~ / operators / dot-repeatlesson 4/7

The dot command: repeat the last change

Make a change once, then move and press . to do it again.

?how it works

. repeats your last change: the operator, its motion and anything you typed in Insert mode, all in one key. It is one of the most useful keys in Vim, and the trick is to make your first edit in a way that is worth repeating.

The rhythm is move, then dot. Make the change once, then go to the next place and press .. Moving is up to you: j for the next line, n for the next search match, or ; to repeat your last f jump. That gives a tiny loop, ;., that edits the next spot each time.

Prefer edits that don't depend on exactly where the cursor is. A; (append at the end of the line) repeats perfectly on any line; moving to the end and then typing does not.

A count before . replaces the original count: after dw, 3. deletes three words.

⌨keys

`.`	repeat the last change
`{count}.`	repeat it with a new count
`f{char}`	jump to the next {char} on the line
`;`	repeat the last f, t, F or T
`A`	append at the end of the line

3 drills

Same edit, every line: Add a semicolon to the end of every line. Do the first one, then repeat it.
Delete every debug line: Delete the debugging lines. The cursor is on the first one: delete it, then repeat on the others.
Hop and repeat: ; then .: Put spaces around every operator. Find the first one, change it, then repeat with ; and ..

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