How do I prepend text to every selected line even with uneven indentation?
:'<,'>normal! I//
Visual Block insert (I.
Tag: normal-mode
How do I execute a macro from bottom to top over a selected range?
:'>,'<normal @q
Running a macro over a range usually goes top to bottom, but that can break when the macro inserts or deletes lines.
macros #macros #ex-commands #visual-mode #normal-mode #refactoring
How do I apply an Ex command only to the exact range of my last change or yank?
:'[,']normal! =
When you need to run a command on exactly the text you just changed, yanked, or pasted, Vim's automatic marks are faster and safer than reselecting manually.
command-line #command-line #marks #indentation #ex-commands #normal-mode
How do I jump through several annotation keywords with one search command?
/\v<(TODO|FIXME|BUG)>
When you triage code, jumping among TODO, FIXME, and BUG markers quickly is often more useful than searching each token separately.
How do I jump several older change locations at once in Vim instead of repeating g;?
5g;
Most users know g; moves backward through the changelist, but fewer people use a count with it.
How do I indent the current line without changing local marks in Vim?
:lockmarks normal! >>
When you run editing commands from the command line, Vim usually updates special marks like '[ and '] to the changed text.
How do I delete just the current search match with dgn?
*Ndgn
When you are reviewing repetitive text, you often need to remove one specific match without running a broad substitute.
How do I duplicate every non-blank line in a buffer with one Ex command?
:g/./t.\<CR>
The :global command can apply an Ex action to every line that matches a pattern.
How do I run a one-off macro without recording by executing keystrokes from an expression register?
@='A;<Esc>'<CR>
Recorded macros are powerful, but sometimes you need a quick ephemeral sequence and do not want to occupy a register.
How do I debug a Vim macro one command at a time?
:debug normal @q
Recorded macros are powerful, but when one keystroke goes wrong they can fail fast and leave confusing state behind.
How do I evaluate a Vim expression and paste the result directly from a register?
"=strftime('%F')<CR>p
The expression register lets you compute text on demand and insert it without leaving Normal mode workflows.
registers #registers #expression-register #normal-mode #automation
How do I stop <C-a> from treating leading-zero numbers as octal?
:set nrformats-=octal<CR>
By default, Vim may treat numbers with leading zeros as octal when you use and for increment/decrement.
How do I replay macro q from command-line mode without changing @/?
:keeppatterns normal! @q<CR>
When you replay macros from Ex commands, Vim can overwrite @/ (the last search pattern) depending on what the macro does.
How do I execute a macro while ignoring custom mappings that could change behavior?
:normal! @q
Recorded macros can become fragile when your config defines mappings that shadow built-in keys.
How do I jump to the next or previous method start using built-in motions?
]m / [m
When you're reviewing or refactoring C-style code, jumping by words or paragraphs is too coarse, and search can become noisy.
navigation #navigation #motions #code-navigation #normal-mode
How do I repeatedly run a macro while a pattern is still found in the buffer?
:while search('TODO') | normal! @q | endwhile
A fixed count like 100@q is brittle: sometimes your macro needs 12 passes, sometimes 300, and over-running can corrupt already-processed text.
macros #macros #automation #search #normal-mode #ex-commands
How do I create a Visual selection for the previous search match instead of the next one?
gN
Most users know gn for selecting the next search match, but its counterpart gN is the real power move when you need to work backward through matches.
visual-mode #visual-mode #search #motions #editing #normal-mode
How do I execute a recorded macro once in each currently open window?
:windo normal! @q
When you split a file into multiple windows or keep several related buffers visible, repeating the same small cleanup in each one can be tedious.
macros #macros #windows #normal-mode #ex-commands #automation
How do I uppercase only the current search match using gn as a motion?
*NgUgn
gn is often treated as a visual selection command, but it is more powerful when used as a motion target for operators.
How do I record a macro that uppercases a word and advances so I can replay it across words?
qagUiwWq2@a
Macros are most powerful when they encode both the edit and the movement to the next target.