How to add several empty lines without entering insert mode?

Question

Sometimes I want to add several empty lines for better visualization. Now I end up clicking o<Escape> multiple times. I would love to reduce number of clicks by using something like 7o instead, to get 7 empty lines without entering insert mode.

Answer 1

If installing a plugin is an option, Tpope's vim-unimpaired is a great pick which provides a mapping to insert empty lines:

• ]<space> to insert a line under the current line
• [<space> to insert a line above the current line

Both accept a count, so 42]<space> will put 42 new lines under the current position.

Answer 2

I've had these mappings in my dotfiles for years and they are so useful that I forgot that it's not a built-in feature:

" Quickly insert an empty new line without entering insert mode {{{
nnoremap <Leader>o o<Esc>0"_D
nnoremap <Leader>O O<Esc>0"_D

They are the equivalent of o and O but without entering insert mode. The deletion to the black hole register is quite useful for some corner cases ("_D).

If you don't want to install a mapping you can add just these two lines to your vimrc.

---

Also out of curiosity here is how vim-unimpaired does it:

function! BlankUp(count) abort
  put!=repeat(nr2char(10), a:count)
  ']+1
  silent! call repeat#set("\<Plug>unimpairedBlankUp", a:count)
endfunction
function! BlankDown(count) abort
  put =repeat(nr2char(10), a:count)
  '[-1
  silent! call repeat#set("&lt;Plug>unimpairedBlankDown", a:count)
endfunction
nnoremap <key> :call BlankUp(v:count1)<CR>
nnoremap <key> :call BlankDown(v:count1)<CR>

The difference is that my version puts your cursor on the newly created line whereas Pope's version adds the line but leave your cursor on the same place.