How to Search in Vim in Linux
Last Updated :
08 Jan, 2024
For many Linux users and developers, Vim is one of the most efficient and versatile text editors. Among its strong points is its search function, enabling users quickly to locate and re-arrange text within files. Here we will look at different ways and commands to search smartly in Vim on a Linux system.
Creating a Vim text File:
Step 1: Open your terminal and create a file using touch or any of the text editors, in this case, we will use Nano to create a text file by the name vimdemo.text.
nano vimdemo.txt

Step 2: Now, type the content of the file or copy paste it, as you prefer. you can see the content in the below image to save the content in file press CTRL + X and then type 'Y' or 'yes' and hit enter.

Step 3: We have created a text file now we need to open this file with Vim text editor, to do so just type the command in the terminal.
vim `filename`

After the file is opened in Vim, we can perform various searches on it, below are the searches you can perform on your file, make sure that you can in console mode. you can enter in console mode by pressing `ESC` key.
Follow the simple commands mentioned below in console mode:
1. Basic Search: Basic Search includes searching a document or a file for a word or some sentences, Vim allows us to perform basic search which a simple command, To search for a specific term in Vim, you can press `/` followed by the term you want to search and then hit enter.
/search_term

To navigate through the search results, use `n` for the next occurrence and `N` for the previous occurrence.
2. Case-insensitive Search: Vim offers search options with case sensitive content, if you want to search content no matter if it's in upper case or lower case then you can use vim's Case sensitive search, To perform this search, add `\c` before the search item. like shown in the below command.
/search_term\c

3. Whole Word Search: If you don't want to search the letters and you want that result should come when the whole word is found in document then you can apply whole word search, To search for whole words only, enclose the search term within `\b`. like the below command.
/\<search_term\>

4. Highlighting Search Results: When we start searching sometimes we often miss the occurrences of a word or a letter, to make sure you don't miss any letter or occurrence you can use search highlighting, you can Enable search result highlighting by adding the following command.
:set hlsearch

Once the command is being run, it will enable the highlighting in your document and you can search through the document, like shown in the screenshot below.

and, to turn off highlighting temporarily, use:
:nohlsearch
5. Search and Replace: when you want to replace the first occurrence of a word with another you can use this search option, to replace a term with another, use the `:s` command like mentioned below. Add the `g` flag at the end of the line to replace all the occurrences on a line.
:s/search_term/replacement_term/g

6.Type the Search and Replacement Pattern: Sometime after writing a document you may want to replace a word with some other word, but you see that there are too many occurrences of that particular word. now of you start replacing each one of them one by one it's gonna take too much time. but vim offers search option to replace a term with another, When using the :substitute command for search and replacement, type the pattern as follows:
:%s/search_term/replacement_term/g

7. Search History/ Enter the Search Pattern: after you have applied different searches and wanna know what all searches you have already performed To view and navigate through search history you can press `q/`.
q/

8. Search and Jump: Look for and move in Vim need joining line numbers with looking operation. By appending the line number to the search command (:123 /search_term), Vim fast places the cursor to where it finds your keyword on a certain line. This makes moving around big files faster and easier.
:123 /search_term

9. Position the Cursor: To position the cursor on the first occurrence of the word you search, we will use `:normal` command to position the cursor. Type the command in the following order.
:normal /search_term

10. Navigating through Search Results: Navigate through search results using n for the next occurrence and N for the previous occurrence. you can use this feature when there are multiple occurrences of a word in file and you need to go at a particular one.
11. Search Text using Regular Expressions in Vim: Vim supports powerful regular expressions for advanced search patterns. For example, to match any digit, use \d.
/\d

Conclusion
Learning to search in Vim is vital for effective text editing and manipulation. Once you learn and incorporate these commands and techniques into your workflow, navigating, searching, replacing text will be child's play. Give these commands a try, and see how Vim's powerful search functions can boost your productivity on a Linux system.
Similar Reads
Linux/Unix Tutorial Linux is one of the most widely used open-source operating systems. It's fast, secure, stable, and powers everything from smartphones and servers to cloud platforms and IoT devices. Linux is especially popular among developers, system administrators, and DevOps professionals.Linux is:A Unix-like OS
10 min read
Getting Started with Linux
What is Linux Operating SystemLinux is based on the UNIX operating system. UNIX is a powerful, multi-user, multitasking operating system originally developed in the 1970s at AT&T Bell Labs. It laid the foundation for many modern operating systems, including Linux.Linux is free and open-source, accessible to everyone.Its sour
10 min read
LINUX Full Form - Lovable Intellect Not Using XPLINUX stands for Lovable Intellect Not Using XP. Linux was developed by Linus Torvalds and named after him. Linux is an open-source and community-developed operating system for computers, servers, mainframes, mobile devices, and embedded devices. Linux receives requests from system programs and it r
2 min read
Difference between Linux and WindowsLinux: Linux could be a free and open supply OS supported operating system standards. It provides programming interface still as programme compatible with operating system primarily based systems and provides giant selection applications. A UNIX operating system additionally contains several several
7 min read
What are Linux Distributions ?A Linux distribution, often shortened to âdistro,â is a packaged version of Linux that comes with the Linux kernel plus a collection of software and utilities that make the OS functional and user-friendly. Some distros are optimized for business environments, offering tools for productivity and ente
8 min read
Difference between Unix and LinuxUnix was created in the 1970s by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs. Dennis Ritchie was also the creator of the C programming language. Originally a command-line operating system, Unix has evolved to support graphical interfaces (GUI) as well. It became popular in universities, enterprises
5 min read
Installation with Linux
How to Install Arch Linux in VirtualBox?Installing Arch Linux on a virtual machine is an excellent way to experience this powerful and flexible Linux distribution without affecting your main system. If you're looking to install Arch Linux in VirtualBox, this guide will take you through the process step-by-step. Arch Linux is known for its
7 min read
Fedora Linux Operating SystemFedora Linux is a free and open-source operating system based on the Linux kernel and was developed by the community-supported Fedora Project. It is known for its fast release cycle, which keeps the operating system up to date with the latest software and technologies.What is the Fedora Linux Operat
12 min read
How to install Ubuntu on VirtualBox?Installing Ubuntu on VirtualBox is a great way to experience the powerful features of this popular Linux distribution without altering your main operating system. Whether youâre a developer, a student, or simply curious about Linux, setting up Ubuntu on VirtualBox allows you to test and explore in a
6 min read
How to Install Linux Mint?Linux Mint is the second-largest Linux-based distro used in the world. Linux Mint is a community-driven Linux distribution based on Ubuntu which itself is based on Debian and bundled with a variety of free and open-source applications. So here we discuss the installation of Linux mint. Installation
3 min read
How to Install Kali Linux on Windows?Kali Linux is an open-source Linux distribution based on Debian, designed for sophisticated penetration testing and security auditing. Kali Linux includes hundreds of tools for diverse information security activities such as penetration testing, security research, computer forensics, and reverse eng
2 min read
How to Install Linux on Windows PowerShell Subsystem?There are several ways to Install a Linux subsystem on your Windows PC Powershell Environment. It is good for learners, but it is recommended using original Linux OS if you are a developer as the Subsystem lacks the pre-installed Linux tools. Before we begin installing a Linux subsystem, we need to
2 min read
How to Find openSUSE Linux Version?openSUSE is well known for its GNU/Linux-based operating systems, mainly Tumbleweed, a tested rolling release, and Leap, a distribution with Long-Term-Support(LTS). MicroOS and Kubic are new transactional, self-contained distributions for use as desktop or container runtime. Here we figure out which
2 min read
How to Install CentOSCentOS is a popular open-source Linux distribution aimed at servers and provides compatibility with Red Hat's RPM package manager. It is built with the goal of providing a stable operating system that provided great compatibility with the upstream RHEL (Red hat enterprise Linux) CentOS is therefore
2 min read
Linux Commands
Linux CommandsLinux commands are essential for controlling and managing the system through the terminal. This terminal is similar to the command prompt in Windows. Itâs important to note that Linux/Unix commands are case-sensitive. These commands are used for tasks like file handling, process management, user adm
15+ min read
Essential Unix CommandsUnix commands are a set of commands that are used to interact with the Unix operating system. Unix is a powerful, multi-user, multi-tasking operating system that was developed in the 1960s by Bell Labs. Unix commands are entered at the command prompt in a terminal window, and they allow users to per
7 min read
How to Find a File in Linux | Find CommandThe find command in Linux is used to search for files and directories based on name, type, size, date, or other conditions. It scans the specified directory and its sub directories to locate files matching the given criteria.find command uses are:Search based on modification time (e.g., files edited
9 min read
Linux File System
Linux File SystemA file system is a structured method of storing and managing dataâincluding files, directories, and metadataâon your machine. Think of it like a library. If thousands of books were scattered around, finding one would be hard. But in an organized structure, like labeled shelves, locating a book becom
12 min read
Linux File Hierarchy StructureThe Linux File Hierarchy Structure or the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) defines the directory structure and directory contents in Unix-like operating systems. It is maintained by the Linux Foundation. In the FHS, all files and directories appear under the root directory /, even if they are sto
6 min read
Linux Directory StructureIn Linux, everything is treated as a file even if it is a normal file, a directory, or even a device such as a printer or keyboard. All the directories and files are stored under one root directory which is represented by a forward slash /. The Linux directory layout follows the Filesystem Hierarchy
6 min read
Linux Kernel
Linux KernelLinux Kernel is the heart of Linux operating systems. It is an open-source (source code that can be used by anyone freely) software that is most popular and widely used in the industry as well as on a personal use basis. Who created Linux and why? Linux was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 as a hob
4 min read
Kernel in Operating SystemA kernel is the core part of an operating system. It acts as a bridge between software applications and the hardware of a computer. The kernel manages system resources, such as the CPU, memory and devices, ensuring everything works together smoothly and efficiently. It handles tasks like running pro
9 min read
How Linux Kernel Boots?Many processes are running in the background when we press the system's power button. It is very important to learn the Linux boot process to understand the workings of any operating system. Knowing how the kernel boots is a must to solve the booting error. It is a very interesting topic to learn, l
11 min read
Difference between Operating System and KernelIn the world of computing, two terms that are frequently mentioned are Operating System (OS) and Kernel. In this article, we will explore the key differences between the OS and the Kernel, their functions, and how they work together to manage hardware and software.What is an Operating System?An Oper
3 min read
Linux Kernel Module Programming: Hello World ProgramKernel modules are pieces of code that can be loaded and unloaded into the kernel upon demand. They extend the functionality of the kernel without the need to reboot the system. Custom codes can be added to Linux kernels via two methods. The basic way is to add the code to the kernel source tree and
7 min read
Linux Loadable Kernel ModuleIf you want to add code to a Linux kit, the basic way to do that is to add source files to the kernel source tree and assemble the kernel. In fact, the process of setting up the kernel consists mainly of selecting which files to upload to the kernel will be merged. But you can also add code to the L
7 min read
Loadable Kernel Module - Linux Device Driver DevelopmentFor Linux device drivers, we can use only two languages: Assembler and C. Assembler implements the main parts of the Linux kernel, while C implements the architecture-dependent parts. Uploaded kernel modules are often referred to as kernel modules or modules, but those are misleading names because t
4 min read
Linux Networking Tools
Network configuration and troubleshooting commands in LinuxComputers are often connected to each other on a network. They send requests to each other in the form of packets that travel from the host to the destination. Linux provides various commands from network configuration and troubleshooting. Network Configuration and Troubleshooting Commands in Linux
5 min read
How to configure network interfaces in CentOS?A network interface is a link between a computer and another network(Private or Public). The network interface is basically a card which is known as NIC or Network Interface Card, this does not necessarily have to be in a physical form instead, it can be inbuilt into the software. If we take the exa
5 min read
Command-Line Tools and Utilities For Network Management in LinuxIf you are thinking of becoming a system administrator, or you are already a system admin, then this article is for you.As a system admin, your daily routine will include configuring, maintaining, troubleshooting, monitoring, securing networks, and managing servers within data centers. Network confi
8 min read
Linux - Network Monitoring ToolsNetwork monitoring is using a system (hardware or software) that continuously observes your network and the data flows through it, depending on how the monitoring solution actually functions and informs the network administrator. We can keep a check on all the activities of our network easily. While
4 min read
Linux Process
Linux Firewall
Shell Scripting & Bash Scripting
Introduction to Linux Shell and Shell ScriptingWhenever we use any modern operating system like Linux, macOS, or Windows we are indirectly interacting with a shell, the program that interprets and executes our commands. While running Ubuntu, Linux Mint, or any other Linux distribution, we are interacting with the shell by using the terminal. In
8 min read
What is Terminal, Console, Shell and Kernel?Understanding the terms terminal, console, shell, and kernel is crucial for anyone working with computers or learning about operating systems. These concepts are key components of how we interact with our devices and software. The terminal is a text-based interface used to interact with the computer
5 min read
How to Create a Shell Script in linuxShell is an interface of the operating system. It accepts commands from users and interprets them to the operating system. If you want to run a bunch of commands together, you can do so by creating a shell script. Shell scripts are very useful if you need to do a task routinely, like taking a backup
7 min read
Shell Scripting - Different types of VariablesThe shell is a command-line interpreter for Linux and Unix systems. It provides an interface between the user and the kernel and executes commands. A sequence of commands can be written in a file for execution in the shell. It is called shell scripting. It helps to automate tasks in Linux. Scripting
4 min read
Bash Scripting - Introduction to Bash and Bash ScriptingBash is a command-line interpreter or Unix Shell and it is widely used in GNU/Linux Operating System. It is written by Brian Jhan Fox. It is used as a default login shell for most Linux distributions. Scripting is used to automate the execution of the tasks so that humans do not need to perform them
12 min read
Bash Script - Define Bash Variables and its typesVariables are an important aspect of any programming language. Without variables, you will not be able to store any required data. With the help of variables, data is stored at a particular memory address and then it can be accessed as well as modified when required. In other words, variables let yo
12 min read
Shell Scripting - Shell VariablesA shell variable is a character string in a shell that stores some value. It could be an integer, filename, string, or some shell command itself. Basically, it is a pointer to the actual data stored in memory. We have a few rules that have to be followed while writing variables in the script (which
6 min read
Bash Script - Difference between Bash Script and Shell ScriptIn computer programming, a script is defined as a sequence of instructions that is executed by another program. A shell is a command-line interpreter of Linux which provides an interface between the user and the kernel system and executes a sequence of instructions called commands. A shell is capabl
4 min read
Shell Scripting - Difference between Korn Shell and Bash shellKorn Shell: Korn Shell or KSH was developed by a person named David Korn, which attempts to integrate the features of other shells like C shell, Bourne Shell, etc. Korn Shell allows developers to generate and create new shell commands whenever it is required. Korn shell was developed a long year bac
3 min read
Shell Scripting - Interactive and Non-Interactive ShellA shell gives us an interface to the Unix system. While using an operating system, we indirectly interact with the shell. On Linux distribution systems, each time we use a terminal, we interact with the shell. The job of the shell is to interpret or analyze the Unix commands given by users. A shell
3 min read
Shell Script to Show the Difference Between echo â$SHELLâ and echo â$SHELLâIn shell scripting and Linux, the echo command is used to display text on the terminal or console. When used with the $SHELL variable, which contains the path of the current user's shell program, the output of the echo command can be different depending on whether the variable is enclosed in single
4 min read