vim is a command-line text editor based on Bill Joy's original vi text editor.
You'll need to be able to navigate the command line
Normal mode is the first mode your vim will be set as when you start it. Hitting Esc will revert you
back to Normal mode from any other mode. Considered to be the browsing or reading mode, it provides you with more efficient ways to navigate and manipulate the file.
Insert mode can be accessed by pressing the i key while in Normal mode. While in insert mode, you are able to write and enter text like in a regular text editor.
Visual mode can be accessed by pressing the v key while in Normal mode. While in Visual mode, you are able to select characters, strings and lines before using a command to modify it.
While in Normal mode, you are able to type in the Command Palette, the line at the very bottom of your screen.
Typing in :q in the command palette and hitting Enter will quit you out of vim.
Typing in :q! in the command palette and hitting Enter will quit you out of vim without saving.
Typing in :w in the command palette and hitting Enter save your current work.
While in Normal mode, Basic one cursor movements are handled by the h, j, k and l keys.
h - Left
j - Up
k - Down
l - Right
Word specific movements are handled by the b, e and w keys.
b - beginning of the word.
e - end of the word.
w - beginning of the next word.
Movement can be modified by numbers.
2b will move to the beginning of the send word.
4l will move 4 characters to the right.
0 will move you to the beginning of the line.
$ will move you to the end of the line.
* will find the next occurence of the word your cursor is under.
# will find the previous occurence of the word your cursor is under.
gg will move you to the beginning of the file.
G will move you to the end of the file.
36G will move you to line 36.
When in Normal mode, while hovering over a(, [ or { character, you can go to the matching ), ] or } with the % key.
/ will bring up search on the command palette.
/text will search for the string text in the file.
n will move to the next instance of the string you're searching for.
N will move to the previous instane of the string you're searching for.
i will enter you into Insert mode and let you type to the left of the cursor.
I will enter you into Insert mode and let you type at the first non-blank character.
a will enter you into Insert mode and let you type to the right of the cursor
A will enter you into Insert mode and let you type at the end of the line.
o
O
x will delete characters to the RIGHT of the cursor.
X will delete character to the LEFT of the cursor.
dd will delete the line you are hovering over.
db will delete from the cursor to the beginning of the word.
de will delete from the cursor to the beginning of the next word.
dw will delete from the cursor to the end of the current word.
You can modify the commands above with numbers after the d command.
d4w will delete 4 words starting from the cursor.
s will delete
S
C
While in Normal mode, you can insert text multiple times by modifying the i function with a number.
6i- then hitting the Esc key will enter ------.
r will allow you to replace/insert onto the character you are highlighting.
. will repeat the previous command used.
u will undo your previous action.
CTRL+R will redo you previous action.
o will create a new line underneath your selected line.
O will create a new line above your selected line.
- Shawn Biddle's vim classes
- Open Vim's Tutorial