vim tutorial

vim_tutorial.txt

### Pattern matching

  1. CTRL-G  displays your location in the file and the file status.
             G  moves to the end of the file.
     number  G  moves to that line number.
            gg  moves to the first line.

  2. Typing  /  followed by a phrase searches FORWARD for the phrase.
     Typing  ?  followed by a phrase searches BACKWARD for the phrase.
     After a search type  n  to find the next occurrence in the same direction
     or  N  to search in the opposite direction.
     CTRL-O takes you back to older positions, CTRL-I to newer positions.

  3. Typing  %  while the cursor is on a (,),[,],{, or } goes to its match.

  4. 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
     

### Execute external commands

  1.  :!command  executes an external command.

      Some useful examples are:
         (MS-DOS)         (Unix)
          :!dir            :!ls            -  shows a directory listing.
          :!del FILENAME   :!rm FILENAME   -  removes file FILENAME.

  2.  :w FILENAME  writes the current Vim file to disk with name FILENAME.

  3.  v  motion  :w FILENAME  saves the Visually selected lines in file
      FILENAME.

  4.  :r FILENAME  retrieves disk file FILENAME and puts it below the
      cursor position.

  5.  :r !dir  reads the output of the dir command and puts it below the
      cursor position.
      

### Edit test

  1. Type  o  to open a line BELOW the cursor and start Insert mode.
     Type  O  to open a line ABOVE the cursor.

  2. Type  a  to insert text AFTER the cursor.
     Type  A  to insert text after the end of the line.

  3. The  e  command moves to the end of a word.

  4. The  y  operator yanks (copies) text,  p  puts (pastes) it.

  5. Typing a capital  R  enters Replace mode until  <ESC>  is pressed.

  6. Typing ":set xxx" sets the option "xxx".  Some options are:
        'ic' 'ignorecase'       ignore upper/lower case when searching
        'is' 'incsearch'        show partial matches for a search phrase
        'hls' 'hlsearch'        highlight all matching phrases
     You can either use the long or the short option name.

  7. Prepend "no" to switch an option off:   :set noic