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Vim Cheat Sheet

Action

Insert + move to insert mode

  • i: Before the cursor
  • a: After the cursor
  • s: Delete the character first
  • I: Beginning of line
  • A: End of line
  • o: New line below
  • O: New line above
  • gi: Inserts at the same place at last position
  • {count}s: Substitute {count} characters

Selection

NOTE: We can apply each motion to expand the selection

  • i{textobject}: Select inside block {textobject}; e.g., i" (i for inside)
  • a{textobject}: Select around block {textobject}; e.g., a" (a for inside)

Objects: () {} [] <> " ' w p // Paragraph

Delete/Change/Copy (also copies to the unnamed register)

  • d / c / y: Delete / change / copy
  • C: Change until end of line

Line

  • dd / cc / yy: Current line
  • {action}^: Beginning of line
  • {action}$ or {ACTION}: End of line

Word

  • {action}i{textobject}: Inside block {textobject}; e.g., i"
  • {action}a{textobject}: Around block {textobject}; e.g., a"
  • {action}w/{agtion}ge: Beginning of next word / End of previous word
  • {action}t{char}: Until {char} - not including
  • {action}f{char}: Until {char} - including

Delete current character

  • x: Current character

Replace

  • r: Replace a single char
  • R: Keep replacing

Count

  • {int}{cmd}: Repeat {int} times {cmd}

Rule: don't count if you can repeat

Other

  • >>/<<: Indent
  • J: Join next line
  • r<enter>: Split a line (must be done on a whitespace)

Motion

Move

  • w / b: Forward / backward a word (start of the word)
  • W / B: Forward / backward a WORD (no whitespace)
  • e / ge: Forward / backward a word (end/before the word)
  • ^ or 0 / $: Beginning/end of line
  • ( ): Forward / backward a sentence
  • { }: Forward / backward a paragraph
  • [{ / ]}: Beginning/end of a code block
  • [/]m: Previous/next method

Jump

  • gg: First line of file
  • G: Last line of file
  • gā†“/ā†‘/$/0: Go to the line below/above/end/beginning (when line is wrapped)
  • gv: Select again the last selected text
  • {int}G: Go to line {int}
  • 5ā†“: Move 5 lines below
  • 5ā†‘: Move 5 lines above
  • %: Matching parenthesis/bracket
  • ctrl+o/i: Move back / forth in jumplist
  • :ju: List jumps

Scan

  • f/F{char}: Move to the next/previous {char}
  • t/T{char}: Character before the next/previous occurrence of {char}
  • ;/,: Repeat/reverse

Easymotion

  • {leader}{leader}w/b: Start of words forward / backward
  • {leader}{leader}s: Find a char anywhere

Sneak

  • s{char1}{char2}: Find for the next occurrence of {char1}{char2}
  • S{char1}{char2}: Find backwards
  • ;/,: Next / previous

Text objects

  • ( ) b: Parenthesis
  • { } B: Brace
  • ]: Bracket
  • < >: Angle bracket
  • ': Single quote
  • ": Double quote
  • at: Tag ()
  • w: Word
  • W: WORD (with space)
  • s: Sentence
  • p: Paragraph

Screen

  • ctrl+e``ctrl+y: Scrolling down / up one line
  • ctrl+d/ctrl+u: Scrolling down / up half a screen
  • zz/zt/zb: Center / top / bottom screen on current line
  • H/M/L: Jump to top / middle / bottom of the screen
  • ctrl+f/ctrl+b: Next / previous page

Word

  • *: Search the next occurrence of the current word (variable, function, etc), then use n/N to navigate between the matches

Screen

Split

  • ctrl+w s/v: Split down/right
  • ctrl+w {arrow}: Focus on tab to the left / right / above / below
  • ctrl+w c: Close window
  • ctrl+w o: Close others

Resize

  • ctrl+w =: Equalize
  • {int} ctrl+w _/|: Set height/width to {int} rows/columns

Yank (also copies to the unnamed register)

  • p: Put after cursor
  • P: Put before cursor
  • yyp: Duplicate the line
  • ddp: Move line after
  • xp: Move char after

Register

By default, we use the unnamed register (""). E.g.: dd deletes and puts to the "" register>

  • "{char}{action}: Puts to the {char} register
  • "{char}p: Put the {char} register (""p = p)

History

  • :reg: Reveal registers history
  • "{int}p: Paste {int}th previous
  • "0p: Yank, delete => paste the yanked test

Macros

  • q{char}: Start macro {char}
  • q: Stop macro
  • @{char}: Play the macro {char}
  • @@: Play the last macro
  • 5@@: Play 5 times the last macro

NOTE: A macro executed in series is safe, for example if we press fX but X isn't found, the macro stops. To overcome that, we can execute macros in parallel.

  • V (select) :normal @@: Execute the macro once for each line in the selection
  • q{CHAR}: Append to the macro {char}
  • /{text}: Forward
  • ?{text}: Backward
  • n/N: Next/previous
  • *: Go to next/previous occurrence of the current word
  • \c/{text}: Case insensitive
  • \C/{text}: Case sensitive

Other

Actions

  • u: Undo
  • ctrl+r: Redo
  • .: Repeat
  • :e .: Open file explorer for the current working directory (edit)
  • :E .: Open file explorer for directory of the active buffer (explore)
  • :e {file}: Edit {file}

Suspend

  • ctrl+z: Suspend vi
  • fg: Resume

Insert text at the end of a group of lines

  • V select the lines, :norm A{text}

Case

select -> u/U{textobject}: Lowercase/Uppercase until text object

Commands

Substitute

  • :s/foo/bar: Substitute foo to bar (line)
  • :s/foo/bar/g: Substitute all foo occurrences to bar (line)
  • :%s/foo/bar/g: Substitute all foo occurrences to bar (file)
  • :.,.+4s/foo/bar/g: Substitute on this line and the next 4 lines

Or & to repeat the same command

Or ctrl+v to enter visual mode and select the line before executing the cmd

Global commands

:g/foo/d: Delete all lines containing foo :g/foo/j: Join into one line :v: Non-matching lines

Other

  • :changes: List the changes
  • :! {cmd}: Run terminal command