How do I return to normal mode from absolutely any mode in Vim?
<C-\><C-n>
While works to leave insert or visual mode, it does not work in every situation — particularly in terminal mode (:terminal), where is consumed by the running
Tag: visual-mode
How do I create custom folds to collapse specific sections of code?
zf{motion}
Vim supports several fold methods, but manual folding with zf gives you precise control over exactly which lines to collapse.
How do I get a detailed word, character, and byte count in Vim?
g<C-g>
While shows basic file info (filename, line count, position), g provides a much more detailed statistical breakdown of your file or visual selection.
How do I append text to the end of multiple lines of different lengths?
<C-v>$A
When you need to append text to the end of several lines that have different lengths, visual block mode with $ is the key.
How do I append text to the end of multiple lines that have different lengths?
<C-v>jj$A;
Visual block mode normally selects a fixed-width column, which makes appending tricky when lines have different lengths.
How do I move the cursor to the other end of a Visual selection in Vim?
o (in Visual mode)
When you make a Visual selection in Vim, the cursor sits at one end while the other end is anchored.
How do I progressively expand or contract a visual selection by text objects?
v3aw
In visual mode, repeating text object motions progressively expands the selection.
How do I indent lines multiple times without reselecting in visual mode?
>gv
Normally, pressing > in visual mode indents the selection but exits visual mode, requiring you to press gv to reselect.
How do I yank a visual selection to a specific named register?
"ayv
Using named registers with visual mode lets you store multiple independent snippets simultaneously.
How do I see a live preview of substitutions as I type in Neovim?
:set inccommand=split
Neovim's inccommand option provides real-time visual feedback as you type substitution commands.
How do I replace a visual block selection with digraph or special characters?
<C-v>jjr<C-k>12
Visual block mode combined with the replace command and digraph input lets you replace a column of characters with special Unicode characters.
How do I transform text in a visual selection using awk or sed?
:'<,'>!awk '{print toupper($0)}'
Vim can pipe any visual selection through external Unix commands and replace the selection with the output.
visual-mode #visual-mode #external-command #awk #text-transformation
How do I convert between tabs and spaces in a visual selection?
:'<,'>retab!
The :retab! command converts between tabs and spaces based on your expandtab setting.
How do I ROT13 encode text using visual mode in Vim?
g?
Vim has a built-in ROT13 encoding operator accessible via g?.
visual-mode #visual-mode #encoding #rot13 #text-transformation
How do I align columns in a visual selection using an external command?
:'<,'>!awk '{printf "%-20s %s\n", $1, $2}'
By piping a visual selection through awk with printf formatting, you can align columns to fixed widths.
visual-mode #visual-mode #formatting #alignment #external-command
How do I append text at the end of lines with different lengths using visual block?
<C-v>j$A;<Esc>
When lines have varying lengths, a normal visual block selection stops at the shortest line.
How do I insert sequential line numbers using visual block mode?
<C-v>jjI\=printf('%02d ', line('.')-line("'<")+1)<CR><Esc>
By combining visual block insert with Vim's expression register, you can insert dynamically computed line numbers at the start of each selected line.
visual-mode #visual-mode #block-mode #line-numbers #expression-register
How do I move a column of text to a different position using visual block mode?
<C-v>jjxp
Visual block mode lets you select, cut, and paste rectangular columns of text.
How do I select a rectangular block past the end of shorter lines in visual block mode?
:set virtualedit=block
By default, Vim's visual block mode () is limited by line length — if some lines are shorter than others, the block selection gets ragged.
How do I select to the end of each line in visual block mode?
<C-v>$
In visual block mode, pressing $ extends the selection to the end of every line, even when lines have different lengths.