This article contains some of the most powerful Vim commands for programming in my opinion.

Small tips:

• Duplicate a line:  yyp

Block mode:

• To use block mode until the end of the file, or the top of the file, it is not possible to use G or gg since the column would be lost. Instead, one can just input a crazy large number of displacements to the bottom/top: Ctrl-v 9999j or Ctrl-v 9999k

Increasing numbers in block mode

The command below extends to fonctionality of Ctrl-a to column mode. This is extremely useful when you have write a line, say with a variable x1. You duplicate the lines 3 times yy3p. Then you use block mode on the "1"s, and press Ctrl-a to increase the numbers and obtain x1 x2 x3 respectively on each line.

function! Incr()
    let a = line('.') - line("'<")
    let c = virtcol("'<")
    if a > 0
        execute 'normal! '.c.'|'.a."\<C-a>"
    endif
    normal `<
endfunction
vnoremap <C-a> :call Incr()<CR>

File completion

Nothing worse than mistyping a filename.  In insert mode, use type  Ctrl-x and then Ctrl-f to use filename completion. Ctrl-n and Ctrl-p can be used to navigate through the list.  The command can be repeated. as many times as needed to go through a directory hierarchy.

Editing/Re-editing your macros

Here's a typical workflow when working with macros. The dumping and editing at the end of the list is extremely useful in particular if you messed-up your macro by a small detail. It is also easy to store your favorite macros into a file and then loads them into your macro buffer.

• Recording a macro in buffer a : qa
• Stop recording: q
• Applying the macro: @a
• Applying the macro 10 times: 10@a
• Dumping the macro at your cursor position (insert mode): Ctrl-r a
• Edit your macro or store it in a file
• Select the macro using v  and then put it into the register a (visual mode):   "ap
• Check that register a is correct:   :reg