Chapter 7: Macros in Vim

A macro records a sequence of Normal-mode actions into a register and replays it as needed. It fits tasks where every line needs the same steps but a Visual Block edit is not convenient.

We will repeat the array exercise from the previous chapter, this time with a macro.

Search for /^Mercury$, press qa to record into register a, then perform I' Esc A ', Esc j q. Spaces only group the steps. Use @@ on the next line, then 3@a on the remaining three lines.

var myArray = [
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
];

Each item should now look like 'Mercury',, with the cursor on the ]; line.

The command breaks down like this:

• q starts recording and a chooses the register; a-z are commonly used;
• I' Esc A ', Esc j adds characters at both ends and moves down one line;
• the second q stops recording;
• @a runs the macro, @@ repeats the last-used macro, and a count repeats it.

Designing reliable macros

• Perform one line manually first, verify it, undo, and then record.
• End the macro by moving to the next target so repetitions line up.
• Prefer relative actions such as 0, $, f<X>, and text objects over fixed columns.
• Test once with @a before running <N>@a.
• Do not use an arbitrarily large count: the macro may edit following content.

Use :reg a to inspect the recorded keys. A macro is simply text stored in a register, which is why recording begins by naming one.

Run :reg a, find register a, and see whether you can recognize the recorded actions. To restart, press u until the original text is restored, then record again from the first item.

---

The fundamentals are now in place. The next chapters cover text objects, registers, marks and jumps, and multi-file operations.

The next chapter introduces text objects.