---
title: Vim
category: Vim
tags: [Featured]
updated: 2020-07-05
weight: -10
---

## Getting started
{: .-three-column}

### Introduction

 [Vim](http://www.vim.org/) is a very efficient text editor. This reference was made for Vim 8.0.   

 For shortcut notation, see `:help key-notation`.

### Exiting
{: .-prime}

| Shortcut       | Description                      |
| -------------- | -------------------------------- |
| `:q`           | Close file                       |
| `:qa`          | Close all files                  |
| ---            | ---                              |
| `:w`           | Save                             |
| `:wq` _/_ `:x` | Save and close file              |
| ---            | ---                              |
| `ZZ`           | Save and quit                    |
| `ZQ`           | Quit without checking changes    |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Exiting insert mode

| Shortcut          | Description |
| ---               | ---         |
| `Esc` _/_ `<C-[>` | Exit insert mode |
| `<C-C>`           | Exit insert mode, and abort current command |
{: .-shortcuts}

## Editing
{: .-three-column}

### Editing

| Shortcut | Description                         |
| ---      | ---                                 |
| `a`      | Append                              |
| `A`      | Append from end of line             |
| `i`      | Insert                              |
| `o`      | Next line                           |
| `O`      | Previous line                       |
| ---      | ---                                 |
| `s`      | Delete char and insert              |
| `S`      | Delete line and insert              |
| `C`      | Delete until end of line and insert |
| ---      | ---                                 |
| `r`      | Replace one character               |
| `R`      | Enter Replace mode                  |
| ---      | ---                                 |
| `u`      | Undo changes                        |
| `<C-R>`  | Redo changes                        |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Clipboard

| Shortcut        | Description                 |
| ---             | ---                         |
| `x`             | Delete character            |
| ---             | ---                         |
| `dd`            | Delete line _(Cut)_         |
| `yy`            | Yank line _(Copy)_          |
| ---             | ---                         |
| `p`             | Paste                       |
| `P`             | Paste before                |
| ---             | ---                         |
| `"*p` _/_ `"+p` | Paste from system clipboard |
| `"*y` _/_ `"+y` | Paste to system clipboard   |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Visual mode

| Shortcut | Description             |
| ---      | ---                     |
| `v`      | Enter visual mode       |
| `V`      | Enter visual line mode  |
| `<C-V>`  | Enter visual block mode |
{: .-shortcuts}

#### In visual mode

| Shortcut    | Description             |
| ---         | ---                     |
| `d` _/_ `x` | Delete selection        |
| `s`         | Replace selection       |
| `y`         | Yank selection _(Copy)_ |
{: .-shortcuts}

See [Operators](#operators) for other things you can do.

### Find & Replace

| Shortcut      | Description                            |
| ---           | ---                                    |
| :%s/foo/bar/g | Replace foo with bar in whole document |

## Navigating
{: .-three-column}

### Directions

| Shortcut            | Description       |
| ---                 | ---               |
| `h` `j` `k` `l`     | Arrow keys        |
| `<C-U>` _/_ `<C-D>` | Half-page up/down |
| `<C-B>` _/_ `<C-F>` | Page up/down      |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Words

| Shortcut     | Description               |
| ---          | ---                       |
| `b` _/_ `w`  | Previous/next word        |
| `ge` _/_ `e` | Previous/next end of word |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Line

| Shortcut     | Description                        |
| ---          | ---                                |
| `0` _(zero)_ | Start of line                      |
| `^`          | Start of line _(after whitespace)_ |
| `$`          | End of line                        |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Character

| `fc`  | Go forward to character `c`  |
| `Fc`  | Go backward to character `c` |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Document

| Shortcut    | Description              |
| ---         | ---                      |
| `gg`        | First line               |
| `G`         | Last line                |
| `:{number}` | Go to line `{number}`    |
| `{number}G` | Go to line `{number}`    |
| `{number}j` | Go down `{number}` lines |
| `{number}k` | Go up `{number}` lines   |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Window

| Shortcut | Description              |
| ---      | ---                      |
| `zz`     | Center this line         |
| `zt`     | Top this line            |
| `zb`     | Bottom this line         |
| `H`      | Move to top of screen    |
| `M`      | Move to middle of screen |
| `L`      | Move to bottom of screen |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Search

| Shortcut  | Description                         |
| ---       | ---                                 |
| `n`       | Next matching search pattern        |
| `N`       | Previous match                      |
| `*`       | Next whole word under cursor        |
| `#`       | Previous whole word under cursor    |
{: .-shortcuts}

Operators
---------
{: .-three-column}

### Usage
{: .-prime}

Operators let you operate in a range of text (defined by *motion*). These are performed in normal mode.
{: .-setup}

| `d`      | `w`    |
| Operator | Motion |
{: .-css-breakdown}

### Operators list

| Shortcut | Description                     |
| ---      | ---                             |
| `d`      | Delete                          |
| `y`      | Yank _(copy)_                   |
| `c`      | Change _(delete then insert)_   |
| ---      | ---                             |
| `>`      | Indent right                    |
| `<`      | Indent left                     |
| `=`      | Autoindent                      |
| ---      | ---                             |
| `g~`     | Swap case                       |
| `gU`     | Uppercase                       |
| `gu`     | Lowercase                       |
| ---      | ---                             |
| `!`      | Filter through external program |
{: .-shortcuts}

See `:help operator`

### Examples

Combine operators with *motions* to use them.
{: .-setup}

| Shortcut               | Description                               |
| ---                    | ---                                       |
| `d`_d_                 | _(repeat the letter)_ Delete current line |
| `d`_w_                 | Delete to next word                       |
| `d`_b_                 | Delete to beginning of word               |
| _2_`dd`                | Delete 2 lines                            |
| `d`_ip_                | Delete a text object _(inside paragraph)_ |
| _(in visual mode)_ `d` | Delete selection                          |

See: `:help motion.txt`

Text objects
------------
{: .-three-column}

### Usage
{: .-prime}

Text objects let you operate (with an *operator*) in or around text blocks (*objects*).
{: .-setup}

| `v`      | `i`                  | `p`         |
| Operator | [i]nside or [a]round | Text object |
{: .-css-breakdown}

### Text objects

| Shortcut               | Description           |
| ---                    | ---                   |
| `p`                    | Paragraph             |
| `w`                    | Word                  |
| `s`                    | Sentence              |
| ---                    | ---                   |
| `[` `(` `{` `<`        | A [], (), or {} block |
| `'` `"` <code>`</code> | A quoted string       |
| ---                    | ---                   |
| `b`                    | A block [(            |
| `B`                    | A block in [{         |
| `t`                    | A XML tag block       |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Examples

| Shortcut    | Description                        |
| ---         | ---                                |
| `vip`       | Select paragraph                   |
| `vipipipip` | Select more                        |
| ---         | ---                                |
| `yip`       | Yank inner paragraph               |
| `yap`       | Yank paragraph (including newline) |
| ---         | ---                                |
| `dip`       | Delete inner paragraph             |
| `cip`       | Change inner paragraph             |
{: .-shortcuts}

See [Operators](#operators) for other things you can do.

### Diff
 
| Shortcut                             | Description                              |
| ---                                  | ---                                      |
| `gvimdiff file1 file2 [file3]`       | See differences between files, in HMI    |
 

Misc
----

### Tab pages

| Shortcut              | Description                     |
| ---                   | ---                             |
| `:tabedit [file]`     | Edit file in a new tab          |
| `:tabfind [file]`     | Open file if exists in new tab  |
| `:tabclose`           | Close current tab               |
| `:tabs`               | List all tabs                   | 
| `:tabfirst`           | Go to first tab                 |
| `:tablast`            | Go to last tab                  |
| `:tabn    `           | Go to next tab                  |
| `:tabp    `           | Go to previous tab              |

### Folds

| Shortcut      | Description                  |
| ---           | ---                          |
| `zo` _/_ `zO` | Open                         |
| `zc` _/_ `zC` | Close                        |
| `za` _/_ `zA` | Toggle                       |
| ---           | ---                          |
| `zv`          | Open folds for this line     |
| ---           | ---                          |
| `zM`          | Close all                    |
| `zR`          | Open all                     |
| ---           | ---                          |
| `zm`          | Fold more _(foldlevel += 1)_ |
| `zr`          | Fold less _(foldlevel -= 1)_ |
| ---           | ---                          |
| `zx`          | Update folds                 |
{: .-shortcuts}

Uppercase ones are recursive (eg, `zO` is open recursively).

### Navigation

| Shortcut            | Description                |
| ---                 | ---                        |
| `%`                 | Nearest/matching `{[()]}`  |
| `[(` `[{` `[<`      | Previous `(` or `{` or `<` |
| `])`                | Next                       |
| ---                 | ---                        |
| `[m`                | Previous method start      |
| `[M`                | Previous method end        |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Jumping

| Shortcut | Description                  |
| ---      | ---                          |
| `<C-O>`  | Go back to previous location |
| `<C-I>`  | Go forward                   |
| ---      | ---                          |
| `gf`     | Go to file in cursor         |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Counters

| Shortcut | Description      |
| ---      | ---              |
| `<C-A>`  | Increment number |
| `<C-X>`  | Decrement        |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Windows

| `z{height}<Cr>` | Resize pane to `{height}` lines tall |

### Tags

| Shortcut              | Description                                     |
| ---                   | ---                                             |
| `:tag Classname`      | Jump to first definition of Classname           |
| ---                   | ---                                             |
| `<C-]>`               | Jump to definition                              |
| `g]`                  | See all definitions                             |
| `<C-T>`               | Go back to last tag                             |
| `<C-O> <C-I>`         | Back/forward                                    |
| ---                   | ---                                             |
| `:tselect Classname`  | Find definitions of Classname                   |
| `:tjump Classname`    | Find definitions of Classname (auto-select 1st) |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Case

| Shortcut | Description                          |
| ---      | ---                                  |
| `~`      | Toggle case (Case => cASE)           |
| `gU`     | Uppercase                            |
| `gu`     | Lowercase                            |
| ---      | ---                                  |
| `gUU`    | Uppercase current line (also `gUgU`) |
| `guu`    | Lowercase current line (also `gugu`) |
{: .-shortcuts}

Do these in visual or normal mode.

### Marks

| Shortcut           | Description                                          |
| ---                | ---                                                  |
| <code>`^</code>    | Last position of cursor in insert mode               |
| <code>`.</code>    | Last change in current buffer                        |
| <code>`"</code>    | Last exited current buffer                           |
| <code>`0</code>    | In last file edited                                  |
| <code>''</code>    | Back to line in current buffer where jumped from     |
| <code>``</code>    | Back to position in current buffer where jumped from |
| <code>`[</code>    | To beginning of previously changed or yanked text    |
| <code>`]</code>    | To end of previously changed or yanked text          |
| <code>`&lt;</code> | To beginning of last visual selection                |
| <code>`&gt;</code> | To end of last visual selection                      |
| ---                | ---                                                  |
| `ma`               | Mark this cursor position as `a`                     |
| <code>`a</code>    | Jump to the cursor position `a`                      |
| `'a`               | Jump to the beginning of the line with position `a`  |
| <code>d'a</code>   | Delete from current line to line of mark `a`         |
| <code>d`a</code>   | Delete from current position to position of mark `a` |
| <code>c'a</code>   | Change text from current line to line of `a`         |
| <code>y`a</code>   | Yank text from current position to position of `a`   |
| ---                | ---                                                  |
| `:marks`           | List all current marks                               |
| `:delm a`          | Delete mark `a`                                      |
| `:delm a-d`        | Delete marks `a`, `b`, `c`, `d`                      |
| `:delm abc`        | Delete marks `a`, `b`, `c`                           |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Misc

| Shortcut   | Description                                       |
| ---        | ---                                               |
| `.`        | Repeat last command                               |
| `]p`       | Paste under the current indentation level         |
| ---        | ---                                               |
| `:set ff=unix` | Convert Windows line endings to Unix line endings |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Command line

| Shortcut     | Description                               |
| ---          | ---                                       |
| `<C-R><C-W>` | Insert current word into the command line |
| `<C-R>"`     | Paste from " register                     |
| `<C-X><C-F>` | Auto-completion of path in insert mode    |
{: .-shortcuts}

### Text alignment

    :center [width]
    :right [width]
    :left

See `:help formatting`

### Calculator

| Shortcut      | Description                               |
| ---           | ---                                       |
| `<C-R>=128/2` | Shows the result of the division : '64'   |

Do this in insert mode.

### Exiting with an error

    :cq
    :cquit

Works like `:qa`, but throws an error. Great for aborting Git commands.


### Spell checking

| Shortcut                     | Description                                             |
| ---                          | ---                                                     |
| `:set spell spelllang=en_us` | Turn on US English spell checking                       |
| `]s`                         | Move to next misspelled word after the cursor           |
| `[s`                         | Move to previous misspelled word before the cursor      |
| `z=`                         | Suggest spellings for the word under/after the cursor   |
| `zg`                         | Add word to spell list                                  |
| `zw`                         | Mark word as bad/misspelling                            |
| `zu` / `C-X (Insert Mode)`   | Suggest words for bad word under cursor from spellfile  |
{: .-shortcuts}

See `:help spell`


Also see
--------

- [Vim cheatsheet](https://vim.rtorr.com/) _(vim.rotrr.com)_
- [Vim documentation](http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/) _(vimdoc.sourceforge.net)_
- [Interactive Vim tutorial](http://openvim.com/) _(openvim.com)_