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.
Tag: normal-mode
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.
How do I apply a macro to every line in a specific range without running it manually each time?
:[range]normal @q
The :[range]normal @q command replays the macro in register q on every line within a given range.
How do I run a normal mode command on every line in a visual selection?
:'<,'>norm I//
After making a visual selection, :norm {commands} executes normal-mode keystrokes on every line in the range.
How do I match a pattern only when followed or preceded by another pattern in Vim?
\@= and \@! and \@<= and \@<!
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions using the \@=, \@!, \@<=, and \@<! atoms.
How do I run a macro a specific number of times at once?
{count}@{register}
Prefix any macro execution with a count to repeat it that many times in a single command.
How do I search for the word under the cursor as a substring, not a whole word?
g* and g#
The and # commands search for the exact whole word under the cursor (with word boundaries \).
How do I jump between function or section boundaries in Vim?
[[ and ]]
[[ and ]] navigate between section boundaries — typically the start of the previous or next top-level block.
How do I recover the last small deletion without disrupting my numbered registers?
"-
Vim silently stores every deletion of less than one line in the special "- register (the "small delete" register).
How do I define or modify a macro without recording keystrokes?
:let @q =
Instead of recording a macro with q, you can assign any string directly to a named register using :let @{register} = 'keys'.
How do I undo changes back to how the file looked 5 minutes ago?
:earlier
Vim's undo history is not just a linear list of changes — it records timestamps too.
How do I open the current buffer in a new tab so I can view it independently?
:tab split
:tab split opens the current buffer in a brand new tab page, giving you a second independent view of the same file.
How do I pipe a range of lines through an external command and replace them with the output?
!{motion}{command}
The ! operator filters the text covered by a motion through an external shell command, replacing the original lines with the command's stdout.
How do I force Vim to recompute all folds in the current window?
zx
The zx command resets and recomputes all folds in the current window based on the current foldmethod.
How do I count how many times a pattern appears in a file without making any changes?
:%s/pattern//gn
The n flag on the substitute command reports the number of matches without performing any substitution.
How do I run text I've yanked or typed as a Vim macro without recording it first?
@"
Vim macros are stored in registers — and you can execute any register as a macro with @{register}.
How do I apply a normal mode command to every line in a range at once?
:norm
:normal (abbreviated :norm) executes a sequence of normal-mode keystrokes on each line of an address range.
How do I copy lines to a different location in the file without overwriting my yank register?
:t
The :t command (short for :copy) copies addressed lines to a destination line number, leaving the unnamed register untouched.
How do I paste text that automatically matches the indentation of the current line?
[p
When you copy code from one indentation level and paste it at another, p preserves the original indentation, leaving your code misaligned.
How do I change whether a register pastes as character, line, or block-wise?
:call setreg('"', @", 'l')
Vim registers carry not just their text content but also a type: charwise (c), linewise (l), or blockwise (b).