How do I load Vim's optional built-in packages like matchit or editorconfig on demand?
:packadd {package}
Vim ships with several useful packages in its opt/ directory that are not loaded by default.
Tag: ex-commands
How do I find which Vim scripts or functions are slow and causing performance issues?
:profile start profile.log
When Vim feels sluggish, the built-in :profile command lets you measure exactly how much time each script and function consumes.
How do I run a substitute command without changing my current search pattern?
:keeppattern s/old/new/g
When you run a :s or :g command, Vim updates the search register (@/) with the pattern you used.
How do I search for tag definitions using a regex pattern instead of an exact name?
:tag /pattern
When working with ctags, you typically jump to exact tag names with .
How do I show context lines around each match when using the :global command?
:g/pattern/z#.5
The :global command is great for finding lines matching a pattern, but by default it only shows the matching lines themselves.
How do I find accidentally repeated words like 'the the' in a document?
/\(\<\w\+\>\)\_s\+\1\>
When writing or editing text, repeated words like "the the" or "is is" are a common typo that spell checkers often miss.
How do I use search patterns as line ranges in Ex commands to operate on a block of text?
:/start/,/end/d
Instead of specifying line numbers for Ex command ranges, you can use search patterns.
command-line #ex-commands #editing #search #ranges #command-line
How do I search across files and populate the quickfix list without jumping to the first match?
:vimgrep /pattern/j **/*
By default, :vimgrep jumps your cursor to the first match it finds, which can be disorienting when you just want to collect results and browse them on your own
How do I run an Ex command without changing the current search pattern?
:keeppattern {cmd}
Many Ex commands silently overwrite the search register (@/), which changes your hlsearch highlighting and n/N behavior.
How do I selectively merge changes between two files in Vim's diff mode?
:diffget / :diffput
When comparing two files side by side with :diffsplit or vim -d, you often want to pull specific changes from one file into another rather than accepting all di
How do I combine multiple Ex commands into a single undo step in Vim?
:undojoin
When writing Vim scripts or running multiple Ex commands, each command normally creates a separate undo entry.
How do I search for a pattern in the current file and navigate results with the quickfix list?
:vimgrep /pattern/ %
When you need to find all occurrences of a pattern in the current file and jump between them systematically, :vimgrep with % is more powerful than basic / searc
How do I use relative line offsets in Ex commands to target lines near the cursor?
:.+1,.+3d
Vim's Ex command addresses support arithmetic offsets relative to the current line (.
command-line #ex-commands #editing #navigation #command-line
How do I reverse the order of all lines in a file using Vim?
:g/^/m 0
This clever use of the :global command reverses every line in the current buffer.
command-line #editing #ex-commands #global #text-manipulation
How do I open a terminal in the current window instead of a new split?
:terminal ++curwin
By default, :terminal opens a new split window for the terminal emulator.
buffers-windows #terminal #buffers #windows #shell #ex-commands
How do I set different Vim options for specific programming languages?
autocmd FileType python setlocal ts=4 sw=4 et
Using autocmd FileType, you can configure Vim to automatically apply buffer-local settings whenever a file of a particular type is opened.
How do I list all lines matching a pattern across the current file and its includes?
:ilist /pattern/
The :ilist command searches for a pattern not only in the current buffer but also in files referenced by #include directives (or whatever 'include' is set to).
How do I fix broken or incorrect syntax highlighting in Vim?
:syntax sync fromstart
Vim's syntax highlighting engine does not always parse the entire file from the beginning — it uses sync points to determine where to start parsing for the vi
How do I run commands without polluting the jump list?
:keepjumps
When writing scripts or running commands that move the cursor (like :g, :s, or :normal), Vim normally adds each cursor position to the jump list.
How do I populate the quickfix list from any shell command?
:cexpr system('grep -rn pattern .')
While :make and :grep populate the quickfix list, they are limited to their configured programs.