Vim Registers

Overview

A register is Vim’s internal clipboard.

Unlike a normal editor that has one clipboard, Vim has many registers that can store:

• Yanked (copied) text
• Deleted text
• Recorded macros
• Search patterns
• Commands
• File names
• Expressions

Think of them as named storage locations.

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View Registers

Show all non-empty registers:

:reg

or

:registers

Show specific registers:

:reg a
:reg a b c

Empty registers are not displayed.

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Unnamed Register (")

The default register.

Commands like:

yy
dd
x

store text into the unnamed register.

Paste normally:

p
P

uses this register.

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Named Registers (a-z)

Store text into a register:

"ayy

Paste:

"ap

Example:

Line 1
Line 2

Copy line 1:

"ayy

Move elsewhere:

"ap

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Append to a Register

Lowercase replaces:

"ayy

Uppercase appends:

"Ayy

Useful for collecting multiple snippets.

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Numbered Registers

Register	Purpose
0	Last yank
1	Last delete
2-9	Older deletes

Example:

yy
dd

Now:

p

pastes deleted text.

While

"0p

still pastes the last yanked text.

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Black Hole Register (_)

Delete without changing any register.

"_dd

Useful when you want to preserve your previous yank.

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System Clipboard

If a clipboard provider exists:

Copy:

"+y

Paste:

"+p

On remote SSH servers this usually does not work unless clipboard forwarding (e.g. OSC52) is configured.

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Insert Register Contents

While in Insert mode:

<C-r>a

Insert contents of register a.

Insert last yank:

<C-r>0

Insert unnamed register:

<C-r>"

Very useful while typing.

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Expression Register

Evaluate expressions.

In Insert mode:

<C-r>=2+3

Press Enter.

Result:

5

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Macro Registers

Start recording into register a:

qa

Perform edits.

Stop:

q

Replay:

@a

Repeat last macro:

@@

Macros are simply registers containing keystrokes.

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Useful Read-only Registers

Register	Meaning
%	Current file name
:	Last command
/	Last search
.	Last inserted text
Example:

:echo @%

Or insert current filename while typing:

<C-r>%

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Practical Commands

Command	Description
:reg	Show registers
"ayy	Yank into register a
"ap	Paste from register a
"Ayy	Append to register a
"0p	Paste last yank
"_dd	Delete without overwriting registers
"+y	Copy to system clipboard
<C-r>a	Insert register a
@a	Run macro in register a

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Recommended Daily Usage

These are the commands most worth memorizing:

:reg

"ayy

"ap

"0p

"_dd

<C-r>"

Once these become muscle memory, registers become one of Vim’s most powerful editing features.

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Practice

Create a file with several lines.

1. Copy line 1 into register a.

"ayy

2. Copy line 2 into register b.

"byy

3. Paste both.

"ap
"bp

4. Delete a line without losing the copied text.

"_dd

5. Paste the last yank.

"0p

6. Inspect the registers.

:reg

You should now see registers a, b, 0, and the unnamed register populated.