VIM COMMANDS / CHEATSHEET
GLOBAL
:help keyword
# open help for keyword
:o file
# open file
:saveas file
# save file as
:close
# close current pane
CURSOR MOVEMENT
h
# move cursor left
j
# move cursor down
k
# move cursor up
l
# move cursor right
H
# move to top of screen
M
# move to middle of screen
L
# move to bottom of screen
w
# jump forwards to the start of a word
W
# jump forwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation)
e
# jump forwards to the end of a word
E
# jump forwards to the end of a word (words can contain punctuation)
b
# jump backwards to the start of a word
B
# jump backwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation)
0
# jump to the start of the line
^
# jump to the first non-blank character of the line
$
# jump to the end of the line
g_
# jump to the last non-blank character of the line
gg
# go to the first line of the document
G
# go to the last line of the document
5G
# go to line 5
fx
# jump to next occurrence of character x
tx
# jump to before next occurrence of character x
}
# jump to next paragraph (or function/block, when editing code)
{
# jump to previous paragraph (or function/block, when editing code)
zz
# center cursor on screen
Ctrl + b
# move back one full screen
Ctrl + f
# move forward one full screen
Ctrl + d
# move forward 1/2 a screen
Ctrl + u
# move back 1/2 a screen
INSERT MODE
i
# insert before the cursor
I
# insert at the beginning of the line
a
# insert (append) after the cursor
A
# insert (append) at the end of the line
o
# append (open) a new line below the current line
O
# append (open) a new line above the current line
ea
# insert (append) at the end of the word
Esc
# exit insert mode
EDITING
r
# replace a single character
J
# join line below to the current one
cc
# change (replace) entire line
cw
# change (replace) to the start of the next word
ce
# change (replace) to the end of the next word
cb
# change (replace) to the start of the previous word
c0
# change (replace) to the start of the line
c$
# change (replace) to the end of the line
s
# delete character and substitute text
S
# delete line and substitute text (same as cc)
xp
# transpose two letters (delete and paste)
.
# repeat last command
u
# undo
Ctrl + r
# redo
MARKING TEXT (VISUAL MODE)
v
# start visual mode, mark lines, then do a command (like y-yank)
V
# start linewise visual mode
o
# move to other end of marked area
O
# move to other corner of block
aw
# mark a word
ab
# a block with ()
aB
# a block with {}
ib
# inner block with ()
iB
# inner block with {}
Esc
# exit visual mode
Ctrl + v
# start visual block mode
VISUAL COMMANDS
>
# shift text right
<
# shift text left
y
# yank (copy) marked text
d
# delete marked text
~
# switch case
CUT AND PASTE
yy
# yank (copy) a line
2yy
# yank (copy) 2 lines
yw
# yank (copy) the characters of the word from the cursor position to the start of the next word
y$
# yank (copy) to end of line
p
# put (paste) the clipboard after cursor
P
# put (paste) before cursor
dd
# delete (cut) a line
2dd
# delete (cut) 2 lines
dw
# delete (cut) the characters of the word from the cursor position to the start of the next word
D
# delete (cut) to the end of the line
d$
# delete (cut) to the end of the line
d^
# delete (cut) to the first non-blank character of the line
d0
# delete (cut) to the begining of the line
x
# delete (cut) character
SEARCH AND REPLACE
/pattern
# search for pattern
?pattern
# search backward for pattern
\vpattern
# 'very magic' pattern: non-alphanumeric characters are interpreted as special regex symbols (no escaping needed)
n
# repeat search in same direction
N
# repeat search in opposite direction
:%s/old/new/g
# replace all old with new throughout file
:%s/old/new/gc
# replace all old with new throughout file with confirmations
:noh
# remove highlighting of search matches
SEARCH IN MULTIPLE FILES
:vimgrep /pattern/ {file}
# search for pattern in multiple files
:cn
# jump to the next match
:copen
# open a window containing the list of matches
:cp
# jump to the previous match
WORKING WITH MULTIPLE FILES
:e file
# edit a file in a new buffer
:bnext or :bn
# go to the next buffer
:bprev or :bp
# go to the previous buffer
:bd
# delete a buffer (close a file)
:ls
# list all open buffers
:sp file
# open a file in a new buffer and split window
:vsp file
# open a file in a new buffer and vertically split window
Ctrl + ws
# split window
Ctrl + ww
# switch windows
Ctrl + wq
# quit a window
Ctrl + wv
# split window vertically
Ctrl + wh
# move cursor to the left window (vertical split)
Ctrl + wl
# move cursor to the right window (vertical split)
Ctrl + wj
# move cursor to the window below (horizontal split)
Ctrl + wk
# move cursor to the window above (horizontal split)
EXITING
:w
# write (save) the file, but don't exit
:w !sudo tee %
# write out the current file using sudo
:wq or :x or ZZ
# write (save) and quit
:q
# quit (fails if there are unsaved changes)
:q! or ZQ
# quit and throw away unsaved changes
TABS
:tabnew or :tabnew file
# open a file in a new tab
Ctrl + wT
# move the current split window into its own tab
gt or :tabnext or :tabn
# move to the next tab
gT or :tabprev or :tabp
# move to the previous tab
gt
# move to tab
:tabmove
# move current tab to the
th position (indexed from 0)
:tabclose or :tabc
# close the current tab and all its windows
:tabonly or :tabo
# close all tabs except for the current one
:tabdo command
# run the command on all tabs (e.g. :tabdo q - closes all opened tabs)