start_vim

Posted on Edited on

copy and paste from missing semester

how to learn vim

Here’s how you learn a new editor:

  • Start with a tutorial (i.e. this lecture, plus resources that we point out)
  • Stick with using the editor for all your text editing needs (even if it slows you down initially)
  • Look things up as you go: if it seems like there should be a better way to do something, there probably is

vim modes

i for insert mode

from normal mode:

  • i to enter insert mode at the cursor
  • o to enter insert mode on the next line

esc for normal mode (from insert mode)

  • normal mode is for viewing and editing text

moving around

  • moving my cursor around using h, j, k, l (left, down, up, right)
  • w to move forward by word, b to move back by word
  • e for end of word.
  • 0 to move to the beginning of the line, $ to move to the end of the line
  • gg to move to the beginning of the file, G to move to the end of the file
  • line moves
  • absolute distance from beginning :10 to move to line 10
  • reletive distance from current line 10j to move down 10 lines, 10k to move up 10 lines
  • page moves
  • ctrl + d to move down half a page, ctrl + u to move up half a page
  • ctrl + f to move down a page, ctrl + b to move up a page
  • find moves
  • f to find a character on the line, ; to find the next instance of that character
  • e.g. f then a to find the next a on the line
  • F is for backwards find
  • t is for find up to a character
  • T is for backwards find up to a character

editing

  • x to delete a character (making small changes in normal mode)
  • dd to delete a line

: for command mode

  • :q to quit

v for visual mode

  • v to enter visual mode
  • visual mode is for selecting text and then doing something (yp) with it

set up your vimrc file

  • vim ~/.vimrc
  • set number to show line numbers
  • set relativenumber to show relative line numbers