How do I zero-pad every number in a buffer using one substitute expression?
:%s/\d\+/\=printf('%04d', submatch(0))/g
When you need fixed-width numeric fields, manually editing each number is slow and error-prone.
Tag: ex-commands
How do I gather all matches from the current file into a location list without moving the cursor?
:lvimgrep /pattern/j %
When you want a searchable list of matches without leaving your current editing context, :lvimgrep is a strong alternative to regular / navigation.
How do I reuse my last search pattern literally in :substitute without re-escaping it?
:%s/\V<C-r>//gc
When your last search pattern contains punctuation, slashes, or regex atoms, retyping it inside :substitute is error-prone.
How do I prepend ascending numbers only to the lines in my visual selection?
:'<,'>s/^/\=line('.')-line("'<")+1 . '. '/
When you need quick numbered steps, logs, or checklist entries, this pattern adds numbers only to the lines you selected, not the whole buffer.
How do I temporarily narrow quickfix entries by pattern using the cfilter plugin?
:packadd cfilter | Cfilter /ERROR/
Quickfix lists can get noisy in large projects, especially when one grep or compiler run mixes several classes of issues.
How do I put a register as true line list so embedded newlines stay split correctly?
:put =getreg('a', 1, 1)
Most register pastes are character-oriented, but advanced edits often need to preserve exact line structure.
registers #registers #ex-commands #scripting #text-processing
How do I run the last executed macro across an existing visual line range?
:'<,'>normal @@
When you already have a useful macro but need to apply it to a specific block of lines, :'normal @@ is a high-leverage pattern.
How do I append another pattern search to the current quickfix results?
:vimgrepadd /FIXME/j **/*.go
When you are triaging a codebase, one pattern is rarely enough.
How do I save only real file buffers when running bufdo across many open buffers?
:bufdo if &buftype ==# '' | update | endif
bufdo is powerful for multi-buffer automation, but a naive write pass can error on special buffers (help, terminal, quickfix, prompts).
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #ex-commands #automation #workflow
How do I run a recorded macro on every quickfix match without touching unrelated lines?
:cdo normal! @q
When a refactor target spans many files but only specific matches matter, running a macro globally is risky.
How do I sort lines using only the text under a visual column?
:'<,'>sort /\%V.*$/
When you need to sort records by a substring that starts at a visual column, Vim can do it without external tools.
visual-mode #visual-mode #sorting #ex-commands #text-processing
How do I inspect only Ex command history so I can quickly rerun a complex command?
:history :
When you work with long substitution pipelines or multi-part Ex commands, digging through all history (:history) adds noise.
How to write a macro that saves the current file and advances to the next file in the argument list in Vim?
:wn
:wn (short for :wnext) writes the current buffer to disk and immediately advances to the next file in the argument list.
How to configure what Neovim saves between sessions using the ShaDa file?
:set shada
Neovim's ShaDa (Shared Data) file replaces Vim's viminfo and persists session state across restarts — marks, registers, command history, search history, jump
How do I delete all lines between two delimiter patterns without removing the delimiters themselves?
:g/BEGIN/+1,/END/-1 delete
By combining the :global command with a relative address range, you can delete the content between repeating delimiter pairs while leaving the delimiters intact
How do I avoid backslash-escaping slashes in a substitution when replacing file paths or URLs?
:s#pattern#replacement#g
Vim's substitution command accepts any non-alphanumeric, non-whitespace character as the delimiter — not just /.
How do I integrate a custom build tool like cargo or pytest with Vim's :make and quickfix workflow?
:set makeprg=
The makeprg option defines the command that :make runs.
How do I define a multi-line string in Vimscript without concatenation or escape sequences?
let {var} =<< {marker}
Vim 8.
How do I handle errors gracefully in Vimscript using try-catch blocks?
:try / :catch / :endtry
Vimscript has a structured exception handling system using :try, :catch, :finally, and :endtry.
How do I define Vimscript functions that load automatically on demand without slowing down startup?
function! {name}#{funcname}() in autoload/{name}.vim
Vim's autoload mechanism lets you place functions in autoload/*.