Search and search-and-replace in Vim
The Basics and Beyond
We show you how to build on the basic functionality of Vim by introducing some useful search commands.
As a descendant of vi, a text editor written in 1976, Vim could be the oldest application on any Linux system. Most distributions include it by default, and few users have never been exposed to it. However, very few learn more than the basics of functioning within Vim. To most, intricacies like the different ways to search remain forever mysteries.
Staying at this level of knowledge is in some ways understandable. With its dozens of commands and plugins, Vim can feel less like a text editor than a choice of lifestyle (even if you don’t get involved in the traditional rivalry with Emacs). However, confining yourself to searching by eye and arrow keys is need-lessly limited. You can easily choose your level of knowledge by learning a handful of additional search commands, by using Vim’s internal version of grep, or even by adding a few plugins to enhance the control you have. Many of the commands are organized so that you can remember their variations easily.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.