qaq qa...@aq
A recursive macro calls itself at the end of its recording, causing it to repeat automatically until an error — such as reaching the end of the file — stops
qa{motions}@aq
A recursive macro is one that calls itself at the end of its own recording.
qa<C-a>jq
By recording a one-step macro that increments a number and moves down a line, you can bulk-apply across as many lines as needed with a single count.
nnoremap <key> :<C-u>call MyFunc(v:count)<CR>
When writing custom mappings that call Vimscript functions, a common pitfall is that any count you type before the key (e.
:let @q = substitute(@q, 'old', 'new', '')
Vim macros are stored as plain text in named registers, which means you can inspect and modify them directly using :let and :echo.
999@q
Prefixing a macro invocation with a large count like 999@q tells Vim to run register q up to 999 times.
setreg()
The setreg(reg, value, type) and getreg(reg, 1, 1) functions give you full programmatic control over registers, including their type (characterwise, linewise, o
vim.on_key()
vim.
nnoremap <nowait> {key} {action}
The flag on a mapping tells Vim not to delay waiting for a longer key sequence.
:normal! {cmds}
:normal {cmds} executes normal-mode keystrokes from the command line, but it honors your custom key mappings — so remapped keys produce unexpected results in
command-line #ex-commands #macros #normal-mode #command-line
qqq then qq{commands}@qq
A recursive macro in Vim calls itself at the end of its body, repeating automatically until one of its commands fails.
:echo getregtype('a')
The getregtype() function returns the motion type of a register's content — whether it was yanked characterwise, linewise, or as a visual block.
:let winid = win_getid() | ... | call win_gotoid(winid)
The wingetid() and wingotoid() functions let you bookmark a window by its stable integer ID and jump back to it reliably.
:let @q = substitute(@q, 'from', 'to', 'g')
Macros are stored as plain text in named registers, so you can manipulate them with any Vimscript string function.
:execute "normal! \<{key}>"
When building dynamic :execute normal! calls in Vimscript, you must use double-quoted strings with the \ notation so Vim interprets the special key codes.
:[range]normal @a
The :[range]normal @a command runs a recorded macro against every line in a given range.
macros #macros #registers #ex-commands #normal-mode #advanced
:norm!
The :normal! command (abbreviated :norm!) executes a sequence of Normal mode keystrokes while completely ignoring user-defined mappings and abbreviations.
:silent!
The :silent! modifier runs an Ex command without displaying any output or error messages.
set nrformats+=alpha
By default, Vim's and commands only increment and decrement numbers (decimal, hex, binary).
:g/./norm @q
Combining the :global command with :normal lets you run a macro on every non-blank line in one shot.
