:Obsession
If you routinely work across many files, tabs, and split layouts, rebuilding your workspace after a restart is costly.
plugins #plugins #sessions #workflow #buffers-windows #productivity
/\V<C-r>=histget('/', -2)<CR>
If you often alternate between two complex search patterns, opening q/ each time is slow.
:set diffopt+=algorithm:patience,indent-heuristic,linematch:60
Default diff settings can produce noisy hunks when code is moved, re-indented, or lightly refactored.
:WhichKey
which-key.
:cabbrev tn tabnew
Command-line abbreviations with cabbrev let you create short aliases for frequently used Ex commands.
command-line #command-line #abbreviation #shortcuts #productivity
". / "% / ": / "# registers
Vim has four read-only special registers that automatically contain useful contextual information.
registers #registers #special-registers #workflow #productivity
<C-h> / <C-w> / <C-u>
Vim provides three levels of deletion directly in insert mode, so you don't need to switch to normal mode for small corrections.
:term then <C-w>N for normal mode
Vim 8+ and Neovim have a built-in terminal emulator that runs inside a buffer.
command-line #command-line #terminal #workflow #productivity
:set wildmenu
The wildmenu option enhances Vim's command-line completion by showing a horizontal menu of matches above the command line when you press .
config #config #command-line #completion #productivity #vimrc
"{register}y{motion}
Vim has 26 named registers (a-z) that act as independent clipboards.
registers #registers #editing #normal-mode #yank #productivity
<C-w>| and <C-w>_ / <C-w>=
Vim lets you temporarily maximize a split window to full width or full height, and then restore all windows to equal sizes with =.
buffers-windows #windows #splits #navigation #productivity #layout
ciw""<Esc>P
Vim doesn't have a built-in "surround" operator, but you can wrap any word in quotes or brackets with a short sequence: ciw""P.
editing #editing #text-objects #normal-mode #productivity #surround
viwp
The viwp command visually selects the word under the cursor and replaces it with the contents of the unnamed register (your last yank or delete).
visual-mode #editing #visual-mode #registers #paste #productivity
:tabnew / gt / gT
Vim's tab pages let you organize your workspace into separate views, each containing its own window layout.
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #tabs #navigation #productivity
<C-^>
Pressing (Ctrl-6 on most keyboards) instantly toggles between the current buffer and the alternate file — the last file you were editing.
buffers-windows #navigation #buffers #normal-mode #productivity #windows
:earlier {time} / :later {time}
Vim's :earlier and :later commands let you navigate the undo history by wall-clock time rather than by individual undo steps.
editing #editing #undo-redo #ex-commands #advanced #productivity
g- / g+
Vim doesn't have a simple linear undo stack — it maintains a full undo tree with branches.
editing #editing #undo-redo #normal-mode #advanced #productivity
/\v
Vim's default regex syntax requires backslashes before most special characters like +, (, ), {, and , which is the opposite of what most developers expect from
:vimgrep /pattern/ **/*.ext | copen
The :vimgrep command searches for a regex pattern across multiple files and populates the quickfix list with every match.
search #search #quickfix #ex-commands #navigation #productivity #grep
<C-v>jjc replacement<Esc>
Visual block mode's change command lets you replace a rectangular column of text across multiple lines in a single operation.
visual-mode #editing #visual-mode #block-mode #normal-mode #productivity
