Basic Vim Usage
Vim is a modal editor. Start by learning mode switching and basic operations.
Modes
Normal: Command input. Most keys run commands. Insert: Text input. Press i or a to enter. Visual: Range selection. Press v or V to enter.
Inserting text
Press i in Normal to enter Insert. Type your text, then Esc to return to Normal. a inserts after the cursor, o inserts on the next line.
Save and quit
:w saves, :q quits (warns if unsaved). :wq saves and quits. :q! force quits (discards changes).
Cursor movement
h left, j down, k up, l right. w jumps to next word start, b backward. 0 to line start, $ to line end. gg to first line, G to last line.
Basic editing
dd deletes line, yy yanks (copies) line. p pastes. u undoes. x deletes one character.