How do I use a macro to generate a numbered sequence in Vim?
qa Yp <C-a> q
By combining a macro with (increment number), you can quickly generate numbered sequences.
Tag: normal-mode
How do I search for a second pattern relative to where the first one matched?
/pattern1/;/pattern2/
Vim's search offsets allow chaining two patterns together with a semicolon.
How do I jump forward through the jump list after going back with Ctrl-O?
<C-i>
Every time you make a "jump" — using G, /, %, :tag, , or similar commands — Vim records your position in the jump list.
How do I run Normal mode commands in a script without triggering my custom mappings?
:normal! {keys}
:normal {keys} executes keystrokes as if typed in Normal mode — but it respects your custom mappings and abbreviations.
How do I call one macro from inside another macro in Vim?
When recording a macro, you can execute another macro inside it by pressing @b (or any register) during the recording.
How do I move the cursor to the last non-blank character on the current line?
g_
g moves the cursor to the last non-blank character of the current line — skipping trailing spaces and tabs.
How do I convert the entire current line to lowercase or uppercase in one command?
guu / gUU
Vim's case operators gu (lowercase) and gU (uppercase) follow the same doubling convention as dd and yy: repeating the operator letter applies it to the whole c
How do I increment and decrement dates, times, and other structured sequences in Vim?
<C-a> / <C-x> (vim-speeddating)
vim-speeddating (by Tim Pope) extends Vim's built-in and increment/decrement operators to understand dates, times, roman numerals, and other ordered sequences.
How do I force a search to be case-sensitive regardless of the ignorecase setting?
/\Cpattern
Vim's ignorecase and smartcase settings change how all searches behave globally.
How do I duplicate the current line and place the copy directly below it?
:t.
The :t (short for :copy) command copies lines from one location to another.
How do I scroll the view left or right without moving the cursor in Vim?
zl and zh
When a line is longer than the window width and wrap is off, Vim can display only part of it.
How do I break a line at the cursor position without entering Insert mode?
r<CR>
You can split a line at the cursor without entering Insert mode by using r.
How do I jump to the middle of a line in Vim?
gM
The gM command moves the cursor to the horizontal middle of the current line, regardless of how long the line is.
How do I run a macro on every line in the entire file?
:%normal @q
To apply a macro to every line in the file, use :%normal @q.
How do I reuse the last search pattern without retyping it in Vim?
//
In Vim, pressing // (two forward slashes) in Normal mode repeats the last search pattern.
How do I convert a variable name between snake_case, camelCase, and other styles in Vim?
cr
The vim-abolish plugin (by tpope) provides a cr (coerce) operator that converts the word under the cursor between naming conventions with a single keystroke pai
How do I run a macro on only the lines I've visually selected?
:'<,'>norm @q
When you visually select lines and then type a : command, Vim automatically inserts ' (the visual range marks) into the command line.
How do I comment out multiple lines at once in Vim without a plugin?
<C-v>I#<Esc>
Vim's Visual Block mode lets you prepend characters (like comment markers) to multiple lines simultaneously.
How do I run a macro until it can no longer proceed without specifying an exact count?
100@a
When you give a large count to a macro — such as 100@a — Vim automatically stops replaying the macro as soon as any step inside it fails.
How do I convert a visually selected block of text to uppercase or lowercase?
U
In visual mode, pressing U converts all selected characters to uppercase and u converts them to lowercase.