learnxinyminutes-docs/vim.html.markdown

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---
category: tool
tool: vim
contributors:
- ["RadhikaG", "https://github.com/RadhikaG"]
filename: LearnVim.txt
---
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[Vim](http://www.vim.org)
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(Vi IMproved) is a clone of the popular vi editor for Unix. It is a text
editor designed for speed and increased productivity, and is ubiquitous in most
unix-based systems. It has numerous keybindings for speedy navigation to
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specific points in the file, and for fast editing.
## Basics of navigating Vim
```
vim <filename> # Open <filename> in vim
:q # Quit vim
:w # Save current file
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:wq # Save file and quit vim
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:q! # Quit vim without saving file
# ! *forces* :q to execute, hence quiting vim without saving
:x # Save file and quit vim, shorter version of :wq
u # Undo
CTRL+R # Redo
h # Move left one character
j # Move down one line
k # Move up one line
l # Move right one character
# Moving within the line
0 # Move to beginning of line
$ # Move to end of line
^ # Move to first non-blank character in line
# Searching in the text
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/word # Highlights all occurrences of word after cursor
?word # Highlights all occurrences of word before cursor
n # Moves cursor to next occurrence of word after search
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N # Moves cursor to previous occerence of word
:%s/foo/bar/g # Change 'foo' to 'bar' on every line in the file
:s/foo/bar/g # Change 'foo' to 'bar' on the current line
# Jumping to characters
f<character> # Jump forward and land on <character>
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t<character> # Jump forward and land right before <character>
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# For example,
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f< # Jump forward and land on <
t< # Jump forward and land right before <
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# Moving by word
w # Move forward by one word
b # Move back by one word
e # Move to end of current word
# Other characters for moving around
gg # Go to the top of the file
G # Go to the bottom of the file
:NUM # Go to line number NUM (NUM is any number)
H # Move to the top of the screen
M # Move to the middle of the screen
L # Move to the bottom of the screen
```
## Modes:
Vim is based on the concept on **modes**.
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Command Mode - vim starts up in this mode, used to navigate and write commands
Insert Mode - used to make changes in your file
Visual Mode - used to highlight text and do operations to them
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Ex Mode - used to drop down to the bottom with the ':' prompt to enter commands
```
i # Puts vim into insert mode, before the cursor position
a # Puts vim into insert mode, after the cursor position
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v # Puts vim into visual mode
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: # Puts vim into ex mode
<esc> # 'Escapes' from whichever mode you're in, into Command mode
# Copying and pasting text
y # Yank whatever is selected
yy # Yank the current line
d # Delete whatever is selected
dd # Delete the current line
p # Paste the copied text after the current cursor position
P # Paste the copied text before the current cursor position
x # Deleting character under current cursor position
```
## The 'Grammar' of vim
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Vim can be thought of as a set of commands in a
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'Verb-Modifier-Noun' format, where:
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Verb - your action
Modifier - how you're doing your action
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Noun - the object on which your action acts on
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A few important examples of 'Verbs', 'Modifiers', and 'Nouns':
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```
# 'Verbs'
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d # Delete
c # Change
y # Yank (copy)
v # Visually select
# 'Modifiers'
i # Inside
a # Around
NUM # Number (NUM is any number)
f # Searches for something and lands on it
t # Searches for something and stops before it
/ # Finds a string from cursor onwards
? # Finds a string before cursor
# 'Nouns'
w # Word
s # Sentence
p # Paragraph
b # Block
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# Sample 'sentences' or commands
d2w # Delete 2 words
cis # Change inside sentence
yip # Yank inside paragraph (copy the para you're in)
ct< # Change to open bracket
# Change the text from where you are to the next open bracket
d$ # Delete till end of line
```
## Some shortcuts and tricks
<!--TODO: Add more!-->
```
> # Indent selection by one block
< # Dedent selection by one block
:earlier 15m # Reverts the document back to how it was 15 minutes ago
:later 15m # Reverse above command
ddp # Swap position of consecutive lines, dd then p
. # Repeat previous action
:w !sudo tee % # Save the current file as root
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```
## Macros
Macros are basically recordable actions.
When you start recording a macro, it records **every** action and command
you use, until you stop recording. On invoking a macro, it applies the exact
same sequence of actions and commands again on the text selection.
```
qa # Start recording a macro named 'a'
q # Stop recording
@a # Play back the macro
```
### Configuring ~/.vimrc
The .vimrc file can be used to configure Vim on startup.
Here's a sample ~/.vimrc file:
```
" Example ~/.vimrc
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" 2015.10
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" Required for vim to be iMproved
set nocompatible
" Determines filetype from name to allow intelligent auto-indenting, etc.
filetype indent plugin on
" Enable syntax highlighting
syntax on
" Better command-line completion
set wildmenu
" Use case insensitive search except when using capital letters
set ignorecase
set smartcase
" When opening a new line and no file-specific indenting is enabled,
" keep same indent as the line you're currently on
set autoindent
" Display line numbers on the left
set number
" Indentation options, change according to personal preference
" Number of visual spaces per TAB
set tabstop=4
" Number of spaces in TAB when editing
set softtabstop=4
" Number of spaces indented when reindent operations (>> and <<) are used
set shiftwidth=4
" Convert TABs to spaces
set expandtab
" Enable intelligent tabbing and spacing for indentation and alignment
set smarttab
```
### References
[Vim | Home](http://www.vim.org/index.php)
`$ vimtutor`
[A vim Tutorial and Primer](https://danielmiessler.com/study/vim/)
[What are the dark corners of Vim your mom never told you about? (Stack Overflow thread)](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/726894/what-are-the-dark-corners-of-vim-your-mom-never-told-you-about)
[Arch Linux Wiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Vim)