Why#
This post is a running list of Vim and Neovim tricks that I find myself using every day.
It grows over time; the Neovim tag collects related posts.
001: Run a command on a visual block#
After selecting a visual block, you can run a normal-mode operation on every line of it with :normal <ops>, where <ops> is the key sequence you would type by hand.
For example, with a block selected, :normal Atest appends test to the end of every selected line.
002: Map <C-d> and <C-u> to <C-d>zz and <C-u>zz#
<C-d> is Control + d.
In normal mode, <C-d> scrolls half a page down and <C-u> scrolls half a page up.
zz recenters the current line in the window.
Combining them means the cursor line stays centered no matter how far you scroll.
003: Repeat and reverse operations 1#
004: daw/daW delete a word, cw/cW change it#
005: <C-h> and <C-w> delete backwards in insert mode#
Suppose the buffer contains this is a test and the cursor is at the end.
In insert mode, <C-h> deletes one character and <C-w> deletes one word.
006: <C-o> enters insert-normal mode#
Insert-normal mode runs a single normal-mode command and then returns to insert mode. Starting again from this is a test:
007: gv reselects the last visual selection#
008: Vr + a character fills the line with that character#
009: * searches for the word under the cursor#
Press * to jump to the next occurrence of the word under the cursor; n and N continue the search.
010: Command-line mode is powerful#
011: :read !{cmd} inserts the output of cmd#
The output of the shell command is inserted below the cursor in the current buffer.
012: :write !{cmd} pipes the buffer into cmd#
The current buffer (or a range) is sent to the standard input of the shell command.
013: <C-o> jumps back and <C-i> jumps forward#
These move through the jump list, so you can retrace your steps after a search, a tag jump, or a G.
