How do I run a shell command on a range of lines in normal mode and replace them with the output?
!{motion}{cmd}<CR>
In normal mode, !{motion} sends the lines covered by the motion to a shell command's stdin and replaces them with stdout.
Tag: normal-mode
How do I create a macro that repeats itself automatically until it can no longer proceed?
qq{actions}@qq
A recursive macro ends by calling itself, so it loops automatically without you pressing @q repeatedly.
How do I comment out an entire paragraph or code block with a single motion using vim-commentary?
gcip
The vim-commentary plugin exposes gc as a comment operator, which means it composes with any Vim motion or text object.
plugins #plugins #editing #commenting #text-objects #normal-mode
How do I reset the jump list to start fresh in the current window?
:clearjumps
The :clearjumps command wipes the jump list for the current window, giving you a clean slate for and navigation.
How do I keep a horizontal margin between the cursor and the edge of the screen when scrolling sideways?
set sidescrolloff
set sidescrolloff={n} keeps at least n columns of context to the left and right of the cursor when long lines cause the view to scroll horizontally.
How do I move to the first non-blank character of the next line?
+
The + command moves the cursor to the first non-blank character of the next line.
How do I create a self-repeating macro that runs until there is nothing left to process?
@q (inside macro recording)
A recursive macro calls itself as its last action, causing it to repeat indefinitely until it hits an error (like reaching end of file or failing a search).
How do I run a single normal mode command without fully leaving insert mode?
<C-o> (insert mode)
Pressing while in insert mode lets you execute exactly one normal mode command and then automatically returns you to insert mode.
How do I run a recorded macro on every line in a range without using a count?
:[range]norm @{register}
The :normal command executes normal-mode keystrokes on each line in a range — including macro playback.
How do I create my own custom ex commands in Vim?
:command
:command lets you define new Ex (colon-prefixed) commands with custom names, optional argument handling, and completion.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #config #normal-mode
How do I create a macro that repeats itself until it hits an error or end of file?
qq{cmds}@qq
A recursive macro is one that calls itself at the end of its own body.
How do I delete from a visual block column to the end of each selected line?
C (visual-block)
In visual block mode, pressing C (uppercase) deletes from the leftmost column of the selection to the end of every selected line, then drops you into insert mod
How do I insert the result of a Vimscript expression as a new line?
:put ={expr}
The :put ={expr} command evaluates a Vimscript expression and inserts the result as a new line below the cursor.
How do I append text to the end of multiple lines with different lengths in visual block mode?
<C-v>{motion}$A
In visual block mode, pressing $ makes the right edge of the selection "ragged" — it extends to the real end of each line regardless of length.
How do I search for a pattern only within a visual selection?
/\%V
The \%V pattern atom restricts a search to the region spanned by the last visual selection.
How do I group regex atoms in Vim without creating a backreference?
\%(pattern\)
In Vim's regex engine, \( and \) create a capturing group whose contents are stored in \1, \2, etc.
How do I write a Vim macro that automatically repeats until it fails?
qa{actions}@aq
A recursive macro is one that calls itself as its final action, causing it to repeat indefinitely until any command in the body fails (e.
How do I copy characters from the line above or below the cursor while staying in insert mode?
<C-y> (above) / <C-e> (below)
In insert mode, inserts the character from the same column one line above, and inserts the character from the same column one line below.
How do I swap two regions of text without a complex yank-delete-paste workflow?
cx{motion} … cx{motion} (vim-exchange)
The vim-exchange plugin provides cx{motion} to mark a region, then cx{motion} again on a second region to swap them in place.
How do I restrict a search or substitution to exactly the characters I visually selected?
\%V (in search/substitute pattern)
The \%V atom in a Vim pattern matches only inside the last visual selection.
search #search #visual-mode #substitution #regex #normal-mode