How do I open a file explorer sidebar in Vim with NERDTree?
:NERDTreeToggle
The NERDTree plugin provides a full-featured file explorer sidebar in Vim, giving you a visual directory tree that you can navigate, search, and manipulate file
Tag: navigation
How do I jump to any location on screen using a two-character search in Vim?
s{char}{char}
The vim-sneak plugin by Justin Keyes provides a motion that lets you jump to any visible location by typing just two characters.
How do I jump to any visible word or character on screen instantly in Vim?
<Leader><Leader>w
The vim-easymotion plugin replaces Vim's default motion commands with a visual overlay system that lets you jump to any visible position on screen in just two o
How do I fuzzy find and open files instantly in Vim?
:Files
The fzf.
How do I fuzzy-search and switch between open buffers in Vim?
:Buffers
The fzf.
How do I jump between changed lines in a Git-tracked file in Vim?
]c / [c
The vim-gitgutter plugin shows Git diff markers in the sign column and provides ]c and [c mappings to jump between changed hunks — groups of added, modified,
How do I temporarily zoom a split window to full screen and then restore the layout?
<C-w>| and <C-w>_ / <C-w>=
Vim lets you temporarily maximize a split window to full width or full height, and then restore all windows to equal sizes with =.
buffers-windows #windows #splits #navigation #productivity #layout
How do I use tab pages in Vim to organize multiple files?
:tabnew / gt / gT
Vim's tab pages let you organize your workspace into separate views, each containing its own window layout.
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #tabs #navigation #productivity
How do I quickly switch between the current file and the last edited file?
<C-^>
Pressing (Ctrl-6 on most keyboards) instantly toggles between the current buffer and the alternate file — the last file you were editing.
buffers-windows #navigation #buffers #normal-mode #productivity #windows
How do I search for a pattern across multiple files and navigate the results?
:vimgrep /pattern/ **/*.ext | copen
The :vimgrep command searches for a regex pattern across multiple files and populates the quickfix list with every match.
search #search #quickfix #ex-commands #navigation #productivity #grep
How do I scroll the screen so the current line is at the top?
zt
The zt command repositions the viewport so that the line where your cursor sits moves to the top of the screen, without changing your cursor position within the
navigation #navigation #scrolling #normal-mode #viewport #productivity
How do I scroll two split windows in sync so they move together?
:windo set scrollbind
The scrollbind option locks two or more windows together so that scrolling in one window automatically scrolls the others by the same amount.
buffers-windows #windows #navigation #splits #diff #productivity
How do I land the cursor a few lines above or below a search match?
/pattern/+3
Vim's search command accepts an offset after the pattern that shifts where the cursor lands relative to the match.
How do I search for the word under the cursor without whole-word boundaries?
g*
The g command searches forward for the text under the cursor without adding word boundary anchors.
search #search #navigation #normal-mode #motions #productivity
How do I rearrange window splits by moving a window to a different side of the screen?
<C-w>H / <C-w>J / <C-w>K / <C-w>L
The H, J, K, and L commands move the current window to the far left, bottom, top, or right of the screen respectively, rearranging your entire split layout.
buffers-windows #windows #buffers #navigation #splits #layout
How do I repeat the last f, t, F, or T character search on a line?
; / ,
After using f, t, F, or T to jump to a character on the current line, pressing ; repeats the same search in the same direction, and , repeats it in the opposite
navigation #navigation #motions #normal-mode #editing #productivity
How do I make Vim automatically jump to where I last edited when reopening a file?
autocmd BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Vim remembers the last cursor position for every file you edit (stored in the viminfo or shada file), but by default it opens files at line 1.
How do I jump back to where I last inserted text and continue typing?
gi
The gi command moves the cursor to the position where you last exited insert mode and immediately enters insert mode again.
navigation #navigation #insert-mode #marks #normal-mode #productivity
How do I jump back to where I last made an edit?
g; / g,
The g; and g, commands let you navigate Vim's changelist — a per-buffer history of every position where you made a change.
navigation #navigation #changelist #editing #normal-mode #marks
How do I quickly jump between function or method definitions in code?
]] / [[
The ]] and [[ commands let you jump forward and backward between section boundaries, which in most programming languages correspond to function or method defini
navigation #navigation #motions #normal-mode #code #functions