How do I jump to the Nth line from the top or bottom of the visible screen using a count with H and L?
{count}H and {count}L
Most Vim users know H jumps to the first visible line, M to the middle, and L to the last.
Tag: normal-mode
How do I define key mappings in Neovim using Lua instead of the old Vimscript API?
vim.keymap.set
vim.
How do I uppercase or lowercase the entire current line in one keystroke?
gUU
The gUU command uppercases every character on the current line instantly — no visual selection or motion required.
How do I create a Vim mapping where the keys it produces are computed dynamically at runtime?
:nnoremap <expr> {key} {expression}
The argument to any map command (:nmap, :inoremap, etc.
config #config #macros #insert-mode #normal-mode #ex-commands
How do I prevent accidental edits to a buffer by making it completely read-only?
:set nomodifiable
:set nomodifiable locks a buffer so that no changes can be made at all — not even temporary ones.
How do I select or operate on the content of an HTML or XML tag using text objects?
it and at
Vim provides two built-in text objects for HTML and XML tags: it (inner tag) and at (a tag).
editing #text-objects #editing #visual-mode #html #normal-mode
How do I highlight multiple different patterns simultaneously using Vim's built-in match commands?
:2match Todo /FIXME/
Vim provides three independent match slots — :match, :2match, and :3match — each of which highlights a pattern using a specified highlight group.
How do I define custom fold boundaries using a Vimscript expression in Vim?
:set foldmethod=expr
Setting foldmethod=expr tells Vim to call the foldexpr expression for every line to compute its fold level.
How do I resize a split window by an exact number of columns or rows using a count in Vim?
{n}<C-w>>
All four window resize mappings accept an optional count prefix that multiplies the resize amount.
How do I customize the text displayed for closed folds in Vim?
:set foldtext={expr}
The foldtext option controls what Vim displays for a closed fold.
How does Ctrl+C differ from Escape when exiting insert mode, and why does it matter?
<C-c>
exits insert mode immediately but silently skips two important side effects that (and its equivalent ) always trigger: abbreviation expansion and InsertLeave au
How do I make a single search case-insensitive without changing my global ignorecase setting?
/pattern\c
Vim's \c and \C atoms let you override the global ignorecase and smartcase settings on a per-search basis.
How do I quickly create an Ex command range spanning the next N lines using a count before the colon?
5:
Typing a count before : in normal mode automatically fills in a line range in the command line.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #ranges #normal-mode
How do I paste the name of the alternate (previously edited) file into the buffer?
"#p
The # register holds the name of the alternate file — the file you were editing just before the current one.
How do I jump to a specific percentage through a file, like the middle or three-quarters of the way?
50%
Prefixing the % command with a count jumps the cursor to that percentage through the file.
How do I force a case-sensitive search in Vim even when ignorecase is enabled?
/pattern\C
Appending \C anywhere in a search pattern forces the entire search to be case-sensitive, regardless of whether ignorecase or smartcase is set.
search #search #case-sensitive #ignorecase #smartcase #normal-mode
How do I delete everything typed on the current line without leaving insert mode?
<C-u> in insert mode
Pressing while in insert mode deletes all characters entered since you last entered insert mode on the current line.
How do I safely use a filename containing special characters in a Vim Ex command?
fnameescape(filename)
When building Vim Ex commands dynamically, filenames with spaces, , %, #, [, or other special characters will be misinterpreted — the space looks like an argu
How do I find all files matching a pattern across all directories in Vim's runtimepath?
globpath(&rtp, 'pattern')
globpath() is a Vimscript function that searches all directories in a given path list for files matching a glob pattern.
How do I display a colored highlighted message using a highlight group in Vim?
:echohl WarningMsg | echo "message" | echohl None
:echohl sets the highlight group applied to subsequent :echo and :echom output.