Introduction to Vim

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 22:06:34 +0900

Introduction to Vim

Download and Installation

https://www.vim.org/download.php

From the site above, download and install the appropriate module for your OS.

For Windows, it is recommended to choose gvim_X.X.X_x64_signed.exe.

How to Start

For Windows, you need to register the folder containing vim.exe to the Path environment variable.

How to start:

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vim

When specifying a file name to start:

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vim filename.txt

How to Exit

To exit, type : (colon), then q, and press Enter.

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:q

If you have modified the file, a message saying No write since last change (add ! to override) will be displayed. You can discard the changes and force quit.

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:q!

To save the file and exit:

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:wq

The following has the same meaning:

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:x

You can also exit by pressing z twice while holding down Shift (same as :wq).

Modes

Vim has a Command mode and an Insert mode. When you start Vim, it is in Command mode. Pressing the i key switches to Insert mode.

In Insert mode, you can literally type text. To return from Insert mode to Command mode, press the ESC key.

This switching of input modes is a distinct characteristic of Vim.

Cursor Movement and Scrolling

Here is a summary of cursor movement and scrolling in Command mode.

Key	Description
`h` (or `Ctrl`+`H`, `BackSpace`, `←`)	Move left
`j` (or `Ctrl`+`J`, `Ctrl`+`N`, `↓`)	Move down
`k` (or `Ctrl`+`P`, `↑`)	Move up
`l` (or `Space`, `→`)	Move right
`+` (or `Enter`)	Move to the beginning of the next line
`-`	Move to the beginning of the previous line
`Ctrl`+`B` (or `PageUp`)	Scroll up
`Ctrl`+`F` (or `PageDown`)	Scroll down
`Ctrl`+`U`	Scroll half a screen up
`Ctrl`+`D`	Scroll half a screen down
`Ctrl`+`Y`	Scroll one line up
`Ctrl`+`E`	Scroll one line down
`z` `Enter`	Scroll cursor line to top of screen
`z` `.`	Scroll cursor line to middle of screen
`z` `-`	Scroll cursor line to bottom of screen
`0` (or `\|`)	Move cursor to the beginning of the line
`$`	Move cursor to the end of the line
`^` (or `_`)	Move cursor to the first non-blank character of the line
`G` (or `:$`)	Move cursor to the last line
`:Line Number` `Enter`	Move to specified line

If you type a Number followed by any of the above movement keys, it will move that many times. (For example, typing 3j will move the cursor down 3 lines from the current position.)

Other Commands

Key	Description
`Ctrl`+`L`	Redraw the screen
`Ctrl`+`G`	Show file status, number of lines, cursor position, etc.

Vim on kenji.blog

Introduction to Vim

Introduction to Vim

Download and Installation

How to Start

How to Exit

Modes

Cursor Movement and Scrolling

Other Commands