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vim

How to copy text from command-line mode in Vim?

Say, I just ran this command in Vim:

:nmap <CR> <C-]>

And now I want to copy this line and put it into my .vimrc. How can I select and copy the whole line in command-line mode?

Solution

  • The fastest way is to run the command, switch to the destination buffer (with .vimrc loaded, in this case) and paste the whole command from the : register by typing

    ":p

    in Normal mode.

    If the command is further back in time, one can first recall it from history (e.g., by typing the first few letters and pressing the up arrow key ↑), rerun it, and then use the above method.

    When these shortcuts are unhandy, one can resort to the general approach of using the command-line window (see :help cmdwin). To open it, either type q: in Normal mode, or press the key combination set by the cedit option in Command-line mode (Ctrl+F, by default).