Vim

22 Aug 2021 | computer

---

General

• :h[elp] <keyword>: open help for keyword
• :sav[eas] <file>: save file as
• :clo[se]: close current pane
• :ter[minal]: open a terminal window
• K: open man page or word under the cursor

Tip: Run vimtutor in a terminal for a basic Vim tutorial.

Cursor Movement

• h: move cursor left
• j: move cursor down
• k: move cursor up
• l: move cursor right
• H: move to top of screen
• M: move to middle of screen
• L: move to bottom of screen
• w: jump forwards to the start of a word
• W: jump forwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation)
• e: jump forwards to the end of a word
• E: jump forwards to the end of a word (words can contain punctuation)
• b: jump backwards to the start of a word
• B: jump backwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation)
• ge: jump backwards to the end of a word
• gE jump backwards to the end of a word (words can contain punctuation)
• % move to the matching character (default supported pairs: ‘()’, ‘{}’, ‘[]’ - use :h matchpairs in vim for more info)
• 0: jump to the start of a line
• ^: jump to the first non-blank character of the line
• $: jump to the end of a link
• g_: jump to the last non-blank character of the line
• gg: go to the first line of the document
• G: go to the last line of the document
• gd: move to local declaration (useful for finding first instance of code variables)
• gD: move to global declaration (useful for finding first instance of code variables)
• fx: jump to next occurrence of character x
• tx: jump to before next occurrence of character x
• Fx: jump to previous occurrence of character x
• Tx: jump to after previous occurrence of character x
• ;: repeat previous f, t, F, or T movement
• ,: repeat previous f, t, F, or T movement, backwards
• }: jump to next paragraph (or function/block when editing code)
• {: jump to previous paragraph (or function/block when editing code)
• zz: center cursor on screen
• Ctrl + e: move screen down one line (without moving cursor)
• Ctrl + y: move screen up one line (without moving cursor)
• Ctrl + b: move back one full screen
• Ctrl + f: move forward one full screen
• Ctrl + d: move forward 1/2 a screen
• Ctrl + u: move back 1/2 a screen

Tip: Prefix a cursor movement command with a number to repeat it. For example, 4j moves down 4 lines.

Inserting/Appending Text

• i: insert before the cursor
• I: insert at the beginning of the line
• a: append after the cursor
• A: append at the end of the line
• o open a new line beloe the current line
• O: open a new line above the current line
• ea: append at the end of the word
• Ctrl + h: delete the character before the cursor during insert mode
• Ctrl + w: delete the word before the cursor during insert mode
• Ctrl + j: begin new line during insert mode
• Ctrl + t: indent (move right) line one shiftwidth during insert mode
• Ctrl + d: de-indent (move leftO line one shiftwidth during insert mode
• Ctrl + n: insert (auto-complete) next match before the cursor during insert mode
• Ctrl + p: insert (auto-complete) previous match before the curser during insert mode
• Ctrl + rx: insert contents of register x
• Ctrl + ox: temporarily enter normal mode to issue one normal-mode command x
• Esc: exit insert mode

Editing

• r: replace a single character
• R: replace more than one character until ESC is pressed
• J: join line below to the current one with one space in between
• gJ: join line below to the current one without space in between
• gwip: reflow paragrah
• g~: switch case up tp motion
• gu: change to lowercase up to motion
• gU: change to uppercase up to motion
• cc: replace entire line
• C or c$: replace to the end of the line
• ciw: replace entire word
• cw or ce: replace to the end of the word
• s: delete character and substitute text
• S: delete line and substitute text (same as cc)
• xp: transpose two letters (delete and paste)
• u: undo
• U: restore (undo) last change
• Ctrl + r: redo
• .: repeat last command

Marking Text

• v: start visual mode (then mark likes and do a command)
• V: start linewise visual mode
• o: move to other end of marked area
• Ctrl + v: start visual block mode
• O: move to other corner of block
• aw: mark a word
• ab: mark a block between (), inclusive
• aB: mark a block between {}, inclusive
• at: mark a block between <> tags, inclusive
• ib: mark a block between (), exclusive
• iB: mark a block between {}, exclusive
• it: mark a block between <> tags, exclusive
• ESC: exit visual mode

Tip: instead of b or B one can also use ( or { respectively.

Visual Commands

• >: shift text right
• <: shift text left
• y: yank (copy) marked text
• d: delete marked text
• ~: switch case
• u: change marked text to lowercase
• U: change marked text to uppercase

Registers

• reg[isters]: show registers content
• "xy: yank into register x
• "xp: paste contents of register x
• "+y: yank into the system clipboard register
• "+p: paste from the system clipboard register

Tip: Registers are being stored in ~/.viminfo, and will be loaded again on next restart of vim.

Tip: Special registers: O : last yank ": unnamed register, last delete or yank %: current file name #: alternate file name *: clipboard contents (X11 primary) +: clipboard contents (X11 clipboard) /: last search pattern :: last command-line .: last inserted text -: last small (less than a line) delete =: expression register _: black hole register

Marks and Positions

• :marks: list of marks
• ma: set current position for mark A
• 'a: jump to position of mark A
• y'a: tank text to position of mark A
• ``0`: go to the position where Vim was previously exited
• ``”`: go to the position when last editing this file
• ``.`: go tp the position of the last change in this file
• ````: go to the position before the last jump
• :ju[mps]: list of jumps
• Ctrl + i: go to newer position in jump list
• Ctrl + o: go to older position in jump list
• :changes: list of changes
• g,: go to newer position in change list
• g;: fo to older position in change list
• Ctrl + ]: jump to the tag under cursor

Tip: To jump to a mark you can either use a backtick (```) or an apostrophe ('). Using an apostrophe jumps to the beginning (first non-blank) of the line holding the mark.

Macros

• qa: record macro a
• q stop recording macro
• @a: run macro a
• @@: rerun last macro

Cut and Paste

• yy: yank (copy) a line
• 2yy: yank (copy) 2 lines
• yw: yank (copy) the characters of the word from the cursor position to the start of the next word
• yiw: yank (copy) word under the cursor
• yaw: yank (copy) word under the cursor and the space after or before it
• y$: yank (copy) to end of line
• p: put (paste) the clipboard after cursor
• P: put (paste) before cursor
• gp: put (paste) the clipboard after cursor and leave cursor after the new text
• gP: put (paste) before cursor and leave cursor after the new text
• dd: delete (cut) a line
• 2dd: delete (cut) 2 lines
• dw: delete (cut) the characters of the word from the cursor position to the start of the next word
• diw: delete (cut) word under the cursor
• daw: delete (cut) word under the cursor and the space after or before it
• D: delete (cut) to the end of the line
• d$: delete (cut) to the end of the line
• x: delete (cut) character

Indent text

• >>: indent (move right) line one shiftwidth
• <<: de-indent (move left) line one shiftwidth
• >%: indent a block with () or {} (cursor on brace)
• >ib: indent inner block with ()
• >at: indent a block with <> tags
• 3==: re-indent 3 lines
• =%: re-indent a block with () or {} (cursor on brace)
• =iB: re-indent inner block with {}
• gg=G: re-indent entire buffer
• ]p: paste and adjust indent to current line

Exiting

• :w: write (save) the file, but don’t exit
• :w !sudo tee %: write out the current file using sudo
• :wq or :x or ZZ: write (save) and quit
• :q: quit (fails if there are unsaved changes)
• :q! or ZQ: quit and throw away unsaved changes
• :wqa: write (save) and quit on all tabs

Search and Replace

• /pattern: search for pattern
• ?pattern: search backward for pattern
• \vpattern: ‘very magic’ pattern: non-alphanumeric characters are interpreted as special regex symbols (no escaping needed)
• n: repeat search in same direction
• N: repeat search in opposite direction
• :%s/old/new/g: replace all old with new throughout file
• :%s/old/new/gc: replace all old with new throughout file with confirmations
• :noh[lsearch]: remove highlighting of search matches

Search in Multiple Files

• :vim[grep] /pattern/ {{file}}: search for pattern in multiple files (e.g. :vim[grep] /foo/ **/*)
• :cn[ext]: jump to the next match
• :cp[revious]: jump to the previous match
• :cope[n]: open a window containing the list of matches
• :ccl[ose]: close the quickfix window

Tabs

• :tabnew or :tabnew {page.words.file}: open a file in a new tab
• Ctrl + wT: move the current split window into its own tab
• gt or :tabn[ext]: move to the next tab
• gT or :tabp[revious]: move to the previous tab
• #gt: move to tab number #
• :tabm[ove] #: move current tab to the #th position (indexed from 0)
• :tabc[lose]: close the current tab and all its windows
• :tabo[nly]: close all tabs except for the current one
• :tabdo [command]: run the command on all tabs (e.g. :tabdo q - closes all opened tabs)

Working with Multiple Files

• :e[dit] file: edit a file in a new buffer
• :bn[ext]: go to the next buffer
• :bp[revious]: go to the previous buffer
• :bd[elete]: delete a buffer (close a file)
• :b[uffer]#: go to a buffer by index #
• :b[uffer] file: go to a buffer by file
• :ls or :buffers: list all open buffers
• :sp[lit] file: open a file in a new buffer and split window
• :vs[plit] file: open a file in a new buffer and vertically split window
• :vert[ical] ba[ll]: edit all buffers as vertical windows
• :tab ba[ll]: edit all buffers as tabs
• Ctrl + ws: split window
• Ctrl + wv: split window vertically
• Ctrl + ww: switch windows
• Ctrl + wq: quit a window
• Ctrl + wx: exchange current window with next one
• Ctrl + w=: make all windows equal height & width
• Ctrl + wh: move cursor to the left window (vertical split)
• Ctrl + wl: move cursor to the right window (vertical split)
• Ctrl + wj: move cursor to the window below (horizontal split)
• Ctrl + wk: move cursor to the window above (horizontal split)
• Ctrl + wH: make current window full height at far left (leftmost vertical window)
• Ctrl + wL: make current window full height at far right (rightmost vertical window)
• Ctrl + wJ: make current window full width at the very bottom (bottommost horizontal window)
• Ctrl + wK: make current window full width at the very top (topmost horizontal window)

Diff

• zf: manually define a fold up to motion
• zd: delete fold under the cursor
• za: toggle fold under the cursor
• zo: open fold under the cursor
• zc: close fold under the cursor
• zr: reduce (open) all folds by one level
• zm: fold more (close) all folds by one level
• zi: toggle folding functionality
• ]c: jump to start of next change
• [c: jump to start of previous change
• do or :diffg[et]: obtain (get) difference (from other buffer)
• dp or :diffpu[t]: put difference (to other buffer)
• :diffthis: make current window part of diff
• :dif[fupdate]: update differences
• :diffo[ff]: switch off diff mode for current window

Tip: The commands for folding (e.g. za) operate on one level. To operate on all levels, use uppercase letters (e.g. zA).

Tip: To view the differences of files, one can directly start Vim in diff mode by running vimdiff in a terminal. One can even set this as git difftool.

Links

• https://vim.rtorr.com/