How do I search non-greedily across multiple lines between two markers?
/\vstart\_.{-}end
Multiline searches in Vim often overmatch because .
Tag: patterns
How do I search only the message part of TODO comments using match boundaries?
/\vTODO:\s*\zs.{-}\ze\s*($|#)
When TODO comments include prefixes, owners, or trailing metadata, a plain search often lands on the wrong part of the line.
How do I search for 'bar' that is not preceded by 'foo'?
/foo\@<!bar
Vim regex supports zero-width assertions, so you can match text based on context without consuming the context itself.
How do I restrict a search to a specific line-number window without selecting text first?
/\%>20l\%<40lTODO
Vim's search engine can constrain matches by line number, which is useful when you want to scan a known section without touching the rest of the buffer.
How do I set the search pattern to the current word literally without executing a search in Vim?
:let @/ = '\V' . escape(expand('<cword>'), '\')
This pattern lets you prepare a precise search target without jumping the cursor or triggering an immediate search motion.
How do I delete just the current search match with dgn?
*Ndgn
When you are reviewing repetitive text, you often need to remove one specific match without running a broad substitute.
How do I move the cursor just after each search match instead of at match start?
/pattern/e+1<CR>
Most Vim searches place the cursor at the start of the match.
How do I limit a search pattern to a specific line range without using :global?
/\%>10l\%<20lTODO
Vim regex supports position atoms that can constrain where a match is allowed to occur.
How do I make Vim match only part of a larger regex using \zs and \ze?
/\vfoo\zsbar\zebaz
When you need to target only a slice of a larger pattern, \zs and \ze are usually cleaner than building lookarounds.
How do I find trailing whitespace while skipping completely blank lines in Vim?
/\S\zs\s\+$
A plain trailing-whitespace search like /\s\+$ also matches fully blank lines, which is noisy when you only want accidental spaces after real content.
How do I write a Vim regex lookahead that doesn't consume a capture group slot?
\%(pattern\)\@=
Vim's lookahead assertion \@= confirms that the current position is followed by a pattern — without including those characters in the match.
How do I use POSIX character classes like [:alpha:] and [:digit:] in Vim search patterns?
[[:alpha:]]
Vim's regex engine supports POSIX character classes inside bracket expressions, giving you locale-aware, readable alternatives to manual character ranges like [
How do I write a Vim search pattern that matches any character including newlines for multi-line searches?
\_.{-}
The \ modifier in Vim extends any character class or atom to also match newlines.
How do I use \zs and \ze to define the exact boundaries of a regex match in Vim?
\zs and \ze in a pattern
Vim's \zs ("match start") and \ze ("match end") atoms let you narrow the actual match region within a broader pattern context.
How do I group part of a Vim regex pattern without creating a numbered capture group?
\%(...\)
Vim's standard grouping syntax \(.
What is the difference between \n and \r in Vim search patterns versus substitution replacements?
\n in search, \r in replacement
Vim uses \n and \r differently depending on whether they appear in a search pattern or a replacement string, and mixing them up is a common source of confusion.
How do I match a pattern only when preceded or followed by another pattern using zero-width assertions?
\@= and \@<=
Vim's regex engine supports zero-width lookahead and lookbehind assertions — \@= and \@<= — which let you match text based on surrounding context without in
How do I use zero-width lookbehind assertions in Vim search patterns to match text only when preceded (or not preceded) by a pattern?
\@<= and \@<!
Vim's \@<= and \@<! atoms let you write zero-width lookbehind assertions — they check what comes before the match position without consuming characters.
How do I override Vim's case sensitivity for a single search without changing the global ignorecase setting?
/\c
Vim lets you override the ignorecase and smartcase settings on a per-search basis using the \c (case-insensitive) and \C (case-sensitive) atoms directly inside
How do I match a pattern only when it is NOT followed by another pattern in Vim regex?
\@!
In Vim's regex engine, \@! is the negative lookahead assertion.