It's time to ditch the mouse and say hello to Vim.
This powerful text editor may have a tough reputation, but with some practice, you'll be slicing through keystrokes like a pro in no time.
Grab your keyboard, and let's get started!
Note: This article assumes prior Vim knowledge. If you're new, check out Ben Awad's Vim Tutorial before diving in.
Open a file in Vim
:e filename - edit file
:tabe filename - edit file in new tab (similar to :tabnew)
💡Tip: Use
gt/gT- switch to next/previous tab
Open file(s) in terminal
vim filename - open a specific file
vim -p filename1 filename2 filename3 - open multiple files in different tabs
Vim's Help
To open Vim's quit documentation, type :help quit or `:h quit
Use :h keyword` to learn about specific keywords.
💡Tip:
tabkey for autocompletion in command mode
Saving and Exiting
:w - write (save)
:q - quit (close)
:wq - write-quit file (similar to :x)
:qa - quit-all files
:wqa - write-quit-all (similar to :xa)
:q! - force quit and discard changes
Insert Mode
i - insert text
a - append text (insert after cursor position)
I - insert at line start (shortcut for ^i)
A - append at line end (shortcut for $a)
o / O--- insert new line below/above
Esc - exit insert mode
Basic Vim Motions
h j k l - (Arrow Keys: left, down, up, right)
move the cursor one space
Arrow Keys
{count}j, {count}k--- move by {count} lines down/up
{count}h, {count}l - move by {count} characters left/right
For example, 5j jumps 5 lines down and 9k jumps 9 lines up.
Recover Changes
u - undo
ctrl + r - redo
Moving around
w / b - next/previous word
e / ge - next/previous end of word
0 / $ - start/end of line
gg / G--- start/end of file
Operators
d for delete
y for yank (copy)
c for change (delete and insert)
v for visual select
Command pattern: {operator}{count}{motion} or {count}{operator}{motion}
e.g. d5jor5djto delete 5 lines downwards,c2w` to change 2 words
If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit - you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards.
Delete / Change
dw - delete word
dd - delete line
ddp - swap two lines
cc - change line (similar to C and S)
x - delete (ex-out) single character
r - replace one character
R - enter replace mode
s / S - delete char/line and insert
Selecting
v - character-wise visual mode
V - line-wise visual mode
C-v - block-wise visual mode
Copy and Paste
y - yank text
yy - yank current line
:%y+ - yank whole file
p / P--- paste after/before cursor position
Moving horizontally with high precision
f - find text forward
F - find text backward
t<char> - move to next <char> in the line
T<char> - move to previous <char> in the line
Search and replace
/pattern - search for pattern
?pattern - search backward for pattern
n / N - next/previous match
* / #--- search next/previous word under cursor
:%s/old/new/g --- replace all old with `new
:%s/old/new/gc --- replace old with new with confirmations
:noh - disable search match highlighting (short for :noh[lsearch])
Indent
> - indent or shift right
< - unindent or shift left
= - format indentation
>> - indent more in current line
<< - indent less in current line
Text Objects
{operator}{a or i}{object}
Operator: d(elete), c(hange), y(ank), v(visual)
Choose between a and i
a" - a double-quoted string
i"--- inner double-quoted string
Object: word, sentence, paragraph, tag block, Parentheses (, Brackets {[<, Quotes and Ticks '"
Examples:
dap - delete a paragraph
caw - change a word
yas--- yank a sentence (ending with . ! ? followed by space or tab)
vat - select a tag block
di[--- delete inner brackets [...]
ci(--- change inner parentheses (...)
yi< - yank inner angle brackets <...>
vi"--- select inner quoted strings "..."
Macros
qa - start recording macro a
q - stop recording macro
@a - run macro a
7@a - run macro a 7 times
@@--- repeat last macro
Advanced
. - repeat last command
% - jump between matching () or {}
~ - switch case (small, capital)
cf<char> - change until next found occurrence of <char>
:read ~/path-to-file/filename - insert a file below cursor (short :r)