How do I reformat a paragraph to fit a specific line width in Vim?
gqap
The gq operator reformats text by wrapping lines to fit within the textwidth setting.
Tag: editing
How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the end of the file in Vim?
:g/pattern/m $
The :g (global) command combined with :m (move) lets you collect all lines matching a pattern and relocate them to a specific position in the file.
command-line #ex-commands #editing #global #search #formatting
How do I do a case-preserving search and replace across different naming conventions?
:%Subvert/old{,s}/new{,s}/g
Tim Pope's vim-abolish plugin provides the :Subvert command (aliased as :S), which performs substitutions that automatically preserve case variants and handle p
plugins #plugins #substitution #editing #ex-commands #search
How do I copy or transfer text between Vim registers?
:let @+ = @"
Vim's :let @{reg} syntax lets you read from one register and write to another.
How do I move the cursor to the other end of a Visual selection in Vim?
o (in Visual mode)
When you make a Visual selection in Vim, the cursor sits at one end while the other end is anchored.
How do I cycle through previously deleted text using numbered registers?
"1p then u then . to cycle
Vim stores your last 9 deletions in numbered registers "1 through "9.
How do I indent lines multiple times without reselecting in visual mode?
>gv
Normally, pressing > in visual mode indents the selection but exits visual mode, requiring you to press gv to reselect.
How do I append text at the end of lines with different lengths using visual block?
<C-v>j$A;<Esc>
When lines have varying lengths, a normal visual block selection stops at the shortest line.
How do I move a column of text to a different position using visual block mode?
<C-v>jjxp
Visual block mode lets you select, cut, and paste rectangular columns of text.
How do I move a line or selection up or down in Vim?
:move +1 / :move -2
The :move command relocates lines to a specific position without using delete and paste.
How do I append a semicolon to every line in a file using :norm?
:%norm A;
The :%norm command runs normal mode commands on every line in the file (or a range).
How do I reverse the order of lines in a file or selection?
:%!tac
Vim doesn't have a built-in reverse command, but you can pipe the buffer through tac (reverse of cat) to flip line order.
How do I center or right-align text to a specific width in Vim?
:center 80
Vim has built-in text alignment commands that adjust lines relative to a specified width.
How do I select, change, or delete function arguments as text objects?
cia (with targets.vim) or daa
While Vim doesn't have a built-in argument text object, the targets.
How do I insert special Unicode characters using digraphs in Vim?
<C-k>DG
Vim's digraph system lets you insert special characters by pressing followed by a two-character mnemonic code.
How do I insert the result of a calculation directly while typing in insert mode?
<C-r>=2+2<CR>
The expression register (=) in insert mode lets you evaluate any Vimscript expression and insert the result inline.
How do I add Emacs-style editing shortcuts to Vim's command line?
:cnoremap <C-a> <Home>
Vim's command line has limited navigation by default.
How do I temporarily maximize a split window to full height or width?
<C-w>_ and <C-w>|
When working with multiple splits, you sometimes need to focus on one window temporarily without closing the others.
How do I make gf find files even when the import path omits the file extension?
:set suffixesadd+=.js,.ts,.py
In many programming languages, import statements reference modules without file extensions (e.
How do I select a rectangular block past the end of shorter lines in visual block mode?
:set virtualedit=block
By default, Vim's visual block mode () is limited by line length — if some lines are shorter than others, the block selection gets ragged.