This is an old revision of the document!
Vim
vim is a modal editor (improving on vi). It can run without graphics, is ubiquitous, powerful, and efficient but is an acquired skill.
- MIT's “missing semester” has an excellent lecture video and notes.
vimtutoris a program included with vim that will guide you through usage – run it from the command line.
Commands
Victoria's review: a minimal vim session experience:
vim $filename→ opens a file in vim. If that file doesn't exist or you opened it in the wrong filepath, you will see an empty blank vim that says[NEW]at the bottomi→ puts you in insert mode so you can freely type and move your cursor around. Says– INSERT –in bottom left.esc→ gets you out of insert mode
move around
0puts your cursor to the beginning of the line (in command mode)$puts your cursor to the end of the line (in command mode)Shift + iputs your cursor to the beginning of the line and opens insert modeShift + aputs your cursor to the end of the line and opens insert modeoopens insert mode on a new line below your cursor- up and down arrows move you up and down each line but to move between lines click
gthen up or down arrow
exit
:q→ quits vim:wq→ saves what you wrote and quits vim:q!→ does not save what you wrote and quits vim