Basics
:e filename | Open filename for edition |
:w | Save file |
:q | Exit Vim |
:w! | Write file and quit |
Search
/word | Search word from top to bottom |
?word | Search word from bottom to top |
/jo[ha]n | Search john or joan |
/\< the | Search the, theatre or then |
/the\> | Search the or breathe |
/\< the\> | Search the |
/\< ¦.\> | Search all words of 4 letters |
/\/ | Search fred but not alfred or frederick |
/fred\|joe | Search fred or joe |
/\<\d\d\d\d\> | Search exactly 4 digits |
/^\n\{3} | Find 3 empty lines |
:bufdo /searchstr/ | Search in all open files |
Replace
:%s/old/new/g | Replace all occurences of old by new in file |
:%s/old/new/gw | Replace all occurences with confirmation |
:2,35s/old/new/g | Replace all occurences between lines 2 and 35 |
:5,$s/old/new/g | Replace all occurences from line 5 to EOF |
:%s/^/hello/g | Replace the begining of each line by hello |
:%s/$/Harry/g | Replace the end of each line by Harry |
:%s/onward/forward/gi | Replace onward by forward, case unsensitive |
:%s/ *$//g | Delete all white spaces |
:g/string/d | Delete all lines containing string |
:v/string/d | Delete all lines containing which didn’t contain string |
:s/Bill/Steve/ | Replace the first occurence of Bill by Steve in current line |
:s/Bill/Steve/g | Replace Bill by Steve in current line |
:%s/Bill/Steve/g | Replace Bill by Steve in all the file |
:%s/\r//g | Delete DOS carriage returns (^M) |
:%s/\r/\r/g | Transform DOS carriage returns in returns |
:%s#<[^>]\+>##g | Delete HTML tags but keeps text |
:%s/^\(.*\)\n\1$/\1/ | Delete lines which appears twice |
Ctrl+a | Increment number under the cursor |
Ctrl+x | Decrement number under cursor |
ggVGg? | Change text to Rot13 |
Case
Vu | Lowercase line |
VU | Uppercase line |
g~~ | Invert case |
vEU | Switch word to uppercase |
vE~ | Modify word case |
ggguG | Set all text to lowercase |
:set ignorecase | Ignore case in searches |
:set smartcase | Ignore case in searches excepted if an uppercase letter is used |
:%s/\<./\u&/g | Sets first letter of each word to uppercase |
:%s/\<./\l&/g | Sets first letter of each word to lowercase |
:%s/.*/\u& | Sets first letter of each line to uppercase |
:%s/.*/\l& | Sets first letter of each line to lowercase |
Read/Write files
:1,10 w outfile | Saves lines 1 to 10 in outfile |
:1,10 w >> outfile | Appends lines 1 to 10 to outfile |
:r infile | Insert the content of infile |
:23r infile | Insert the content of infile under line 23 |
File explorer
:e . | Open integrated file explorer |
:Sex | Split window and open integrated file explorer |
:browse e | Graphical file explorer |
:ls | List buffers |
:cd .. | Move to parent directory |
:args | List files |
:args *.php | Open file list |
:grep expression *.php | Returns a list of .php files contening expression |
gf | Open file name under cursor |
Interact with Unix
:!pwd | Execute the pwd unix command, then returns to Vi |
!!pwd | Execute the pwd unix command and insert output in file |
:sh | Temporary returns to Unix |
$exit | Retourns to Vi |
Alignment
:%!fmt | Align all lines |
!}fmt | Align all lines at the current position |
5!!fmt | Align the next 5 lines |
Tabs
:tabnew | Creates a new tab |
gt | Show next tab |
:tabfirst | Show first tab |
:tablast | Show last tab |
:tabm n(position) | Rearrange tabs |
:tabdo %s/foo/bar/g | Execute a command in all tabs |
:tab ball | Puts all open files in tabs |
Window spliting
:e filename | Edit filename in current window |
:split filename | Split the window and open filename |
ctrl-w up arrow | Puts cursor in top window |
ctrl-w ctrl-w | Puts cursor in next window |
ctrl-w_ | Maximise current window |
ctrl-w= | Gives the same size to all windows |
10 ctrl-w+ | Add 10 lines to current window |
:vsplit file | Split window vertically |
:sview file | Same as :split in readonly mode |
:hide | Close current window |
:nly | Close all windows, excepted current |
:b 2 | Open #2 in this window |
Auto-completion
Ctrl+n Ctrl+p (in insert mode) | Complete word |
Ctrl+x Ctrl+l | Complete line |
:set dictionary=dict | Define dict as a dictionnary |
Ctrl+x Ctrl+k | Complete with dictionnary |
Marks
mk | Marks current position as k |
˜k | Moves cursor to mark k |
d™k | Delete all until mark k |
Abbreviations
:ab mail mail@provider.org | Define mail as abbreviation of mail@provider.org |
Text indent
:set autoindent | Turn on auto-indent |
:set smartindent | Turn on intelligent auto-indent |
:set shiftwidth=4 | Defines 4 spaces as indent size |
ctrl-t, ctrl-d | Indent/un-indent in insert mode |
>> | Indent |
<< | Un-indent |
Syntax highlighting
:syntax on | Turn on syntax highlighting |
:syntax off | Turn off syntax highlighting |
:set syntax=perl | Force syntax highlighting |