vim_commands.md

VIM USEFUL COMMANDS

HOW TO EXIT

Command	Description
:q[uit]	Quit Vim. This fails when changes have been made
:q[uit]!	Quit without writing
:cq[uit]	Quit always, without writing
:wq	Write the current file and exit
:wq!	Write the current file and exit always
:wq {file}	Write to {file}. Exit if not editing the last
:wq! {file}	Write to {file} and exit always
:[range]wq[!]	[file] Same as above, but only write the lines in [range]
ZZ	Write current file, if modified, and exit
ZQ	Quit current file and exit (same as ":q!")

EDIT FILE

Command	Description
:e[dit]	Edit the current file. This is useful to re-edit the current file, when it has been changed outside of Vim
:e[dit]!	Edit the current file always. Discard any changes to the current buffer. This is useful if you want to start all over again
:e[dit] {file}	Edit {file}
:e[dit]! {file}	Edit {file} always. Discard any changes to the current buffer
gf	Edit the file whose name is under or after the cursor. Mnemonic: "goto file"

INSERT TEXT

Command	Description
a	Append text following current cursor position
A	Append text to the end of current line
i	Insert text before the current cursor position
I	Insert text at the beginning of the cursor line
gI	Insert text in column 1 [count] times
o	Open up a new line following the current line and add text there
O	Open up a new line in front of the current line and add text there

INSERT FILE

Command	Description
:r[ead] [name]	Insert the file [name] below the cursor
:r[ead] !{cmd}	Execute {cmd} and insert its standard output below the cursor

DELETE TEXT

Command	Description
x	Delete [count] characters under and after the cursor
X	Delete [count] characters before the cursor
d{motion}	Delete text that {motion} moves over
dd	Delete line
dw	Delete word from cursor on
db	Delete word backward
D	Delete the characters under the cursor until the end of the line
{Visual}x or {Visual}d	Delete the highlighted text (for {Visual} see [Selecting Text][1])
{Visual}CTRL-H or {Visual}	When in Select mode: Delete the highlighted text
{Visual}X or {Visual}D	Delete the highlighted lines
:[range]d[elete]	Delete [range] lines (default: current line)
:[range]d[elete] {count}	Delete {count} lines, starting with [range]

CHANGE (OR REPLACE) TEXT

Command	Description
r{char}	Replace the character under the cursor with {char}
R	Enter Insert mode, replacing characters rather than inserting
~	Switch case of the character under the cursor and move the cursor to the right. If a [count] is given, do that many characters
~{motion}	Switch case of {motion} text
{Visual}~	Switch case of highlighted text

COPYING AND MOVING TEXT

Command	Description
"{a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"}	Use register {a-zA-Z0-9.%#:-"} for next delete, yank or put (use uppercase character to append with delete and yank) ({.%#:} only work with put)
:reg[isters]	Display the contents of all numbered and named registers
:reg[isters] {arg}	Display the contents of the numbered and named registers that are mentioned in {arg}
:di[splay] [arg]	Same as :registers
["x]y{motion}	Yank {motion} text [into register x]
["x]yy	Yank [count] lines [into register x]
["x]Y	Yank [count] lines [into register x] (synonym for yy)
{Visual}["x]y	Yank the highlighted text [into register x] (for {Visual} see [Selecting Text][1])
{Visual}["x]Y	Yank the highlighted lines [into register x]
:[range]y[ank] [x]	Yank [range] lines [into register x]
:[range]y[ank] [x] {count}	Yank {count} lines, starting with last line number in [range] (default: current line), [into register x]
["x]p	Put the text [from register x] after the cursor [count] times
["x]P	Put the text [from register x] before the cursor [count] times
["x]gp	Just like "p", but leave the cursor just after the new text
["x]gP	Just like "P", but leave the cursor just after the new text
:[line]pu[t] [x]	Put the text [from register x] after [line] (default current line)
:[line]pu[t]! [x]	Put the text [from register x] before [line] (default current line)

UNDO / REDO / REPEAT

Command	Description
u	Undo [count] changes
:u[ndo]	Undo one change
CTRL-R	Redo [count] changes which were undone
:red[o]	Redo one change which was undone
U	Undo all latest changes on one line. {Vi: while not moved off of it}
.	Repeat last change, with count replaced with [count]

MOVING AROUND

Command	Description
h	Moves the cursor one character to the left
l	Moves the cursor one character to the right
k	Moves the cursor up one line
j	Moves the cursor down one line
0	To the first character of the line (exclusive)
<Home>	To the first character of the line (exclusive)
nG or :n	Cursor goes to the specified (n) line
^	To the first non-blank character of the line
$ or	To the end of the line and [count - 1] lines downward[Selecting Text][1])
g0 or g	When lines wrap ('wrap on): To the first character of the screen line (exclusive). Differs from "0" when a line is wider than the screen. When lines don't wrap ('wrap' off): To the leftmost character of the current line that is on the screen. Differs from "0" when the first character of the line is not on the screen
g^	When lines wrap ('wrap' on): To the first non-blank character of the screen line (exclusive). Differs from "^" when a line is wider than the screen. When lines don't wrap ('wrap' off): To the leftmost non-blank character of the current line that is on the screen. Differs from "^" when the first non-blank character of the line is not on the screen
:[range]y[ank] [x] {count}	Yank {count} lines, starting with last line number in [range] (default: current line), [into register x]
g$ or g<End&gr;	Put the text [from register x] after the cursor [count] times
+ or CTRL-M	[count] lines downward, on the first non-blank character (linewise)
_	[count] - 1 lines downward, on the first non-blank character (linewise)
<C-End> or G	Goto line [count], default last line, on the first non-blank character
<\C-Home> or gg	Goto line [count], default first line, on the first non-blank character
<S-Right> or w	[count] words forward
<C-Right> or W	[count] WORDS forward
e	Forward to the end of word [count]
E	Forward to the end of WORD [count]
<S-Left> or b	[count] words backward
<S-Left> or B	[count] WORDS backward
ge	Backward to the end of word [count]
gE	Backward to the end of WORD [count]

These commands move over words or WORDS.

A word consists of a sequence of letters, digits and underscores, or a sequence of other non-blank characters, separated with white space (spaces, tabs, ). This can be changed with the 'iskeyword' option.

A WORD consists of a sequence of non-blank characters, separated with white space. An empty line is also considered to be a word and a WORD

Command	Description
(	[count] sentences backward
)	[count] sentences forward
{	[count] paragraphs backward
}	[count] paragraphs forward
]]	[count] sections forward or to the next '{' in the first column. When used after an operator, then the '}' in the first column
][	[count] sections forward or to the next '}' in the first column
[[	[count] sections backward or to the previous '{' in the first column
[]	[count] sections backward or to the previous '}' in the first column

Screen movement commands

Command	Description
z.*	Center the screen on the cursor
zt	Scroll the screen so the cursor is at the top
zb	Scroll the screen so the cursor is at the bottom

SEARCHING

Command	Description
/{pattern}[/]	Search forward for the [count]'th occurrence of {pattern}
/{pattern}/{offset}	Search forward for the [count]'th occurrence of {pattern} and go {offset} lines up or down
/	Search forward for the [count]'th latest used pattern
//{offset}	Search forward for the [count]'th latest used pattern with new. If {offset} is empty no offset is used
?{pattern}[?]	Search backward for the [count]'th previous occurrence of {pattern}
?{pattern}?{offset}	Search backward for the [count]'th previous occurrence of {pattern} and go {offset} lines up or down
?	Search backward for the [count]'th latest used pattern
??{offset}	Search backward for the [count]'th latest used pattern with new {offset}. If {offset} is empty no offset is used
N	Repeat the latest "/" or "?" [count] times
n	Repeat the latest "/" or "?" [count] times in opposite direction

HOW TO SUSPEND

Command	Description
CTRL-Z	Suspend Vim, like ":stop". Works in Normal and in Visual mode. In Insert and Command-line mode, the CTRL-Z is inserted as a normal character
:sus[pend][!] or
:st[op][!]	Suspend Vim. If the '!' is not given and 'autowrite' is set, every buffer with changes and a file name is written out. If the '!' is given or 'autowrite' is not set, changed buffers are not written, don't forget to bring Vim back to the foreground later!

References

• Vim Homepage
• Source Cheat Sheet 1
• Source Cheat Sheet 2