created 2007 · complexity basic · author Jerome · version n/a
When doing a complex substitution with a regular expression, it's useful to first search for what you want to replace, to confirm that the search pattern works. Or, just press *
to search for the current exact word, followed by ``
(two backticks) if you want to jump back to your original word.
To do the substitute, type:
:%s//New String/g
In this substitute, the search pattern is empty, so it will use the last search.
Alternately, you can press Ctrl-r followed by /
to insert the last-search register (for example, you might want to edit the command before pressing Enter):
:%s/<c-r>//New String/g
If the pattern is in a register, say the a
register, you can press Ctrl-r then a
to insert the contents of the register at the appropriate place in the command.
Comments[]
- why would anyone use ``? Just get accustomed to CTRL-o and CTRL-i and enjoy.
- Because, it does almost the same thing, but is easier and faster to type if you only need to go back a single position.
- But then my left pinky has to purchase a plane ticket to Alaska!! Joking aside, I like `` except that it doesn't ever work for me when I first open vim and try to pop back to the last file/position I was in.
- Because, it does almost the same thing, but is easier and faster to type if you only need to go back a single position.