How do I match a pattern only when it is preceded or followed by another pattern, without including that context in the match?
\@=
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions using the \@ family of atoms.
Tag: normal-mode
How do I quickly jump between function definitions or top-level blocks in a source file?
[[
The [[ and ]] commands navigate between top-level code blocks — specifically, lines where { appears in column 1.
How do I run a substitution only within the exact columns of a visual selection, not the whole line?
:'<,'>s/\%Vpattern/replacement/g
When you press : after making a visual selection, Vim inserts ' to restrict the substitution to the selected lines.
visual-mode #visual-mode #search #editing #ex-commands #normal-mode
How do I override ignorecase or smartcase for a single search without changing my settings?
/\cfoo
Vim's \c and \C flags let you force a search to be case-insensitive or case-sensitive on a per-search basis, regardless of your ignorecase and smartcase setting
How do I define or modify a macro directly as a string without recording it?
:let @q='commands'
Macros in Vim are stored in registers as plain text.
How do I run a substitution only within the exact characters of my visual selection?
:%s/\%Vpattern/replacement/g
The \%V atom restricts a regex match to the last visual selection — more precisely than :'s/.
How do I insert the current filename into the buffer or use it in commands?
"%p
Vim has several read-only registers that hold special values.
How do I cycle through all lowercase marks in the current file sequentially?
]'
The ]' command jumps to the start of the line containing the next lowercase mark in the file, while [' jumps to the previous one.
How do I temporarily highlight a custom text pattern in my buffer without changing the syntax file?
:match {group} /{pattern}/
:match lets you apply a highlight group to any pattern in the current window without touching the buffer or its syntax rules.
How do I make Ctrl-A and Ctrl-X increment and decrement alphabetic characters?
:set nrformats+=alpha
By default, and only increment and decrement numbers (decimal, hex, and octal depending on format).
How do I use a VimScript expression as the replacement in a substitution?
:s/pattern/\=expression/g
Prefixing the replacement string with \= in a :substitute command tells Vim to evaluate the rest as a VimScript expression rather than literal text.
How do I programmatically combine or modify the contents of Vim registers?
:let @a = @a . @b
You can manipulate register contents directly using the :let command with the @{reg} syntax.
How do I apply a recorded macro to every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>norm @a
Combining :normal with a visual range lets you replay a macro on each line of a selection individually — far more targeted than recursive macros or @@ repeati
How do I programmatically set the contents of a register from the command line?
:let @a = "value"
The :let @{reg} = expr command lets you assign any string or expression directly into a named register without entering insert mode or performing a yank.
How do I insert a newline in the replacement string of a :s substitution?
:s/,/,\r/g
In Vim's :substitute command, \r in the replacement string inserts a literal newline — it splits the line at that point.
What is the difference between ' and ` when jumping to a mark in Vim?
' vs `
Vim provides two distinct ways to jump to a mark, and they behave differently: the apostrophe ' jumps to the first non-blank character of the marked line, while
How do I force a case-sensitive or case-insensitive search for just one pattern without changing my settings?
\C
Vim's \C and \c atoms let you override ignorecase and smartcase on a per-pattern basis.
How do I create a macro that runs continuously until it hits an error?
@q
A recursive macro is a macro that calls itself as its last step, causing it to loop automatically until an operation fails (such as reaching the end of the file
How do I highlight a pattern in Vim without jumping the cursor to the next match?
:let @/ = 'pattern'
Writing to the @/ register via :let @/ = 'pattern' sets Vim's last-search pattern directly — without performing a search or moving the cursor.
How do I create a custom Vim operator that works with any motion or text object?
:set opfunc and g@
Vim's operatorfunc option lets you define your own operators — just like the built-in d, y, or c — that accept any motion or text object.