How do I join all lines in a file into one, or use a custom separator when joining?
:%s/\n/ /g
Using \n in the pattern of :substitute matches the newline character at the end of each line, letting you join lines with any separator you choose — something
How do I delete all blank and whitespace-only lines from a file in Vim?
:g/^\s*$/d
The global command :g/^\s$/d removes every line that is empty or contains only whitespace — a common cleanup task when tidying up code, configuration files, o
What is the difference between \n and \r in Vim search patterns versus substitution replacements?
\n in search, \r in replacement
Vim uses \n and \r differently depending on whether they appear in a search pattern or a replacement string, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion.
How do I prevent accidental edits to a buffer by making it completely read-only?
:set nomodifiable
:set nomodifiable locks a buffer so that no changes can be made at all — not even temporary ones.
How do I make the gq operator format code with an external tool like prettier or black?
:set formatprg=<cmd>
When formatprg is set, the gq operator pipes the selected text through that external program and replaces it with the program's output.
How do I select or operate on the content of an HTML or XML tag using text objects?
it and at
Vim provides two built-in text objects for HTML and XML tags: it (inner tag) and at (a tag).
editing #text-objects #editing #visual-mode #html #normal-mode
How do I reference just the extension, stem, or directory of the current file in a Vim command?
%:e
Vim exposes the current filename as % in Ex commands, and you can apply modifiers to extract specific parts of the path.
How do I append text to a named register programmatically without re-recording a macro?
:let @a .= "text"
Vim registers are just strings, and you can read and write them directly using the :let command.
How do I accept a flagged word as correct for the current session without permanently adding it to my spellfile?
zG
zG marks the word under the cursor as correctly spelled in Vim's internal word list, which exists only for the current session.
How do I turn off diff mode in all windows at once after comparing files?
:diffoff!
The :diffoff! command exits diff mode in every window simultaneously.
How do I move my cursor into the preview window to interact with its contents?
<C-w>P
The preview window is a special auxiliary split — usually at the top — opened by commands like :ptag, :pedit, and omni-completion to display reference infor
How does Ctrl+C differ from Escape when exiting insert mode, and why does it matter?
<C-c>
exits insert mode immediately but silently skips two important side effects that (and its equivalent ) always trigger: abbreviation expansion and InsertLeave au
How do I move the current line or a visual selection up or down without cutting and pasting?
[e and ]e
The [e and ]e mappings from Tim Pope's vim-unimpaired plugin exchange the current line (or a visual selection of lines) with the line above or below.
How do I change one type of surrounding delimiter to another with vim-surround?
cs{from}{to}
The cs command from the vim-surround plugin lets you swap one type of surrounding delimiter for another in a single motion.