How do I split a line by inserting a newline with the substitute command?
:s/,/\r/g
In Vim's substitute command, use \r (not \n) in the replacement to insert a real newline.
Tag: substitution
How do I count the number of pattern matches in a file without making substitutions?
:s/pattern//gn
The :s///gn command counts how many times a pattern appears in the file without actually replacing anything.
command-line #search #ex-commands #substitution #command-line
How do I run a substitution without overwriting my current search pattern?
:keeppatterns {command}
The :keeppatterns modifier runs an Ex command — typically :s, :g, or :v — without modifying @/ (the last search pattern) or the command history.
command-line #ex-commands #search #substitution #command-line #scripting
How do I match only part of a search pattern in Vim using \zs and \ze?
/\vfoo\zsbar\ze/
Vim's \zs (start of match) and \ze (end of match) atoms let you control which portion of a pattern is treated as the actual match.
How do I do a case-preserving search and replace across different naming conventions?
:%Subvert/old{,s}/new{,s}/g
Tim Pope's vim-abolish plugin provides the :Subvert command (aliased as :S), which performs substitutions that automatically preserve case variants and handle p
plugins #plugins #substitution #editing #ex-commands #search
How do I match only part of a search pattern in Vim using \zs and \ze?
/pattern\zs.*\ze/
Vim's \zs (start of match) and \ze (end of match) atoms let you define a search pattern but only highlight or operate on a portion of it.
How do I run a command across all open buffers at once?
:bufdo %s/old/new/ge | update
The :bufdo command executes an Ex command in every loaded buffer.
buffers-windows #buffers #ex-commands #editing #substitution
How do I match only part of a search pattern in Vim using \zs and \ze?
/\(function\s\+\)\zs\w\+
Vim's \zs and \ze atoms let you control which part of a matched pattern gets highlighted and operated on.
How do I search for a pattern only within a specific range of lines in Vim?
:/start/,/end/s/pattern/replacement/g
You can restrict a substitution to a range defined by two patterns.
How do I search and replace only whole word matches, not partial matches?
:%s/\<old\>/new/g
Wrapping your search pattern in \ word boundary anchors ensures that Vim only matches the exact whole word, preventing accidental replacements inside longer wor
How do I search and replace with confirmation for each match?
:%s/old/new/gc
Adding the c flag to a substitute command makes Vim pause at every match and ask you whether to replace it.
How do I use expressions in Vim's substitute replacement?
:%s/pattern/\=expression/g
Vim's substitute command supports expression replacements using \= in the replacement string.
How do I search and replace text across multiple files in Vim?
: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
How do I search for text only within a visual selection?
/\%Vpattern
The \%V atom restricts a search pattern to only match inside the most recent visual selection.
How do I repeat the last substitute command quickly?
&
The & command in normal mode repeats the last :s substitution on the current line.
search #search #substitution #ex-commands #repeat #normal-mode
How do I reuse my last search pattern in a substitute command without retyping it?
:%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
How do I join multiple lines together with a custom separator like a comma?
:'<,'>s/\n/, /g
Vim's J command joins lines with a single space, but sometimes you need a custom separator like a comma, pipe, or semicolon.
editing #editing #ex-commands #visual-mode #substitution #lines
How do I use capture groups to rearrange text in a Vim substitute command?
:%s/\(pattern1\)\(pattern2\)/\2\1/g
Vim's substitute command supports capture groups that let you match parts of text, remember them, and rearrange or reuse them in the replacement.