Modal editing

• Normal(<ESC>): for moving around a file and making edits
• Insert(i): for inserting text
• Replace(R): for replacing text
• Visual: for selecting blocks of text
  1. plain(v):
  2. line(V):
  3. block(<C-v>):
• Command-line(:): for running a command

Command-line

This mode has many functionalities, including opening, saving, and closing files, and quitting Vim.

• :q quit(close window)
• :w save('write')
• :wq save and quit
• :e {filename} open file for editing
• :ls show open buffers
• help {topic} open help
  1. :help :w opens help for the :w command
  2. :help w opens help for the w movement

Movement

• Basic movement: hjkl(left, down, up, right)
• Words: w(next word), b(beginning of word), e(end of word)
• Lines: 0(beginning of line), ^(first non-blank character), $(end of line)
• Screen: H(top of screen), M(middle of screen), L(bottom of screen)
• Scroll: Ctrl-u(up), Ctrl-d(down)
• File: gg(beginning of file), G(end of file)
• Misc: %(corresponding item)(Type % to find a matching ),], or })
• Find: f{character}, t{character}, F{character}, T{character}
  1. find/to forward/backward {character} on the current line
  2. ,/; for navigating matches
• Search: /{regex}, n/Nfor navigating matches
• Type CTRL-O to takes you back to OLDER positions
• Type CTRL-I to takes you back to NEWER positions.
• Type CTRL-W to jump from one window to another.

Edits

For manipulating/deleting text, want to use something more than backspace.

• s substitute character(equal to cl)
• ~ flips the case of a character

Modifiers

You can use modifiers to change the meaning of a noun, Some modifiers are i, which means "inner" or "inside", and a, which means "around"

• ci( change the contents inside the current pair of parentheses
• ci[ change the contents inside the current pair of square backets
• da' delete a single-quoted string, including the surrounding single quotes

Multiple windows

• :sp/:vsp to split window
• <Ctrl-W-hjkl>: change window to left/up/down/right

Insert mode

• Type o to open a line BELOW the cursor and start Insert mode.
• Type O to open a line ABOVE the cursor.
• Type i to insert text BEFORE the cursor.
• Type a to insert text AFTER the cursor.
• Type A to insert Text after the end of the line.
• Type I to insert Text BELOW the start of the line.

Search

• Typing / followed by a phrase searches FORWARD for the phrase.
• Typing ? followed by a phrase searches BACKWARD for the phrase.
• Type n to find the NEXT occurrence in the same direction.
• Type N to find the BEFORE occurrence in the same direction.

Undo & Redo

• To undo previous actions, type u
• To undo all the changes on a line, type U
• To undo the undo's, type CTRL-R

Substitute

• To substitute new for the first old in a line type :s/old/new
• To substitute new for all 'old's on a line type :s/old/new/g
• To substitute phrases between two line #'s type :#,#s/old/new/g
• To substitute all occurrences in the file type :%s/old/new/g
• To ask for confirmation each time add 'c' :%s/old/new/gc

Set options

Typing ":set xxx" sets the options 'xxx'. Options are:

• 'ic' 'ignorecase' ignore upper/lower case when searching
• 'is' 'incsearch' show partial matches for a search parase
• 'hls' 'hlsearch' highlight alll matching phrases
• Prepend 'no' to seitch an option off: ":set noic"

Operate file

Common

• <operator> [<number>] <motion>

<operator> - is what to do.

• d - is the delete operator
• c - is the change operator
• y - is the yank(copy) operator

<number> - is an optional count to repeat the motion.

<motion> - moves over the test to operate on.

• w - until the start of the next word, EXCLUDING its first character.
• e - to the end of the current word, INCLUDING the last character.
• $ - to the end of the line, INCLUDING the last character.

Special

• Type dd to delete a whole line.
• Type cc to delete the word and places you in Insert mode for the whole line.

Replace

• Type r to replace the character under the cursor.
• Type R to enter Replace mode until <ESC> is pressed.

Delete

• Press x to delete the character under the cursor.

Paste

• Type p to put previously deleted text after the cursor.

Others

• Type :! followed by an external command to execute that command.