In the video, I demonstrate that A plays better with the . command than it’s longhand equivalent: $a . The dot command replays the last edit, but it does not replay motions such as $ . The A command compresses the move to line end motion with the append command into a single edit, making the motion implicit, and therefore repeatable with the . command.

The video also demonstrates that c{motion} is a contraction of d{motion}i . Having implicit motion means that the c command also plays well with the dot command.

Implicit motion command Longhand equivalent c{motion} d{motion}i C d$a s xi S ^C I ^i A $a o $a<CR>

If you are doing a repetitive task, then composing your brush strokes so that they can be replayed with the dot command can save you a lot of time. Learning these ‘implicit motion commands’ will enable you to exploit the dot command to its fullest.

Further reading