How do I run vimgrep across files using my last search pattern without retyping it?
:vimgrep // **/*.txt
Using // (an empty pattern) in :vimgrep tells Vim to reuse the last search pattern.
Tag: ex-commands
How do I use search patterns to define the start and end of an Ex command range?
:/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
How do I run a substitution across multiple files using Vim's argument list?
: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.
How do I use a Vim expression as the replacement string in a :s substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expr/g
Vim's :s command normally replaces matches with a literal string.
command-line #search #editing #ex-commands #command-line #registers
How do I navigate quickfix entries, buffers, and conflicts with consistent bracket mappings?
]q
The vim-unimpaired plugin (by Tim Pope) provides a consistent [x / ]x mnemonic for navigating any list-like structure in Vim.
How do I create or edit a Vim macro as a plain string without re-recording it?
:let @q = "dd"
Macros are just strings stored in named registers.
How do I pipe the entire buffer through an external shell command like sort, jq, or a formatter?
:%!command
:%!{command} replaces the entire buffer contents with the output of piping them through a shell command.
How do I edit a file without overwriting the alternate buffer?
:keepalt e {file}
Every time you open a file with :edit, Vim updates the alternate file register (#) to the previous buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #registers #navigation
How do I pipe a visual selection through an external shell command and replace it with the output?
:'<,'>!{cmd}
After making a visual selection and entering the command line with :, Vim automatically inserts the range ' for the selection.
How do I highlight a pattern without executing a search or moving the cursor?
:let @/ = "pattern"
Assigning a string directly to the search register @/ with :let causes Vim to highlight all matches (if hlsearch is enabled) without performing a search or movi
How do I browse the full commit history of the current file using vim-fugitive?
:G log -- %
vim-fugitive's :G log -- % loads the git commit history for the current file into a quickfix-style log buffer.
How do I match a pattern only when it is preceded or followed by another pattern using Vim regex?
\@<= and \@=
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions using the \@ atom.
How do I run the same Ex command in every open window at once?
:windo {cmd}
:windo {cmd} executes an Ex command in every window in the current tab page, cycling through each one and applying the command before returning focus to the ori
buffers-windows #windows #buffers #ex-commands #buffers-windows
How do I use a Vimscript expression to compute the replacement text in a substitution?
: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.
How do I open a file and jump directly to a specific line or pattern?
: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
How do I use a Vim expression to dynamically compute the replacement in a substitution?
:s/\d\+/\=submatch(0)+1/g
The \= prefix in a :substitute replacement field tells Vim to evaluate the following as a Vimscript expression rather than treating it as a literal string.
How do I override ignorecase or smartcase for a single search without changing my settings?
/\cfoo
Vim's \c and \C flags let you force a search to be case-insensitive or case-sensitive on a per-search basis, regardless of your ignorecase and smartcase setting
How do I search for a pattern across all files in my project with Vim's built-in grep?
:vim /pattern/ **
:vimgrep /pattern/ (shortened to :vim) is Vim's built-in project-wide search.
How do I capture shell command output directly into a Vim register?
:let @a = system('cmd')
You can populate any Vim register with the output of an external shell command using :let @{register} = system('{command}').
How do I define or modify a macro directly as a string without recording it?
:let @q='commands'
Macros in Vim are stored in registers as plain text.