How do I open a file in Netrw in a vertical split instead of the current window?
v (netrw)
When browsing files in Vim's built-in file manager (Netrw), pressing v on any file opens it in a vertical split to the right.
Tag: navigation
How do I browse and edit my backward search history in a full Vim buffer?
q?
Vim provides three command-line history windows accessible from normal mode: q: for Ex commands, q/ for forward searches, and q? for backward searches.
How do I jump to the Nth line from the top or bottom of the visible screen using a count with H and L?
{count}H and {count}L
Most Vim users know H jumps to the first visible line, M to the middle, and L to the last.
How do I see a summary of all previous quickfix lists from my current session and navigate between them?
:chistory
Every time you run :grep, :vimgrep, :make, or :cexpr, Vim creates a new quickfix list and pushes the previous one onto a history stack.
buffers-windows #buffers-windows #quickfix #navigation #ex-commands
How do I jump between merge conflict markers in a file?
]n
During a git merge, Vim can navigate directly between conflict markers (>>>>>>) using ]n and [n.
How do I make Vim automatically load a project-specific configuration file from the project directory?
:set exrc secure
Adding set exrc to your vimrc tells Vim to read a .
How do I reopen the last Telescope picker with my previous search and results still there?
:Telescope resume
The :Telescope resume command reopens the most recent Telescope picker, restoring the exact query string, filtered results, and cursor position from the last ti
How do I open a file found in Vim's path setting in a new split without typing the full path?
:sfind {file}
:sfind (split-find) searches Vim's path setting for a file matching the given name and opens it in a new horizontal split, all in one command.
How do I jump directly to the top-left or bottom-right window in a complex split layout?
<C-w>t and <C-w>b
When managing multiple splits, t jumps to the top-left window and b jumps to the bottom-right window.
How do I move my cursor into the preview window to interact with its contents?
<C-w>P
The preview window is a special auxiliary split — usually at the top — opened by commands like :ptag, :pedit, and omni-completion to display reference infor
How do I open just enough folds to see the current line without expanding everything?
zv
zv (view cursor) opens the minimum number of folds needed to make the current line visible — nothing more.
How do I fuzzy-find and open any file in a project without using plugins?
:set path+=** | :find
By adding to Vim's path option and using :find, you can search for any file recursively through your project tree with tab completion — no plugins required.
How do I paste the name of the alternate (previously edited) file into the buffer?
"#p
The # register holds the name of the alternate file — the file you were editing just before the current one.
How do I jump to a specific percentage through a file, like the middle or three-quarters of the way?
50%
Prefixing the % command with a count jumps the cursor to that percentage through the file.
How do I extract just the parent directory name (not the full path) of the current file in Vim?
expand('%:p:h:t')
Vim's filename modifiers can be chained to transform paths step by step.
How do I jump to a tag in a new split window showing all matching tags?
<C-w>g]
g] splits the window and then runs :tselect for the identifier under the cursor, displaying a numbered list of all matching tags so you can pick the exact defin
How do I scroll through wrapped long lines smoothly without skipping screen rows?
:set smoothscroll
The smoothscroll option makes scroll commands respect screen rows rather than buffer lines when wrap is enabled.
How do I make Vim preserve the cursor column when jumping between lines?
:set nostartofline
By default, many Vim movement commands — gg, G, Ctrl-d, Ctrl-u, Ctrl-f, Ctrl-b, and others — snap the cursor to the first non-blank character of the destina
How do I show a visual fold depth indicator in the Vim gutter?
:set foldcolumn=1
Setting foldcolumn to a non-zero value adds a narrow column on the left side of each window that visually represents the fold structure of your file.
How do I find a file by name in Vim's path and open it in a new tab?
:tabfind {name}
:tabfind is the tab-aware counterpart to :find.