How do I temporarily set a Vim option?
:set option
The :set command changes Vim options for the current session.
Tag: ex-commands
How do I run a command without showing its output?
:silent command
The :silent prefix suppresses all output from a command, including messages and prompts.
How do I reload my vimrc or source a Vimscript file?
:source %
The :source command reads and executes a Vimscript file.
How do I save and restore my entire Vim session?
:mksession and :source
The :mksession command saves the current Vim session (windows, buffers, tabs, cursor positions) to a file.
How do I run a command on every open buffer?
:bufdo command
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command on every buffer in the buffer list.
How do I open all buffers in split windows?
:ball
The :ball command opens a window for every buffer in the buffer list.
How do I capture command output into a register?
:redir @a | command | redir END
The :redir command redirects Vim's command output to a register, file, or variable.
How do I build and execute a command dynamically?
:execute "command"
The :execute command evaluates a string expression and runs it as an Ex command.
How do I edit a command in a full Vim buffer before executing it?
<C-f> from : prompt
Pressing while on the : command line opens the command-line window, where you can edit your command using full Vim editing capabilities.
How do I close a buffer without closing the window?
:bp | bd #
The :bp bd # command switches to the previous buffer and then deletes the alternate buffer.
How do I run commands automatically when certain events occur?
:autocmd Event pattern command
Autocommands let you execute commands automatically in response to events like opening a file, saving, or changing buffers.
How do I see what keystrokes a macro contains?
:reg a
The :reg a command shows the contents of register a, which reveals the keystrokes stored in the macro.
How do I run a macro on all lines matching a pattern?
:g/pattern/norm @a
The :g/pattern/norm @a command combines the global command with macro execution.
How do I create a macro without recording it?
:let @a = "Iprefix: \<Esc>"
The :let @a = ".
How do I access the last Ex command I ran?
":
The : register contains the last Ex command that was executed.
How do I clear the contents of a register?
:let @a = ""
The :let @{register} = "" command empties a register.
How do I apply a macro to every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>normal @q
The :'normal @q command runs macro q on every line of the visual selection.
How do I perform a substitute only within a visual block column?
:'<,'>s/\%Vpattern/replacement/g
Using \%V in a substitute pattern restricts matching to within the visual block area only, rather than the full lines.
How do I restore a file to its state at a specific time?
:earlier 10m
The :earlier command restores the buffer to its state at a specific time in the past.
How do I sort lines alphabetically in Vim?
:sort
The :sort command sorts lines in the current buffer or a specified range alphabetically.