How do I display available keybindings in a popup when pressing leader?
:WhichKey
which-key.
Tag: productivity
How do I create abbreviations for common Ex commands?
: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
What are Vim's read-only special registers and how do I use them?
". / "% / ": / "# registers
Vim has four read-only special registers that automatically contain useful contextual information.
registers #registers #special-registers #workflow #productivity
How do I delete characters, words, and lines without leaving insert mode?
<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.
How do I send commands from a Vim buffer to an embedded terminal?
: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
How do I get a visual tab-completion menu for Vim commands and filenames?
: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
How do I yank text into a specific named register for later use?
"{register}y{motion}
Vim has 26 named registers (a-z) that act as independent clipboards.
registers #registers #editing #normal-mode #yank #productivity
How do I temporarily zoom a split window to full screen and then restore the layout?
<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
How do I quickly surround a word with quotes, brackets, or parentheses?
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
How do I swap a word with the contents of a register using visual mode?
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
How do I use tab pages in Vim to organize multiple files?
: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
How do I quickly switch between the current file and the last edited file?
<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
How do I revert a file to its state from a specific time ago?
: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
How do I navigate undo branches to recover changes that were overwritten by a new edit?
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
How do I use normal regex syntax in Vim search without escaping everything?
/\v
Vim's default regex syntax requires backslashes before most special characters like +, (, ), {, and , which is the opposite of what most developers expect from
How do I search for a pattern across multiple files and navigate the results?
: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
How do I change the same column of text across multiple lines at once?
<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
How do I expand or shrink a visual selection to the next text object boundary?
v + repeated iw/aw/i(/a(/ip/ap
Once you enter visual mode, you can progressively expand your selection by typing increasingly larger text objects.
visual-mode #visual-mode #text-objects #editing #selection #productivity
How do I save a recorded macro permanently so it persists across Vim sessions?
let @a = 'macro_contents'
Recorded macros are stored in registers, which are lost when you quit Vim (unless viminfo saves them).
How do I scroll the screen so the current line is at the top?
zt
The zt command repositions the viewport so that the line where your cursor sits moves to the top of the screen, without changing your cursor position within the
navigation #navigation #scrolling #normal-mode #viewport #productivity