vim / vimdiff cheatsheet - essential commands

vim-cheatsheet.md

Vim cheat sheet

Starting Vim

vim [file1] [file2] ...

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Table of contents

• Vim modality
  • Normal mode
    • motions
      • arrow keys
      • word
      • line
      • window
      • file
    • searching
    • jumps and marks
    • edit
      • goto insert mode
      • stay in command mode
      • operators
    • utilities
      • registers
      • macro
      • code folding
      • windows and split
      • spell checking
  • Insert mode
    • mode change
    • auto complete
    • cool editing stuff
  • Command mode
    • lists
    • file and buffers
    • shell
    • windows and splits
    • spelling
    • tabs
    • help
      • special help sections
    • options
      • essential options
    • substitute
    • tags (ctags)
• Vimdiff

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Vim modality

vim has 3 main modes:

• Normal mode: For navigation and manipulation of text. This is the mode that vim will usually start in
• Insert (edit) mode: For inserting new text, where you type into your file like other editors.
• Command mode: For executing extra commands like the help, shell, ...

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Normal mode

motions

move around the text (file) by:

		           gg
		         <ctrl+b>
	             <ctrl+u>
		            -
		            k
		            ^
0 / ^ / B / b / h <   > l / e / E / w / W / $
                    v
                    +
                    j
                 <ctrl+d>
                 <ctrl+f>
                    G 

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arrow keys

• h: left
• j: down
• k: up
• l: right

word

• w: next word
• W: next WORD
• b: previous word
• B: previous WORD
• e: end of word
• E: end of WORD

line

• 0: begin of line (column 0)
• ^: begin of line (non-blank)
• $: end of line
• - = k^: start of previous line
• + = j^: start of next line

window

• H: top of window
• M: middle of window
• L: low (bottom) of window
• zt: scroll to top
• zz: scroll to middle
• zb: scroll to bottom
• <ctrl+b> / <ctrl+f>: previous / next page
• <ctrl+u> / <ctrl+d>: previous / next half page

file

• gg / G: go to begin / end of file
• [num]gg / [num]G / :num<CR> : go to line num
• gd: go to definition of current word
• gf: go to the file (under the cursor)

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searching

searching in Normal Mode:

• f[char] / F[char]: find forward / backward to next / previous char (exactly on char)
• t[chat] / T[char]: up to forward / backward to next / previous char (next to the char)
• , / ;: previous / next repeat for f/t/F/T action
• * / #: find current word backward / forward
• /[pattern] / ?[pattern]: search forward / backward by matching pattern
• n / N: next / previous result
• [I: show lines with matching word under cursor

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jumps and marks

• <ctrl+o>: jump back
• <ctrl+i>: jump forward
• <ctrl+6>: jump to the buffer you just left
• <ctrl+]>: jump to tag under cursor (if ./tags is available)
• '': jump back to last jump
• '.: jump to last edited line
• { / }: previous / next paragraph
• %: matching (), {}, []
• m[char] / '[char]: mark by / jump to [char]
• m[CHAR] / '[CHAR]: mark by / jump to [CHAR] across the files.

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Edit

goto insert mode

these commands take you in Insert Mode:

• i: insert at left of cursor
• I -> insert at the line beginning (non-blank)
• a: insert at right of cursor
• A: insert at end of line
• o: insert by adding new line below the cursor
• O: insert by insert new line above the cursor
• s: substitute at cursor and enter insert mode
• S = ^DA = ddO: delete current line and enter insert mode
• C = c$: change line from cursor to EOL

stay in command mode

editing the text without transition to Insert Mode:

• .: repeat last command
• ~: swap case
• x: delete char current char
• r: replace char under the cursor
• dd: delete current line
• J: merge with the next line
• D: delete line from cursor to the EOL
• yy: yank/copy current line
• u: undo
• <ctrl+r>: redo

paste:

• p: paste to the next line
• P: paste above current line

visual mode:

• v: into visual/select mode
• V: into visual/select mode by line
• <ctrl+v>: into visual/select mode by block

alignment:

• =<CR>, ==: auto indent
• ><CR>, >>: shift right, increase indent
• <<CR>, <<: shift left, decrease indent

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operators

operator are generally constructed as:

[operator][count][motion]
[operator]i[motion]

• operators:
  • c: change command ...
  • d: delete ...
  • y: yank (copy) ...
  • g~: swap case ...
  • gu: to lower case ...
  • gU: to upper case ...
• motion:
  • w / W: word / WORD
  • [, ]: block
  • (, ): block
  • <, >: block
  • ", ': in double quote or quote
  • t: XML/HTML tag
  • s: sentence

examples:

• di): delete the text inside current paranthesis
• ci": change the text inside ""
• gUiw: make the word under the cursor to upper case

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Utilities

registers

• "[char][y|d]: yank/delete into register
• "[char][p|P]: paste from register
• :echo @[char]: shows register content
• :reg[isters]: shows all registers

macro

• q[char]: start recording into register char
• q: stop recording macro
• @[char]: play macro in register char
• @@: repeat last playback

code folding

• zi: toggles folding on or off
• za: toggles current fold open or close
• zc: close current fold
• zC: close current fold recursively
• zo: open current fold
• zO: open current fold recursively
• zR: open all folds
• zM: close all folds
• zv: expand folds to reveal the cursor
• zk / zj: move to previous / next fold

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windows and split

• <ctrl+w> s = :sp[lit]: split current window horizontally
• <ctrl+w> v = :vs[plit]: split current window vertically
• <ctrl+w> c = :cl[ose]: close current window
• <ctrl+w> o = :on[ly]: close all windows except current one
• <ctrl+w> <ctrl+w>: switch to next split window
• <ctrl+w> <ctrl+p>: switch to previous split window
• <ctrl+w> hjkl: switch (move cursor) to left, below, above or right split
• <ctrl+w> HJKL: move current window to left, below, above or right
• <ctrl+w> r: rotate window clockwise
• <ctrl+w> =: make all windows equal in size
• [num]<ctrl+w> +-: increase/decrease current window height
• [num]<ctrl+w> <>: increase/decrease current window width
• <ctrl+w> _: minimize current window
• <ctrl+w> T: move current window to new tab

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spell checking

• ]s / [s: jump to next / previous spelling error
• z=: suggest corrections for current word
• zg: add current word to the dictionary
• zw: remove current word from dictionary

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Insert mode

mode change

• Esc = <ctrl+c> = <ctrl+[>: exit insert mode

auto complete

• <ctrl+p>: auto-complete / previous item
• <ctrl+n>: auto-complete / next item
• <ctrl+x><ctrl+l>: auto complete line mode

cool editing stuff

• <ctrl+w>: delete word before cursor
• <ctrl+u>: delete line before cursor
• <ctrl+r>[char]: insert content of register [char]
• <ctrl+t>: increase line indent
• <ctrl+u>: decrease line indent

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Command mode

lists

• :jumps: shows the jump list
• :changes: shows the change list
• :reg[isters]: shows the registers
• :marks: shows the marks
• :delm[arks] {marks}: delete specified mark(s)
  • delm a b 1 \": deletes a, b, 1 and "
  • delm a-h: deletes all marks from a to h
• :delm[marks]!: deletes all lowercase marks

file and buffers

• :w[rite]: write current file
• :q: close/quit current file, split or tab
• :wq = ZZ: write current file and quit
• :q! = ZQ: quit without writing the changes
• :qa: quit all splits
• :ls: list all open files/buffers
• :f[ile] = <ctrl+g>: shows current file path
• :e[dit]: open a file for editing
• :ene[w]: open a blank new file for editing
• :b<n>: jump to buffer n returned from :ls
• :b <file>: jump to buffer file, Tab to scroll through available options
• :bn[ext]: jump to next buffer
• :bp[rev]: jump to previous buffer
• :bd[elete]: remove file from buffer list

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shell

• :mak[e]: run make in current directory
• :cw: toggle mini window for errors
• :!: executes external shell command
• :r[ead]: read external program output into current file

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windows and splits

• :sp[lit] = <ctrl+w> s: split current window horizontally
• :vs[plit] = <ctrl+w> v: split current window vertically
• :cl[ose] = <ctrl+w> c: close current window
• :on[ly] = <ctrl+w> o: close all windows except current one

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tabs

• <ctrl+w> gf: open file under the cursor into new tab
• :tabs: list current tabs and windows
• :tabn = <ctrl+PageDown>: next tab
• :tabn <n>: goto tab n
• :tabp = tabN = <ctrl+PageUp>: previous tab
• :tabe [file]: create a new blank tab or opens file in that tab

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help

• :h cmd: normal mode command help
• :h :cmd: command line help for cmd
• :h i_cmd: insert mode command help
• :h v_cmd: visual mode command help
• :h c_cmd: command line editing cmd help
• :h 'option': help of option
• :helpg[rep]: search through help docs!

special help sections

• :h motions
• :h word-motions
• :h jump-motions
• :h mark-motions
• :h operators
• :h buffres
• :h windows
• :h tabs
• :h registers
• :h pattern-searches

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options

• :set <opt>?: shows current option value
• :set no<opt>: turn off flag opt
• :set opt: turn on flag opt
• :set opt=val: override value of opt
• :set opt+=val: append val to opt
• :echo &opt: shows value of opt

essential options

• hidden or hid: when off, a buffer is unloaded when it's abandoned.
• laststatus or ls: shows status line: 0 (never), 1 (only if at least two windows), 3 (always)
• hisearch or his: highlight search matches
• number or nu: shows line number
• showcmd or sc: shows command as you type them (may not be available on your compilation)
• ruler or ru: shows line and column number of the cursor
• wrap: controls line wrapping
• ignorecase or ic: ignores case for search patterns
• smartindent or si: flag for smart indenting
• foldmethod or fdm: fold method
• spell / nospell: turn spell checking enable or disable.

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substitute

• :s/search/replace/: basic substitution on a line
• :%s/search/replace/: run substitution on every line
• :%s/search/replace/g: g flag means apply to every match
• :%s/search/replace/c: c flag means ask for confirmation

tags / ctags

by executing $> ctags -r under project tree:

• :tag <name>TAB: goes to tag name
• <ctrl+]>: goes to the tag under cursor

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Vimdiff

• do: get changes from other window into the current window
• dp: put the changes from current window into the other window
• ]c: jump to the next change
• [c: jump to the previous change
• zo: open fold
• zc: close fold
• zr: reducing folding level
• zm: one more folding level, please
• :diffupdate, :diffu: recalculate the diff
• :diffg RE: get from REMOTE
• :diffg BA: get from BASE
• :diffg LO: get from LOCAL

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