Vim

Everyone's favorite text editor, said no one ever.

Installation

You can install vim using apt:

sudo apt install vim

You can use vim to open a plain text editor, or can use vim <filename> to open a file in vim. If that file doesn't already exist, vim will create it.

Unless you save the file, vim will not create it.

Usage

Vim is a modal editor. Vim has three modes:

• Normal mode - Used for navigating text.

• Insert mode - Used for inserting text.

• Visual mode - Used for selecting text.

These are not all the vim commands, but these are the ones I use the most. I use the Vim Cheatsheet as a common reference for vim commands.

Movement

Movement is done in normal mode. There are lots of ways to move around in vim.

Here is the standard way to move around in vim:

• h - Move left

• j - Move down

• k - Move up

• l - Move right

You can also use the arrow keys to move around in vim.

You can also jump by words:

• w - Jump to the start of the next word

• W - Jump to the start of the next word (ignoring punctuation)

• e - Jump to the end of the next word

• E - Jump to the end of the next word (ignoring punctuation)

• b - Jump to the start of the previous word

• B - Jump to the start of the previous word (ignoring punctuation)

• ge - Jump to the end of the previous word

• gE - Jump to the end of the previous word (ignoring punctuation)

You can also jump across the entire file:

• gg - Jump to the start of the file

• G - Jump to the end of the file

• 5gg - Jump to line 5

You can jump by screen:

• H - Jump to the top of the screen

• M - Jump to the middle of the screen

• L - Jump to the bottom of the screen

• Ctrl + u - Jump up half a screen

• Ctrl + d - Jump down half a screen

• Ctrl + b - Jump up a screen

• Ctrl + f - Jump down a screen

You can jump by line:

• 0 - Jump to the start of the line

• ^ - Jump to the first non-whitespace character of the line

• $ - Jump to the end of the line

You can jump by paragraph:

• { - Jump to the start of the previous paragraph

• } - Jump to the start of the next paragraph

Editing

Editing is done in normal mode and insert mode. Use i to enter insert mode. Use Esc to exit insert mode.

You can delete text:

• x - Delete the character under the cursor

• X - Delete the character before the cursor

• dw - Delete the word under the cursor

• d$ - Delete from the cursor to the end of the line

• dd - Delete (cut) the current line

You can copy and paste text:

• yy - (Yank) Copy the current line

• dd - Cut the current line

• p - Paste the copied text after the cursor

• P - Paste the copied text before the cursor

You can undo and redo changes:

• u - Undo the last change

• Ctrl + r - Redo the last change

You can replace text:

• r - Replace the character under the cursor

• R - Replace characters until Esc is pressed

• cw - Replace the word under the cursor

• c$ - Replace from the cursor to the end of the line

• cc - Replace the current line

You can indent and unindent text:

• >> - Indent the current line

• << - Unindent the current line

You can search for text:

• / - Search forward

• ? - Search backward

• n - Go to the next search result

• N - Go to the previous search result

Visual Mode

Visual mode is used for selecting text. Use v to enter visual mode. Use Esc to exit visual mode.

You can select text:

• v - Select the character under the cursor

• V - Select the current line

• Ctrl + v - Select a block of text

You can indent and unindent text:

• > - Indent the selected text

• < - Unindent the selected text

You can copy and paste text:

• y - Copy the selected text

• d - Cut the selected text

• p - Paste the copied text after the cursor

• P - Paste the copied text before the cursor

Saving and Quitting

Saving and quitting are done in normal mode.

You can save and quit:

• :w - Save the file

• :q - Quit the file

• :wq - Save and quit the file

You can force save and quit:

• :w! - Force save the file

• :q! - Force quit the file

• :wq! - Force save and quit the file

You can save and quit all files:

• :wa - Save all files

• :qa - Quit all files

• :wqa - Save and quit all files

Other

You can use vim to run commands:

• :! - Run a shell command

• :r - Read a file into the current file

• :e - Edit a file

• :tabe - Edit a file in a new tab

You can use vim to run macros:

• q - Start recording a macro

• q - Stop recording a macro

• @ - Run a macro