---
title: "Vim remaps use cmd in place of :"
description: "Anyone just starting out their vim customization journey is bound to run into this error."
date: 2022-02-14
published: false
tags:
  - vim
  - linux
  - cli
template: til
---


Anyone just starting out their vim customization journey is bound to run into this error.

``` vim
E5520: <Cmd> mapping must end with <CR>
```

## I did not get it

I'll admit, in hindsight it's very clear what this is trying to tell me, but
for whatever reason I still did not understand it and I just used a :
everywhere.

## From the docs


If you run `:h <cmd>` you will see a lot of reasons why you should do it, from
performance, to hygene, to ergonomics.  You will also see another clear
statement about how to use `<cmd>`.

``` vim
                                                          E5520
  <Cmd> commands must terminate, that is, they must be followed by <CR> in the
  {rhs} of the mapping definition.  Command-line mode is never entered.
```

## When to map with a :

You still need to map your remaps with a : if you do not close it with a
`<cr>`.  This might be something like prefilling a command with a search term.

``` vim
nnoremap <leader><leader>f :s/search/
```

## Otherwise use <cmd>

If you can close the `<cmd>` with a `<cr>` the command do so.  Your map will
automatically be silent, more ergonomic, performant, and all that good stuff.

``` vim
nnoremap <leader><leader>f <cmd>s/search/Search/g<cr>
```