Mastering Vim

vim

1st Level
Normal Mode:
    i → Insert mode. Type ESC to return to Normal Mode
    x → Delete the char under the cursor
    :wq → Save & quit (:w save, :q quit)
    dd → Delete (and Copy) the current line
    P → Paste
    
    hjkl → Basic cursor mode (←↓↑→) 
    :help <command> to get general help

2nd Level
Insert Mode Variations:
    a → insert after the cursor
    o → insert a new line after the current one
    O → insert a new line before the current one
    cw → replace from the cursor to the end of the word

Basic Moves:
    Scroll Up & down: 
    <C-E> → Scroll the window down
    <C-Y> → Scroll the window up
    <C-F> → Scroll down one page
    <C-B> → Scroll up one page
    H → Move cursor to the top of the window
    M → Move cursor to the middle of the window
    L → Move cursor to the bottom of the window
    gg → go to the top of file
    G → go to bottom of file
    0 → go to the first column
    ^ → go to the first non-blank character of the line
    $ → go to the end of the line
    g_ → go the the last non-blank character of line
    /pattern → search for pattern

Motions
    a → all
    i → in
    t → till
    f → find forward
    F → find backward

Commands
    d → delete (also cut)
    c → change (delete, then place in insert mode)
    y → yank (copy)
    v → visually select

Copy/ Paste:
    P → Paste before position
    p → paste after current position
    yy → Copy the current line, easier but equivalent to ddP

Undo /Redo:
    u → Undo
    Ctrl-r or <C-r> → Redo

Load/ Save/ Quit/ Change File (Buffer):
    :e <path/to/file> → Open
    :w → Save
    :saveas <path/to/file> → to save
    :x, ZZ, or :wq → save and quit (:x only save if necessary)
    :q! → quit without saving, also :qa! To quit even if there are modified hidden buffer
    :bn (:bp) → Show next (previous) file (buffer)

Fun Words:
    diw → delete in word
    di), di}, di] → delele inside (), {}, [] respectively
    caw → change all word
    yi), yi}, yi] → yank all text inside (), {}, [] respectively
    
3rd Level
Better:
    . → (dot) will repeat the last command
    N. → (N=1,2,3,4,5,6…) → Will repeat the command N times
    2dd → will delete 2 lines
    3p → will paste the text 3 times
    100isudo [ESC] → will write “sudo sudo sudo … 100 times
        100 → 100 times, i → insert mode, sudo → write sudo word
    . → Just after the last command will write again the 100 sudo
    3. → will write sudo 3 times
    
Stronger:
    NG → Go to line N
    gg → Go to start of the file (equivalent to 1G)
    G → Go to last line

Word Moves:
w → Go to the start of the following word
e → go to end of the following word
W → go to start of the following word
E → go to end of the following word
    
    

Efficient Moves:
    % → Go to corresponding (, {, [    
    * (#) → go to next(previous) occurrence of the word under the cursor


Faster:
    <start position><command><end position>
    
    For example: 0y$ means
        0 → go to beginning of this line
        y → yank from here
        $ → up to the end of this line
    Also 
ye → yank from here to the end of the word
    But also 
y2/foo yank up to the second occurrence of “foo”
    
4th Level 

Move on current line:
    0 → go to column 0
    ^ → go to first character on the line
    $ → go to the last column
    g_ → go to last character on the line
    fa → go to next occurrence of the letter `a` on the line
        , (;) will find next (previous) occurrence
    t, → go to just before the character ,
    t; → go to just before the character ;
    3fa → find the 3rd occurrence of `a` on this line
    F & T → Like f and t but backward

    
    dt” → remove everything until the “
    dt; → remove everything until the ;

Zone Selection 
    <action>a<object> or <action>i<object>

    <action> → d (delete), y (yank), v (visual mode)
    <object> → w (a word), W (a WORD )
            S ( a sentence)
            P ( a paragraph)
        Also “, ‘, ), }, ]

    
            
Select Rectangular Blocks: <C-v>
    Typically: 0<C-v><C-d>I-- [ESC]
    ^ → go to the first non-blank character of the line
    <C-v> → start block selection 
    <C-d> → Move down (could also be jjj or % )
    I-- [ESC] → Write -- to the comment each line

Completion: <C-n> and <C-p>
    In insert mode just type the start of a word, then type <C-p> or <C-n> magic…

Macros: qa do something q, @a, @@
    Qa record your action in the register a. Then @a will replay the macro saved into the register a as if you typed it. @@ is a shortcut to replay the last executed macro.

    Example:
    On a line containing only the number 1, type this 
    qaYp<C-a>q
    qa → Start recording
    Yp → duplicate this line
    <C-a> → increment the number
    q → stop recording

    @a → write 2 under the 1
    @@ → write 3 under the 2
    Now do 100@@ will create a list of increasing numbers until 103


Visual Selection: v,V,<C-v>
    <C-v> and <C-V> for visual selection
    J → Join all the lines together
    < (>) → indent to the left (right) 
    = → auto indent

    

<C-v>
Go to the line (jjj or <C-d> or /pattern or % etc..)
$ → go to the end of the line
A → write text [ESC].


Splits: :split and vsplit
    :split → create a split (:vsplit create a vertical split)
    <C-w><dir> → where dir is any of hjkl or ←↓↑→ to change the split.
    <C-w>_ ( resp. <C-w>| ) → maximize the size of the split (resp. Vertical split)
    <C-w>+ ( resp. <C-w>- ) → Grow (resp. shrink) split.