~/cheatsheets (main) $ vim --help
vim
Vim is modal: Normal mode moves and edits, Insert mode types text, Visual mode selects, and : opens the command line. The keys below work in Normal mode unless they say otherwise; press Esc to get back to it. Commands that start with a colon are typed at the bottom and run with Enter. Neovim uses the same keys: switch to nvim and the shell commands update. Click a command to copy it.
editor
printvim modes
10 keys# Get into a mode, and back to Normal with Esc.
Insert before the cursor / after it
i / a
Insert at the start / end of the line
I / A
Open a new line below / above
o / O
Visual mode by character
v
Visual mode by line
V
Visual block mode
Ctrl+v
Replace mode (overwrite as you type)
R
Back to Normal mode
Esc / Ctrl+[
Open the command line
:
Run one Normal command from Insert mode
Ctrl+o
vim motions
15 keys# Move around. Put a number first to repeat (5j moves down 5 lines).
Left, down, up, right
h / j / k / l
Next word / back a word / end of word
w / b / e
Same, by space-separated WORD
W / B / E
Start of line / first character / end of line
0 / ^ / $
First line / last line of the file
gg / G
Go to line 42
42G
Half a page down / up
Ctrl+d / Ctrl+u
A page down / up
Ctrl+f / Ctrl+b
Top / middle / bottom of the screen
H / M / L
Jump to the matching bracket
%
Jump to / just before a character on the line
f{char} / t{char}
Repeat that jump forward / backward
; / ,
Previous / next paragraph
{ / }
Scroll so the cursor is centred / at the top / at the bottom
zz / zt / zb
Back / forward through the jump list
Ctrl+o / Ctrl+i
vim editing
14 keys# Change text without leaving Normal mode.
Delete the character under the cursor
x
Delete the line
dd
Delete to the end of the line
D
Copy (yank) the line
yy
Paste after / before the cursor
p / P
Undo / redo
u / Ctrl+r
Repeat the last change
.
Join the next line onto this one
J
Replace one character
r{char}
Toggle case of the character
~
Indent / unindent the line
>> / <<
Change the whole line / to the end of the line
cc / C
Swap two characters / two lines
xp / ddp
Increment / decrement the number under the cursor
Ctrl+a / Ctrl+x
vim operators and text objects
11 keys# Operator + motion or text object: d (delete), c (change), y (yank).
Delete to the end of the word
dw
Change the word under the cursor
ciw
Delete the word and the space after it
daw
Change inside quotes / parentheses / braces
ci" / ci( / ci{
Change inside an HTML tag
cit
Delete the paragraph
dap
Yank inside braces
yi{
Delete up to a character
dt{char}
Uppercase / lowercase the word
gUiw / guiw
Re-indent the paragraph
=ap
Re-indent the whole file
gg=G
vim search and replace
10 keys# Find text and substitute it.
Search forward / backward
/pattern / ?pattern
Next / previous match
n / N
Search the word under the cursor forward / backward
* / #
Replace in the whole file
Replace in the whole file, asking each time
Replace on the current line
Replace in the visual selection
Clear the search highlight
Delete every line that matches
Delete every line that does not match
vim visual mode
6 keys# Select first, then act on the selection.
Jump to the other end of the selection
o
Select the last selection again
gv
Indent / unindent the selection
> / <
Yank / delete / change the selection
y / d / c
Insert / append on every line of a block
Ctrl+v then I / Ctrl+v then A
Sort the selected lines
vim files and buffers
13 keys# Save, quit and move between open files.
Save
Save and quit
ZZ
Quit
Quit without saving
ZQ
Save with sudo (Vim only)
Open a file
Reload the file, dropping changes
Save as a new file
Insert another file below the cursor
List buffers
Next / previous buffer
Go to buffer 2
Close the buffer
vim windows and tabs
8 keys# Split the screen and use tab pages.
Split horizontally / vertically
Ctrl+w then s / Ctrl+w then v
Move to the window in a direction
Ctrl+w then h / Ctrl+w then j / Ctrl+w then k / Ctrl+w then l
Go to the next window
Ctrl+w then w
Close the window / every other window
Ctrl+w then q / Ctrl+w then o
Make all windows the same size
Ctrl+w then =
Open a new tab
Next / previous tab
gt / gT
Close the tab
vim registers, marks and macros
9 keys# Named clipboards, bookmarks and recorded keystrokes.
Yank the line into register a / paste from it
"ayy / "ap
Yank to / paste from the system clipboard
"+y / "+p
Show all registers
Set mark a
ma
Jump to mark a / to its line
`a / 'a
List marks
Record a macro into a, then stop
qa / q
Play macro a / play the last macro
@a / @@
Play macro a ten times
10@a
vim settings and command line
8 keys# Run at the : prompt, or put in your vimrc without the colon.
Line numbers / relative line numbers
Highlight search results as you type
Case-insensitive search unless you type capitals
Indent with 2 spaces
Turn on syntax highlighting
Run a shell command
Insert the output of a shell command
Open help on a topic
vim opening Vim
6 keys# Start Vim from the shell.
Open a file
Open at line 42
Open files side by side
Compare two files
Open read-only
Start without any config or plugins