Move entire line up and down in Vim

vim vi
user4812 picture user4812 · Apr 12, 2009 · Viewed 140.7k times · Source

In Notepad++, I can use Ctrl + Shift + Up / Down to move the current line up and down. Is there a similar command to this in Vim? I have looked through endless guides, but have found nothing.

If there isn't, how could I bind the action to that key combination?

Edit: Mykola's answer works for all lines, apart from those at the beginning and end of the buffer. Moving the first line up or the bottom line down deletes the line, and when moving the bottom line up it jumps two spaces initially, like a pawn! Can anyone offer any refinements?

Answer

JaredPar picture JaredPar · Apr 12, 2009

If I want to swap one line with the line above I usually do the following

ddkP

Explanation

  • dd will delete the line and add it to the default register.
  • k will move up a line (j would move down a line)
  • P will paste above the current line

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