Tips and Tricks

Getting started: Learn these 10 bindings first: <leader>ff (find files), <leader>e (sidebar), gd (definition), <leader>ca (code action), Shift+H/L (switch buffers), Ctrl+h/j/k/l (navigate splits), [d/]d (diagnostics), <leader>gg (git status), K (hover), jk (exit insert).

Power User Workflows
Vim Plugin Mastery
Efficient Code Navigation
Advanced Editing Techniques
Git Workflows
Customization Tips
Productivity Hacks
Advanced Tips

Power User Workflows

File Navigation

1. <leader>ff        # Quick Open
2. Type filename     # Fuzzy search
3. Ctrl+j/k          # Navigate results
4. Enter             # Open file
5. gd                # Jump to definition
6. Ctrl+o            # Back to original
7. <leader>bd        # Close file

Switching between files:

Shift+H     → Previous buffer
Shift+L     → Next buffer
[b          → Previous buffer (alt)
]b          → Next buffer (alt)
<leader>bb  → Quick buffer switcher
<leader>`   → Alternate file (last buffer)

Managing files:

<leader>fn  → New file
<leader>bd  → Close current file
<leader>bD  → Close other files
<leader>bp  → Pin file (prevent auto-close)
<leader>bP  → Unpin file

Code Review

1. <leader>gg        # Open Source Control
2. Review changes    # Check modified files
3. [h                # Previous hunk
4. ]h                # Next hunk
5. <leader>gb        # Toggle blame
6. <leader>gl        # View file history
7. <leader>gc        # See commit details

Use [h and ]h to navigate hunks without leaving the editor.

Refactoring

1. gd               # Jump to definition
2. <leader>cr       # Rename symbol
3. Type new name    # Enter new name
4. Enter            # Apply rename
5. <leader>cf       # Format document
6. Ctrl+o           # Return to original location

Multi-cursor alternative:

1. viw               # Select word
2. <leader>a         # Select all occurrences
3. c                 # Change (multi-cursor)
4. Type new name     # Edit simultaneously
5. Esc               # Exit insert

Search and Replace

1. *                 # Search word under cursor
2. <leader>sg        # Grep in workspace
3. Review results    # Check all occurrences
4. <leader>sr        # Search & replace
5. Enter pattern     # Confirm changes
6. <leader>ur        # Clear highlights

Use <leader>sw to search the word under cursor directly.

Git Operations

1. <leader>gg       # Open Source Control
2. Review changes   # Check modified files
3. <leader>gd       # View diff
4. <leader>gb       # Toggle blame
5. [h / ]h          # Navigate hunks
6. Stage & commit   # In Source Control panel

Debugging

1. <leader>xx        # Open problems panel
2. Review errors     # Understand issues
3. ]e                # Jump to first error
4. K                 # Read error message
5. <leader>ca        # Quick fix
6. ]e                # Next error
7. Repeat 4-6        # Fix all
8. <leader>cf        # Format
9. <leader>xx        # Verify clean

Use [e and ]e to navigate errors in the current file only.

Multi-File Editing

1. <leader>ff        # Open file 1
2. Ctrl+\            # Split vertically
3. <leader>ff        # Open file 2
4. Ctrl+h/l          # Switch between splits
5. Edit both         # Side-by-side
6. <leader>wm        # Maximize current
7. <leader>wm        # Restore split
8. <leader>wd        # Close split

Use <leader>- for horizontal splits (top/bottom), <leader>| for vertical splits (left/right).

Vim Plugin Mastery

EasyMotion: Jump Anywhere

Word jumping:

<leader>jw    # Jump to word forward
<leader>jb    # Jump to word backward

Line jumping:

<leader>jj    # Jump to line below
<leader>jk    # Jump to line above

Character jumping:

<leader>js{char}    # Jump to any char on screen

Sneak: Two-Character Search

s th        # Sneak forward to "th"
S th        # Sneak backward to "th"
;           # Next occurrence
,           # Previous occurrence

When to use Sneak vs EasyMotion:

Sneak: when you know the two characters at the target
EasyMotion: when you can see the target visually

Surround: Wrapping Text

Adding surrounds:

ysiw"       # Surround word with "quotes"
ysiw(       # Surround word with (parentheses)
ysiw{       # Surround word with {braces}
ysiw[       # Surround word with [brackets]
ySiw{       # Surround with { spaced }
yss"        # Surround entire line

Changing surrounds:

cs"'        # Change " to '
cs({        # Change ( to {
cs])        # Change [ to ]

Deleting surrounds:

ds"         # Delete surrounding "
ds(         # Delete surrounding ()
dst         # Delete surrounding HTML tag

Visual Block Mode: Column Editing

Note: Visual block paste is unreliable in VSCodeVim. For column editing, use VS Code's native multi-cursor: Alt+Click or Ctrl+Alt+↑↓. See KNOWN_ISSUES.md for details.

Basic column edit (when it works):

1. Ctrl+v        # Visual block mode
2. j/k           # Select lines
3. I             # Insert at start
4. Type text     # Add to all lines
5. Esc           # Apply changes

Efficient Code Navigation

The Jump List

Ctrl+o      # Jump to older position (back)
Ctrl+i      # Jump to newer position (forward)

Works across files — you can jump back through 20+ locations.

LSP Navigation Patterns

The definition chain:

1. K            # Read hover docs
2. gd           # Go to definition
3. gI           # Go to implementation
4. gr           # See all references
5. Ctrl+o       # Return home

Finding usages:

1. Position on function
2. gr           # Go to references
3. j/k          # Browse list
4. Enter        # Jump to usage
5. Ctrl+o       # Back to list

Buffer Navigation

Methods ranked by speed:

Fastest:

Shift+H     # Previous buffer
Shift+L     # Next buffer

Quick switch:

<leader>`   # Alternate buffer (toggle between 2)

Buffer list:

<leader>bb  # Buffer switcher
Type name   # Fuzzy search
Enter       # Open

Symbol Navigation

In current file:

<leader>ss      # Document symbols
Type name       # Fuzzy search
Enter           # Jump

In workspace:

<leader>sS      # Workspace symbols
Type name       # Find across all files
Enter           # Jump to file

Advanced Editing Techniques

Text Objects

i = inner (excludes delimiters)
a = outer (includes delimiters)

iw    # inner word        aw    # a word (with space)
i"    # inner quotes      a"    # a quotes (includes ")
i(    # inner parens      a(    # a parens (includes ())
i{    # inner braces      a{    # a braces (includes {})
i[    # inner brackets    a[    # a brackets (includes [])
it    # inner tag         at    # a tag
ip    # inner paragraph   ap    # a paragraph

Practical examples:

di"         # Delete inside quotes
ci(         # Change inside parentheses
ysiw"       # Surround word with quotes
vit         # Select inside HTML tag

Macros

Recording:

1. q{letter}    # Start recording (qa, qb, qc, etc.)
2. Perform edits
3. q            # Stop recording

Playing:

@{letter}       # Play once
10@{letter}     # Play 10 times
@@              # Repeat last macro

Dot Command

The . command repeats your last change:

daw     # Delete a word
.       # Repeat (delete next word)
j.      # Next line, repeat again

Structure edits to be repeatable with . — e.g., A; appends a semicolon; j. repeats it on the next line.

Search and Replace

See REFERENCES.md for vimtutor, which covers :s in depth.

:s/old/new/         # Current line, first occurrence
:s/old/new/g        # Current line, all occurrences
:%s/old/new/g       # All lines, all occurrences
:%s/old/new/gc      # All lines, with confirmation

Git Workflows

GitLens Integration

Binding	Action
`<leader>gb`	Toggle inline blame
`<leader>gl`	File history
`<leader>gL`	Branch log
`<leader>gB`	Open file on GitHub/GitLab

Hunk Navigation

[h              # Previous hunk
]h              # Next hunk
<leader>gd      # View diff

Git Status Workflow

1. <leader>gg   # Git status
2. Tab          # Focus file list
3. j/k          # Navigate files
4. Space        # Stage/unstage
5. Enter        # View diff

Customization Tips

Custom Keybindings

Add your own leader bindings in settings.json:

"vim.normalModeKeyBindingsNonRecursive": [
  {
    "before": ["<leader>", "t", "p"],
    "commands": ["workbench.action.tasks.runTask"]
  },
  {
    "before": ["<leader>", "d", "b"],
    "commands": ["editor.debug.action.toggleBreakpoint"]
  }
]

Remapping existing keys:

"vim.normalModeKeyBindings": [
  {
    "before": ["Y"],
    "after": ["y", "$"]
  }
]

Status Bar Customization

Customize mode colors in settings.json:

"vim.statusBarColors.normal": "#519aba",
"vim.statusBarColors.insert": "#98c379",
"vim.statusBarColors.visual": "#c678dd",
"vim.statusBarColors.replace": "#e06c75",
"vim.statusBarColors.visualline": "#c678dd",
"vim.statusBarColors.visualblock": "#c678dd"

Sharing Config Between Editors

Use symlinks to share a single VimCode configuration across editors:

ln -s ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/settings.json
ln -s ~/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json ~/.config/Cursor/User/keybindings.json

Changes to symlinked files affect all editors simultaneously.

Performance settings: see SETUP.md and TROUBLESHOOTING.md.

For common problems, see TROUBLESHOOTING.md.

Productivity Hacks

One-Line Workflows

*           # Search word under cursor
#           # Search word backward
.           # Repeat last change
;           # Repeat last f/t motion
,           # Reverse last f/t motion
%           # Jump to matching bracket
``          # Jump to last position
''          # Jump to last line

Quick Edits

cw          # Change word
ciw         # Change inner word
caw         # Change a word (with space)
C           # Change to end of line
cc          # Change entire line
S           # Substitute line (same as cc)
s           # Substitute character
r           # Replace single character
x           # Delete character

Visual Selection

viw         # Select inner word
vaw         # Select a word
vi"         # Select inside quotes
va"         # Select with quotes
vip         # Select paragraph
gv          # Reselect last selection
o           # Toggle cursor position in Visual mode

Quick Navigation

gg          # Top of file
G           # Bottom of file
50G         # Line 50
%           # Matching bracket
{           # Previous paragraph
}           # Next paragraph
H           # Top of screen
M           # Middle of screen
L           # Bottom of screen

Marks

m{a-z}      # Set local mark (file)
m{A-Z}      # Set global mark (across files)
'{mark}     # Jump to line of mark
`{mark}     # Jump to exact position of mark
''          # Jump to previous location

Use capital marks (mM) to bookmark important spots across files.

Advanced Tips

Folding

zo          # Open fold
zc          # Close fold
za          # Toggle fold
zR          # Open all folds
zM          # Close all folds

Multiple Cursors

<leader>a   # Select all occurrences (Visual mode)
gb          # Add next occurrence (Vim)

1. viw          # Select word
2. <leader>a    # Select all
3. c            # Change all
4. Type         # Edit simultaneously
5. Esc          # Exit

Quick Fix Menu

<leader>ca      # Code action menu
j/k             # Navigate options
Enter           # Apply fix

Common actions: import missing modules, implement interface, extract to function, add type annotations.

See also:

KEYBINDINGS.md — Complete shortcuts reference
TROUBLESHOOTING.md — Common issues
SETUP.md — Configuration details

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TIPS_AND_TRICKS.md

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Tips and Tricks

Table of Contents

Power User Workflows

File Navigation

Code Review

Refactoring

Search and Replace

Git Operations

Debugging

Multi-File Editing

Vim Plugin Mastery

EasyMotion: Jump Anywhere

Sneak: Two-Character Search

Surround: Wrapping Text

Visual Block Mode: Column Editing

Efficient Code Navigation

The Jump List

LSP Navigation Patterns

Buffer Navigation

Symbol Navigation

Advanced Editing Techniques

Text Objects

Macros

Dot Command

Search and Replace

Git Workflows

GitLens Integration

Hunk Navigation

Git Status Workflow

Customization Tips

Custom Keybindings

Status Bar Customization

Sharing Config Between Editors

Productivity Hacks

One-Line Workflows

Quick Edits

Visual Selection

Quick Navigation

Marks

Advanced Tips

Folding

Multiple Cursors

Quick Fix Menu