REFERENCE

Learning Vim

Appendix B — Vim Commands

A complete reference of every command introduced across all eight chapters of this course, grouped by topic. Use this alongside the lessons as a quick lookup or print it as a desk reference.

N Normal mode I Insert mode C Command mode V Visual mode S Shell / terminal RC .vimrc setting ANY Any mode

Opening & Quitting

Opening files

vim <file>Open or create a fileS

vim +N <file>Open file at line NS

vim +/pattern <file>Open and jump to first matchS

vim +"cmd" <file>Run command after openingS

vim -R <file>Open in read-only modeS

vim -u NONE <file>Open without loading vimrcS

vim --versionShow Vim versionS

:e <file>Open/edit a file (Tab completes)C

:e!Reload file from disk, discard changesC

:e .Open directory browser (netrw)C

Saving

:wWrite (save) the fileC

:w <file>Save to a new filename (Save As)C

:saveas <file>Save to new filename and switch to itC

Quitting

:qQuit (fails if unsaved changes)C

:q!Force quit, discard changesC

:wqWrite and quitC

:xWrite (only if changed) and quitC

ZZWrite (if changed) and quitN

ZQForce quit without savingN

:qaQuit all open buffersC

:qa!Force quit all buffers, discard all changesC

Modes

iEnter Insert mode at cursorN

EscReturn to Normal modeANY

Ctrl+CAlternative to Esc — return to NormalI

vEnter character-wise Visual modeN

VEnter line-wise Visual modeN

Ctrl+VEnter block-wise (column) Visual modeN

Ctrl+GShow filename, line count, cursor positionN

Navigation — Moving the Cursor

Basic movement

h / j / k / lLeft / down / up / rightN

{n}h/j/k/lMove n timesN

Word movement

w / WForward to start of next word / WORDN

e / EForward to end of word / WORDN

b / BBackward to start of word / WORDN

geBackward to end of previous wordN

Line movement

0Start of line (column 1)N

^First non-whitespace characterN

$End of lineN

g_Last non-whitespace characterN

f{char} / F{char}Jump to char on line (forward/back)N

t{char} / T{char}Jump before/after char on lineN

; / ,Repeat last f/t in same / opposite directionN

Sentence & paragraph

) / (Next / previous sentenceN

} / {Next / previous paragraphN

File-level jumps

ggJump to first lineN

GJump to last lineN

{n}G / :{n}Jump to line nN

{n}%Jump to n% through the fileN

Scrolling

Ctrl+F / Ctrl+BFull page forward / backwardN

Ctrl+D / Ctrl+UHalf page down / upN

Ctrl+E / Ctrl+YScroll screen down / up one lineN

zz / zt / zbCentre / top / bottom current line on screenN

Search

/{pattern}Search forward for patternN

?{pattern}Search backward for patternN

n / NNext / previous search matchN

* / #Search exact word under cursor (fwd/back)N

g* / g#Search partial word under cursor (fwd/back)N

:nohClear search highlightsC

:set hlsearchHighlight all search matchesC

:set incsearchIncremental search as you typeC

:set ignorecaseCase-insensitive searchC

:set smartcaseCase-sensitive when pattern has uppercaseC

Editing Text

Deleting

d{motion}Delete text covered by motionN

dd / {n}ddDelete current line / n linesN

DDelete from cursor to end of lineN

x / XDelete character under / before cursorN

xpSwap current character with nextN

Changing

c{motion}Change text covered by motionN

cc / CChange line / from cursor to end of lineN

s / SSubstitute character / line + Insert modeN

ciw / cawChange inner / around wordN

ci" / ca"Change inside / around double quotesN

ci( / ca(Change inside / around parenthesesN

Undo & redo

uUndo last changeN

UUndo all changes to current lineN

Ctrl+RRedoN

Yank (copy) & put (paste)

y{motion}Yank text covered by motionN

yy / {n}yyYank current line / n linesN

p / PPut after / before cursorN

gp / gPPut and move cursor to end of pasteN

Insert mode editing

Ctrl+WDelete word before cursorI

Ctrl+UDelete from cursor to start of lineI

Registers

"x{op}Use named register x (e.g. "ayy, "ap)N

"X{op}Append to named register x (uppercase)N

"0pPaste from yank register (safe after deletes)N

"+y / "+pYank to / paste from system clipboardN

"_d{motion}Delete to black hole register (truly removes)N

:registersShow contents of all registersC

Substitution & Spell Checking

Substitution

:s/old/newReplace first occurrence on current lineC

:s/old/new/gReplace all on current lineC

:s/old/new/gcReplace all on line with confirmationC

:%s/old/new/gReplace all in entire fileC

:5,15s/old/new/gReplace in line rangeC

:'<,'>s/old/new/gReplace in Visual selectionC

Spell checking

:set spellEnable spell checkingC

:set spelllang=en_gbSet spell check languageC

:set nospellDisable spell checkingC

]s / [sJump to next / previous misspelled wordN

z=Show spelling suggestionsN

zg / zwAdd to personal dictionary / bad-word listN

Marks & the Jump List

Setting & jumping to marks

m{a-z}Set a local mark (current buffer)N

m{A-Z}Set a global mark (across files, persists)N

'{mark}Jump to start of line containing markN

`{mark}Jump to exact position (line + column) of markN

'' / ``Toggle back to line / exact position before last jumpN

Automatic marks

`. / '.Exact position / line of last changeN

`[ and `]Start and end of last changed or yanked textN

`< and `>Start and end of last Visual selectionN

`^Position where Insert mode was last exitedN

Managing marks

:marksList all current marksC

:delmarks {letter}Delete a named markC

:delmarks!Delete all lowercase marks in bufferC

Marks as operator targets

y`{mark}Yank from cursor to exact position of markN

d'{mark}Delete from cursor to line of markN

c`{mark}Change from cursor to exact position of markN

Jump list

Ctrl+OGo to older (previous) position in jump listN

Ctrl+IGo to newer (next) position in jump listN

:jumpsDisplay the full jump historyC

Buffers, Windows & Tabs

Buffers

:lsList all open buffersC

:bn / :bpNext / previous bufferC

:bf / :blFirst / last bufferC

:b {n} / :b {name}Switch to buffer by number / nameC

Ctrl+^Toggle between current and alternate bufferN

:bd / :bd!Delete / force-delete current bufferC

:bwWipe buffer (remove from list entirely)C

Splits

:split / :spHorizontal splitC

:vsplit / :vspVertical splitC

Ctrl+W s / vHorizontal / vertical split (shortcut)N

Ctrl+W h/j/k/lMove to window left/down/up/rightN

Ctrl+W w / WCycle to next / previous windowN

Ctrl+W =Equalise all window sizesN

Ctrl+W _ / |Maximise window height / widthN

Ctrl+W cClose current windowN

Ctrl+W o / :onlyClose all other windowsN

Ctrl+W H/J/K/LMove window to edge of screenN

:resize {n}Set window height to n linesC

:vertical resize {n}Set window width to n columnsC

Tabs

:tabnewOpen new tabC

:tabcloseClose current tabC

gt / gTNext / previous tabN

{n}gtGo to tab nN

:tabsList all tabsC

Reading files into buffer

:r {file}Insert file contents below current lineC

:0r {file}Insert file at top of bufferC

:r! {cmd}Insert shell command output into bufferC

Diff Mode

vim -d file1 file2Open two files in diff modeS

vimdiff file1 file2Alias for vim -dS

:diffsplit {file}Open file in diff mode (horizontal split)C

:vert diffsplit {file}Open file in diff mode (vertical split)C

]c / [cJump to next / previous differenceN

doDiff Obtain — pull change from other fileN

dpDiff Put — push change to other fileN

:diffupdateRecalculate and refresh diff highlightsC

:set scrollbindLink scrolling of multiple windowsC

set diffopt+=verticalAlways use vertical diff layoutRC

File Navigation

gfOpen file whose name is under the cursorN

gFOpen file under cursor at the line number shownN

Ctrl+W fOpen file under cursor in a new splitN

Ctrl+W gfOpen file under cursor in a new tabN

vim {file}.zipBrowse & edit files inside a ZIP archiveS

vim {file}.tar.gzBrowse & edit files inside a TAR archiveS

:set path+=src/**Add directories to search path for gfC

External Commands & Shell Filters

:! {cmd}Run shell command; show output in overlayC

:r ! {cmd}Insert shell output below cursorC

:0r ! {cmd}Insert shell output at top of fileC

:%! {cmd}Filter entire buffer through external commandC

:{range}! {cmd}Filter a line range through external commandC

'<,'>! {cmd}Filter Visual selection through external commandV

:%!jq .Format JSON with jqC

:%!sortSort all lines alphabeticallyC

:%!xxdConvert buffer to hex dumpC

:%!xxd -rConvert hex dump back to binaryC

% (in :! commands)Expands to the current filenameC

Configuration (.vimrc)

Reloading

:source ~/.vimrcReload vimrc without restarting VimC

:so %Source the current fileC

Querying settings

:setShow all non-default settings activeC

:set allShow every setting with its current valueC

:set {option}?Query the current value of an optionC

:set no{option}Disable a boolean optionC

:set {option}!Toggle a boolean optionC

Common settings

set nocompatibleDisable Vi compatibility (always first)RC

set number / nonuShow / hide line numbersRC

set relativenumberRelative line numbersRC

set cursorlineHighlight the current lineRC

set hiddenAllow switching buffers without savingRC

set wildmenuEnhanced Tab-completion menuRC

set tabstop=4Tab display widthRC

set shiftwidth=4Indent width for >> and <<RC

set expandtabInsert spaces instead of tabsRC

set clipboard=unnamedplusUse system clipboard by defaultRC

set history=1000Increase command history sizeRC

set undolevels=1000Increase undo history depthRC

set backspace=indent,eol,startSensible Backspace in Insert modeRC

Colour schemes

:syntax on / offEnable / disable syntax highlightingC

:colorscheme {name}Switch to a colour schemeC

:colorscheme <Tab>Browse all available colour schemesC

Key mappings

nnoremap {key} {action}Map key in Normal mode (non-recursive)RC

inoremap {key} {action}Map key in Insert modeRC

vnoremap {key} {action}Map key in Visual modeRC

let mapleader = ","Set the leader keyRC

Abbreviations

:ab {trigger} {expansion}Define an abbreviation interactivelyC

iabbrev {trigger} {expansion}Define an abbreviation in vimrcRC

Ctrl+V (in Insert)Prevent abbreviation from triggeringI

Custom commands & help

:command! {Name} {action}Define a custom Command-mode commandC

:helpOpen the built-in help indexC

:help {topic}Open help for a specific topicC

:help option-summaryBrowse all available settingsC

Ctrl+] (in help)Follow a help hyperlinkN