Vim commands I use / find helpful while learning

vim.md

Vim for Me

• Set cwd to current directory:

  :cd %:p:h

• Set args to all the files in cwd

  :args **/*

• Delete all pattern matches in file

  :g/MATCH BEGIN/ .,/MATCH END/d

• Delete pattern match in many files and save all changed Make sure your :args are set to the correct files (check this with just :args )

  :argdo g/MATCH BEGIN/ .,/MATCH END/d | update

• Vsplit multiple files at once

  vim -O <file1> <file2> <file3> <etc...>

• Find & replace all instances of whole word in file

  :% s/\<WORD TO FIND\>/NEW WORD/g

Delete, Cut, Copy, and Paste

Delete / Cut

• Delete n characters forward / Delete n characters backward
  nx / nX

• Delete (can be chained with movement keys) / Delete from cursor to end of line
  d / D

  • Example: dw -> deletes next word

• Delete then enter insert mode (can be chained with movement keys) / Delete from cursor to end of line then enter insert mode
  c / C

• Delete whole line / Delete whole line and enter insert mode
  dd / cc

Copy

• Copy with movement key
  y

  • Example: yw -> copy next word

• Copy current line
  yy

• Copy selected text
  v (enters visual mode) + (movement keys), then y to copy selected text; OR
  ny -> where n is number of characters

• Copy multiple lines
  V (enters visual mode) + (movement keys), then y to copy selected lines; OR
  nyy -> where n is number of lines

Paste

• Paste forwards / Paste backwards
  p / P

Other Stuff

• Insert after next character / Insert at end of line:
  a / A

• Insert at cursor / Insert at beginning of line:
  i / I

• Insert at end of word:
  ea

• Change / Delete based on character:
  ct<char> or dt<char> -> change/delete up to given next character (exclusive of character)
  cf<char> or df<char> -> change/delete from cursor to given next character (inclusive of character)

  • Sample text: " I'm text - " => dt- Deletes all text up to -, whereas df- deletes all text including -

• Change / Delete inner match within current line:
  ci<char> or di<char> -> change/delete inside matched pair (exclusive of character)
  ca<char> or da<char> -> change/delete around matched pair (inclusive of character)

  • Sample text: " [This is some text] " => ci[ Changes text inside '[ ]', whereas ca[ changes all text including '[ ]'
  • These only work for paired characters like ' ', " ", { }, [ ], ( ), , < >
  • There's also a really handy one cit or dit. This says change/delete inner tags.
    • Sample: <h1>Hello Suz!</h1>, will remove "Hello Suz!"

• Repeat last command:
  . (just a period)

• Insert line below / Insert line above:
  o / O (Use this these a lot)

Different Ways To Save and Quit

ZZ
:wq
:x