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
let @a = 'macro_contents'
Recorded macros are stored in registers, which are lost when you quit Vim (unless viminfo saves them).
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
:windo set scrollbind
The scrollbind option locks two or more windows together so that scrolling in one window automatically scrolls the others by the same amount.
buffers-windows #windows #navigation #splits #diff #productivity
:args **/*.py | argdo %s/old/new/gc | update
Vim can perform search-and-replace across multiple files without any plugins by combining the arglist with :argdo.
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #productivity #quickfix #arglist
`[v`]
The ` [v] sequence visually selects the exact region of text that was last changed, pasted, or yanked into the buffer.
visual-mode #editing #visual-mode #marks #paste #productivity
:set hidden
By default, Vim refuses to let you switch away from a buffer that has unsaved changes, forcing you to save or discard with :w or :e! before moving on.
<C-o>{cmd}
Pressing in insert mode lets you execute one normal mode command and then automatically returns you to insert mode.
z=
When spell checking is enabled, the z= command opens a numbered list of spelling suggestions for the misspelled word under the cursor.
editing #editing #spell-check #normal-mode #productivity #prose
g*
The g command searches forward for the text under the cursor without adding word boundary anchors.
search #search #navigation #normal-mode #motions #productivity
:redir @a | {cmd} | redir END
The :redir command redirects the output of Ex commands to a register, file, or variable instead of displaying it on the screen.
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #registers #productivity #advanced
; / ,
After using f, t, F, or T to jump to a character on the current line, pressing ; repeats the same search in the same direction, and , repeats it in the opposite
navigation #navigation #motions #normal-mode #editing #productivity
@:
The @: command re-executes the most recently run Ex command (any command starting with :).
command-line #command-line #ex-commands #repeat #normal-mode #productivity
autocmd BufReadPost * if line("'\"") > 0 && line("'\"") <= line("$") | exe "normal! g`\"" | endif
Vim remembers the last cursor position for every file you edit (stored in the viminfo or shada file), but by default it opens files at line 1.
gi
The gi command moves the cursor to the position where you last exited insert mode and immediately enters insert mode again.
navigation #navigation #insert-mode #marks #normal-mode #productivity
:%s//new/g
Leaving the search field empty in a :s command tells Vim to reuse the last search pattern from / or .
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #regex #productivity
:bufdo normal @a
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command in every open buffer, and when combined with :normal @a, it replays macro a across all of them.
macros #macros #buffers #ex-commands #automation #productivity
:mksession / :source Session.vim
Vim's session feature saves a snapshot of your entire workspace — open buffers, window layout, tab pages, current directory, and more — to a file that you c
buffers-windows #buffers #windows #config #productivity #workflow #session
vim: set ts=2 sw=2 :
A modeline is a special comment embedded in a file that Vim reads to apply file-specific settings automatically.
:m+1 / :m-2
The :m (move) command relocates lines to a new position in the file without using registers.
editing #editing #ex-commands #lines #productivity #mappings
