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.
Tag: macros
How do I record a macro in Vim?
q{a-z}...q
Recording a macro captures a sequence of keystrokes into a register, which you can replay later.
How do I record a macro that uses text objects and complex motions?
qa ci"replacement<Esc> /next<CR> q
Macros can contain any Vim command including text objects, searches, and multi-key motions.
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 apply different macros to alternate lines?
qa ... j@bj q
You can create macros that call other macros, applying different operations to alternate lines or creating complex editing patterns.
How do I create a macro without recording it?
:let @a = "Iprefix: \<Esc>"
The :let @a = ".
How do I create a macro that uses an incrementing counter?
Use :let i=1 with macro
By combining a Vimscript variable with a macro, you can create sequences with incrementing numbers.
How do I edit a recorded macro?
"ap, edit, "add
Since macros are stored in registers, you can paste the register content into the buffer, edit it, and yank it back.
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 execute buffer text as a macro dynamically?
:let @a=getline('.')<CR>@a
How it works Instead of recording keystrokes interactively, you can write a sequence of Vim commands as plain text in your buffer and then execute that text as
How do I make a macro conditionally execute commands based on line content?
:if condition | execute 'normal cmd' | endif
How it works Vim macros can include Ex commands with conditional logic.
How do I chain multiple ex commands together on one line in Vim?
:%s/foo/bar/g | %s/baz/qux/g | w
The (bar) character in Vim's command line acts as a command separator, allowing you to chain multiple ex commands together on a single line.
How do I use a macro to align text on a specific character like the equals sign?
qa0f=20i <Esc>20|C= <Esc>lDjq
How it works Aligning text on a delimiter such as = without plugins requires a clever macro technique.
How do I create nested macros where one macro calls another?
qa{edits}@bq
How it works Vim macros can call other macros, creating a modular system of reusable building blocks.
How do I use marks inside a macro to return to a specific position?
qama{edits}'aq
How it works When a macro needs to jump to different parts of the file and then return to a starting position, marks are the perfect tool.
How do I use the expression register inside a macro for dynamic values?
qa<C-r>=expression<CR>q
How it works The expression register (=) lets you evaluate Vimscript expressions and insert the result.
How do I use a macro to wrap each word in quotes?
qabi"<Esc>ea"<Esc>wq
How it works This macro wraps the current word in double quotes and moves to the next word, making it easy to repeat across a line or file.
How do I record a macro that performs a search and replace on each line?
qa:s/old/new/g<CR>jq
How it works You can combine Ex commands like :s (substitute) with macro recording to create powerful repeatable find-and-replace operations that go beyond what
How do I record a macro that processes one line and moves to the next?
qa0f:dwj0q
How it works When recording a macro that you plan to repeat across multiple lines, the key technique is to end the macro positioned on the next line, ready for
How do I clear or empty a macro register in Vim?
qaq
How it works To clear a macro register, you simply start recording into that register and immediately stop.