Vim

Replace

In Vim editor, you can replace strings using the :s command, which stands for substitute. Here’s a basic overview:

1. Replace First Occurrence in a Line:
   • To replace the first occurrence of a string in the current line, use the following command:

     :s/old_string/new_string/
     

     Example:

     :s/foo/bar/
     

2. Replace All Occurrences in a Line:
   • To replace all occurrences of a string in the current line, add the g flag to the command:

     :s/old_string/new_string/g
     

     Example:

     :s/foo/bar/g
     

3. Replace Only Whole Words:
   • To replace only whole words (not substrings), use the \b word boundary marker:

     :s/\bold_string\b/new_string/g
     

     Example:

     :s/\bfoo\b/bar/g
     

4. Replace in a Range of Lines:
   • To replace in a range of lines, specify the range before the s command:

     :1,10s/old_string/new_string/g
     

     This example replaces in lines 1 to 10.

5. Replace and Confirm Each Change:
   • To confirm each change interactively, add the c flag:

     :%s/old_string/new_string/gc
     

     This example replaces globally in the entire file (% represents the whole file) and prompts for confirmation.

6. Replace and Save Changes in a File:
   • To replace and save changes in the file, use the :w command after the substitution command:

     :%s/old_string/new_string/g | w