Did you know

This is an archive of the Did you know? section on the home page

Every few weeks, the section on the home page will be replaced. Old items will be moved here so anyone interested can browse them.

To discuss suggestions for new items, please edit the talk page.

December 2009

• Vim tutorials has videos illustrating simple and advanced topics.
• Searching with /\%>80v.\+ finds the next line longer than 80 characters (after expanding tabs).
• Mapping a key to execute :update makes it easy to save the current file, if changed.
• If a file from a Mac is garbled, reload it with :e ++ff=mac.
• The command :set et|retab expands all tab indents to use spaces.
• Typing "+P pastes the clipboard before the cursor and sets mark `[ to the beginning of the pasted text, and mark `] to the end.
• With the cursor on an http link, pressing Ctrl-W Ctrl-F uses netrw to open the html source in a new window.
• The search /hello/e finds "hello" (like /hello), but puts the cursor at the end of the match.
• Some mappings or a substitute will help convert PHP variables from $this_variable_style to $thisVariableStyle.
• You can use the git version control system from Vim.
• We have an example of a simple vimrc with suggestions for configuring Vim.

November 2009

• Vim tutorials has videos illustrating simple and advanced topics.
• On Windows, when using PuTTY to execute Vim, you should disable application keypad mode.
• Enter :scriptnames to list all scripts run by Vim.
• Using :execute allows '|' to separate multiple commands, even those that eat '|'.
• Entering :m'}-1 moves the current line to the end of the current paragraph.
• You can see what script defined a mapping (say for comma) with :verbose map ,.
• Using :noautocmd vimgrep ... will speed up vimgrep.
• Under Windows, enter :!start calc to asynchronously execute a GUI program (say calc.exe).
• In a script, execute normal-mode commands with a bang (example: normal! gqip) to avoid mappings.
• Scripts can use filereadable() to check if a file exists and can be read (example).
• Scripts can use readfile() to read all lines from a file (same example).

October 2009

• Vim Recipes is a new and free cookbook in PDF and HTML.
• Using :set splitright causes a new split window to be on the right.
• Using :set lines=50 columns=100 in your vimrc sets the initial window size.
• Press I to insert text in multiple lines in a visual block.
• Setting 'guifont' in your vimrc can set the font used in gvim.
• Clever scripts can show what colors are available for use in Vim.
• A command like :e ++enc=cp850 reloads the file using a different encoding.
• Enter :windo wincmd K to change a "horizontal list" of windows to a "vertical list".
• We have some ideas for moving through camelCaseWords.
• Changing the status line color helps to show whether you are in insert or normal mode.
• Many cindent options can be configured with 'cinoptions', including continuation lines.

September 2009

• Vim Recipes is a new and free cookbook in PDF and HTML.
• You can enter a command like :set ft=python to set the filetype for a new buffer.
• Typing _ or g_ moves to the first or last non-blank character of the current line.
• Use :verbose set ai? cin? cink? cino? si? inde? indk? to see the current indent settings and where they were set.
• A great one page summary of color schemes is available.
• Typing gwap formats the paragraph without changing the cursor position.
• A search (/ \+\ze\t) can highlight spaces that occur before a tab.
• Perl subs can be folded if enabled with :let perl_fold = 1 in your vimrc.
• The command :%s/\%Vold/new/g changes "old" to "new" in the last visual selection.
• A format option like :setl fo=aw2tq can reflow paragraphs while you type.
• Using Ctrl-o in an :imap can execute a normal mode command and stay in insert mode.

August 2009

• Vim Recipes is a new and free cookbook in PDF and HTML.
• Your syntax files may have configurable options.
• With au FileType qf ... you can adjust the quickfix window height.
• With au CursorHoldI * ... you can exit insert mode when idle.
• A sweet regex can exchange adjacent words regardless of separator.
• Typing ci( changes text from anywhere inside parentheses (a text object).
• Type :v/pattern/d to delete all lines not matching pattern.
• Make your own dynamic template with eval().
• Temporarily mapping j and k to Ctrl-e and Ctrl-y (and more) makes scrolling text easy.
• Using :set statusline+=%{MyFunction()} can show the syntax highlight group in the statusline.
• You can use the Vim color schemes in PuTTY.

July 2009

• Vim Recipes is a new and free cookbook in PDF and HTML.
• An environment variable can be displayed, for example :echo $PATH.
• The 'opfunc' option can be used to define your own operator.
• A temporary change to the 'grepprg' option allows git grep in Vim.
• :pedit myfile opens a file in the preview window; useful for pydoc.
• Use :wa to save all modified files (no save if no change).
• Use :e .. to list files in the parent directory.
• Use :set showcmd to show the size of the visually-selected area.
• Press Ctrl-w then o to show only the current window (close others).
• Windows users should use the GnuWin32 diff package.
• You can search only unfolded text with :set fdo-=search.

June 2009

• Vim Recipes is a new and free cookbook in PDF and HTML
• The command :cabbrev can expand commands and fix your frequent typos.
• In insert mode, typing <C-R>=strftime("%c") inserts the current date and time.
• You can toggle folds open/closed with za.
• perldoc can be used to open a Perl module from its module name.
• A plugin allows sorting lines based on a visually-selected column.
• Under Windows, you can have pl2bat scripts detected as Perl filetype.
• Some mappings allow easy move up/down of current line.
• Use :set wildchar=<Tab> wildmenu wildmode=full for a menu to complete buffer/file names.
• In some terminals, meta keys are sent as escape sequences which can exit insert mode.
• The command :set cursorline highlights the current line.

May 2009

• Type gd to jump to the definition of a local variable, or gD for a global variable.
• Sort and remove duplicate lines with :sort u ("unique").
• Some code is needed for unique sorting in a script.
• Map the Enter key to Esc to quickly exit insert mode.
• And map Enter to insert a newline from normal mode.
• A mapping can search for the current word in a new window.
• It can be easy to cycle through buffers including hidden buffers.
• The pastetoggle option should be used when pasting into a terminal.
• Commands like :set wrap! wrap? are useful when toggling boolean options.
• Use \V to make a regex "very nomagic", or use :sno for a "very nomagic" substitute.

April 2009

• A Byte of Vim is a free ebook on Vim
• Vim 7.2 has been released
• Press [ then the Tab key to jump to the first line containing the current keyword.
• The 'pastetoggle' option should be used when pasting into console Vim.
• Using :set wrap! wrap? is handy to toggle an option and see its value.
• A simple map <CR> o<Esc> can insert a newline in normal mode.
• Using nr2char() helps convert from "quoted printable" to plain text.
• In a regex, \v is "very magic" (all characters except a-zA-Z0-9_ have special meaning).
• The 'binary' and 'eol' options can help preserve a missing final end-of-line.
• Using the ftplugin directory helps keep your vimrc clean.
• The command :scriptnames lists all scripts that have been sourced (more).
• Vim Doclet is a Doclet for Java that generates documentation in Vim Help format.

March 2009

• A Byte of Vim is a free ebook on Vim
• Vim 7.2 has been released
• Press [I to display all lines containing the current variable.
• Press gF to jump to a specified line number in a file.
• A mapping allows jumping sections in Latex documents.
• Using a mapping (with :update) allows quick saves of the current buffer, if changed.
• It's easy to replace the current word with the last yanked text.
• A keymap allows entry of characters that are not available on your keyboard.
• The command :e $MYVIMRC will edit your vimrc file.
• You can add a dashed line under a title.
• Some scripting allows fast changes to your font size.
• Using :set foldlevel=20 means all folds are open when a file is opened.

February 2009

• A Byte of Vim is a free ebook on Vim
• Vim 7.2 has been released
• Type [i to display the definition of the current variable, or [d for a macro.
• The :set hlsearch command highlights all search hits; use :noh to temporarily switch off.
• You may be able to recover lost text if the power fails while you are editing.
• Use digraphs to enter special characters: in insert mode, press Ctrl-K then Co for ©, or Ctrl-K then Pd for £.
• The quickfix list can be used to fold away lines with no errors/matches.
• The 'whichwrap' option controls whether the backspace and cursor keys wrap to the previous/next line.
• Manual fold markers can be hidden using the Ignore highlighting group.
• Some mappings allow Ctrl-S to save the current file, or a new file.
• It's useful to map a key for quicker access to recorded macros.

January 2009

• A Byte of Vim is a free ebook on Vim
• Vim 7.2 has been released
• You can keep your window layout by deleting a buffer without closing the window.
• A script makes it easy to move lines up or down.
• We have lots of opinions on the perfect programming font.
• gg"+yG is one way to copy the entire buffer to the clipboard.
• It is possible to run native-Windows Vim from cygwin without a wrapper.
• Some mappings allow you to quickly add or delete empty lines.
• A FocusLost autocommand is one way to auto-save files when the focus is lost.
• We have an extensive tutorial on mapping keys.
• With a suitable definition for b:match_words, you can fold a C# region.

Previous years

• 2008 Did you know