# VIM Editor
## Resources
{% file src="/files/-MbG-8HKgMVAFdNKFU6g" %}
Mastering Vim Quickly From WTF to OMG
{% endfile %}
{% file src="/files/-MbG-TFsvhs4HREepFyo" %}
Vim 101 Hacks
{% endfile %}
To use Vi we must first understand the 3 modes in which this powerful program operates, in order to begin learning later about its text-editing procedures.\
Please note that modern Linux distro's ship with a variant of Vi called Vim (vi improved). For this narrative we use vi and vim interchangeably.
## Vim Philosophy
Vim is different to other text editors but 2 main features makes it so different:
* **Modal Editing** - Effectively editing text makes Vim more powerful than any other text editor. Want to jump to the top of the file **`gg`** or go to the bottom **`G`**. In normal text editors you type **gg** or **G** you will in fact type those letters into your file, that's why Vim has modes, and pressing **gg** or **G** in a different mode produces different results
* **Operators**- If you are moving your cursor using arrow keys, "page-up", "page-down", "end" and "home" keys - Vim has so much more to offer: **`d$`** if you want to delete text to the end of the line ($= end of line and d=delete). Here **'d' is the operator command**. These type of commands (operators) can delete, change or insert text, copy or format it etc
## Understanding Vi Modes
Vim has 12 modes in total but we will normally use between 4 and 5 in our daily use. Very important to understand these.
### Normal Node
When you start vim = normal mode. Mostly used for navigation and text manipulation. A good habit to adopt and keep in mind: whenever you're not typing - get back into normal mode
### Insert Mode
Inserts new text, but can also run some commands
### Command Mode
In this mode you can run Ex commands like **`:set number`**, enter search patterns like **`/word`** and enter filter commands. **After running the command Vim returns to normal mode.**
### **Visual Mode**
**For navigation and manipulation of text selections.** It's similar to Normal mode, but the movement commands extend a highlighted area. When you use a non-movement command, it’s executed for the highlighted area. By default, there is “– VISUAL –” shown at the bottom of the window.
## Working With Files
Current file = current 'buffer'
### Opening files:
* ***From terminal***
* **`vim /etc/passwd`**
* ***Inside Vim***
* **`:e /etc/passwd`**
Copy a file or contents of a file to the current file using the **r**ead command or **r**\
**:r file.txt** Insert the file **file.txt below the cursor** in current buffer.\
**:0r file.txt** Insert the file file.txt **before the first line.**\
**:r!sed -n 2,8p file.txt** Insert **lines 2 to 8 from file file.txt below the cursor**\
**:r !ls** Insert **a directory** listing below the cursor.
### Closing Files:
**:wq** Save currently opened file and exit Vim (even if file is not changed). \
\&#xNAN;**:x** Exit Vim but write only when changes have been made. \
**ZZ** Equivalent to **:x**. Notice there’s no **:** This is a key press \
\&#xNAN;**:q!** Exit Vim without saving currently opened file. \
\&#xNAN;**:qa** Exit all open files in current Vim session
### Saving Files
**:w** Save currently opened file (which was previously saved). \
\&#xNAN;**:w** file.txt Save currently opened file as file.txt. \
\&#xNAN;**:w!** file.txt Save file as file.txt with overwrite option. \
\&#xNAN;**:sav** file.txt Save current buffer as a new file file.txt. \
\&#xNAN;**:up\[date**] file.txt Like :w but only save when the buffer has been modified
### Navigation
| Key Command | Description |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| h or left arrow (5h or 5 left arrow) | Go one character to the left (or 5 characters left) |
| j or down arrow (5j or 5 down arrow) | Go down one line |
| k or up arrow (6k or 6up arrow) | Go up one line |
| l or right arrow (6l or 6right arrow) | Go one character to the right |
| H | Go to top of the current window |
| M | Go to middle of the current window |
| L | Go to bottom of current window |
| w (or 3w etc) | Move one word (incl delimiters)to the right (can also use 3w etc) |
| W | Move one word (excludes deliminator like .{ } - $ etc |
| b (or 7b etc) | Move back one word to the left (incl deliminator)(Can also use 7b etc) |
| B | Move back one word to the left (excludes deliminator) |
| e | end of current word (incl deliminator) |
| E | end of current word (excludes deliminator) |
| 0(zero) | Go to the beginning of the current line |
| ^ | Go to the first non blank character on the current line |
| $ | Go to the end of the current line |
| Ctrl-b | Go back one page |
| Ctrl-f | Go forward one page |
| i | Insert |
| r | Replace a single letter under the cursor |
| R | Replace multiple characters |
| x | Deleting text under character |
| Shift-x | Deletes character before cursor |
| cw | Change the current word with new text under cursor |
| dw | Deleting the single word beginning with character under cursor |
| dd | Delete entire current line |
| Shift-d | Deletes everything from the cursor to the end of the line |
| 5dd | Deletes 5 (or whatever number) lines beginning with current line |
| D | Delete remainder of the line starting with current cursor position |
| :set nu | Displays all line number |
| :12,22w test | Writes lines 12 - 22 to new file 'test' in pwd
|
| Replaces every occurrence (the g) of apple with pear | %s/apple/pear/g |
| :%s/^M//g | How to remove Ctrl-M characters from a file in UNIX.(Hold down Ctrl key press V and M in succession |
| yy | copy(yank,cut) the current line into the buffer |
| Nyy | copy(yank,cut) the next N lines including current line |
| p | put(paste) the line(s) in the buffer after the current line |
### Jumping Around the File
**gg** Go to the top of the file \
**G** Go to the bottom of the file \
\&#xNAN;**{** Go to the beginning of current paragraph \
\&#xNAN;**}** Go to the end of current paragraph \
\&#xNAN;**%** Go to the matching pair of ( ), \[ ], { } \
**50%** Go to line at the 50% of the file \
\&#xNAN;**:NUM** Go to line NUM. :28 jumps to line 28
### Navigating in INSERT MODE
### Search
**/hello -** search hello using the forward slash, use **n** for next or **N** to search backwards\
Can use **ggn** to start from the top or **GN** to start from the bottom up :)\
\&#xNAN;**\*** or **# Search for word under cursor use \* going forward and # searching backwards - COOL!!**\
\
**/ or ? + up or down arrows to search previous history**
{% hint style="success" %}
When you cut and paste into vi form an outside program, the formatting can get a little messed up! Vim comes with a feature called "pastetoggle" which you can enable by editing the line **/etc/vim/vimrc** and adding the following at the bottom:
```
nnoremap :set invpaste paste?
set pastetoggle=
set showmode
```
* [x] The first line sets a mapping so that pressing F2 in normal mode will invert the `'paste'` option, and will then show the value of that option. The second line allows you to press F2 when in insert mode, to toggle `'paste'` on and off. The third line enables displaying whether `'paste'` is turned on in insert mode.
{% endhint %}
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