# Vim Quick Reference

*Modes, navigation, editing, search, macros, buffers*

> Source: Vim Documentation (vimdoc.sourceforge.net) · MIT

## Modes

### Mode Switching

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `i` | Insert mode (before cursor) |
| `a` | Insert mode (after cursor) |
| `o` | Insert line below and enter insert mode |
| `O` | Insert line above and enter insert mode |
| `v` | Visual mode (character) |
| `V` | Visual mode (line) |
| `Ctrl+v` | Visual block mode |
| `:` | Command-line mode |
| `R` | Replace mode |
| `Esc` | Return to normal mode |

## Navigation

### Character & Line Motion

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `h j k l` | Left, down, up, right |
| `0 / ^` | Start of line / first non-blank |
| `$` | End of line |
| `w / W` | Next word / WORD |
| `b / B` | Previous word / WORD |
| `e / E` | End of word / WORD |
| `f{c} / F{c}` | Find char forward / backward |
| `t{c} / T{c}` | Till char forward / backward |

### Screen & File Motion

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `gg / G` | Go to first / last line |
| `:{n}` | Go to line n |
| `Ctrl+d / Ctrl+u` | Half-page down / up |
| `Ctrl+f / Ctrl+b` | Full page down / up |
| `H / M / L` | Top / middle / bottom of screen |
| `%` | Jump to matching bracket |

## Editing

### Insert & Append

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `I` | Insert at beginning of line |
| `A` | Append at end of line |
| `ea` | Append at end of word |
| `gi` | Insert at last insert position |

### Delete & Change

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `x / X` | Delete char under / before cursor |
| `dd` | Delete line |
| `dw` | Delete word |
| `d$ / D` | Delete to end of line |
| `cc / S` | Change entire line |
| `cw` | Change word |
| `c$ / C` | Change to end of line |
| `ci" / ci(` | Change inside quotes / parens |

### Copy & Paste

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `yy` | Yank (copy) line |
| `yw` | Yank word |
| `y$` | Yank to end of line |
| `p / P` | Paste after / before cursor |
| `J` | Join line below to current line |

### Undo & Repeat

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `u` | Undo |
| `Ctrl+r` | Redo |
| `.` | Repeat last command |

## Search & Replace

### Search

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `/pattern` | Search forward |
| `?pattern` | Search backward |
| `n / N` | Next / previous match |
| `*` | Search word under cursor (forward) |
| `#` | Search word under cursor (backward) |

### Substitute

```
:s/old/new/       " replace first on line
:s/old/new/g      " replace all on line
:%s/old/new/g     " replace all in file
:%s/old/new/gc    " replace all, confirm each
```

## Visual Mode

### Selection

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `v` | Start character selection |
| `V` | Start line selection |
| `Ctrl+v` | Start block selection |
| `o` | Move to other end of selection |
| `gv` | Reselect last visual selection |

### Actions on Selection

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `d` | Delete selection |
| `y` | Yank selection |
| `c` | Change selection |
| `>` | Indent selection |
| `<` | Unindent selection |
| `~` | Toggle case |
| `U / u` | Uppercase / lowercase selection |

## Buffers & Windows

### Buffers

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `:ls` | List open buffers |
| `:bn / :bp` | Next / previous buffer |
| `:b{n}` | Go to buffer n |
| `:bd` | Close current buffer |
| `:e file` | Open file in new buffer |

### Windows

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `:sp file` | Horizontal split |
| `:vsp file` | Vertical split |
| `Ctrl+w h/j/k/l` | Navigate to window |
| `Ctrl+w =` | Equalize window sizes |
| `Ctrl+w q` | Close window |

### Tabs

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `:tabnew file` | Open file in new tab |
| `gt / gT` | Next / previous tab |
| `:tabclose` | Close current tab |

## Registers

### Using Registers

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `"ay` | Yank into register a |
| `"ap` | Paste from register a |
| `"Ay` | Append yank to register a |
| `:reg` | Show all registers |

### Special Registers

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `""` | Unnamed (last delete/yank) |
| `"0` | Last yank |
| `"+` | System clipboard |
| `"/"` | Last search pattern |
| `".` | Last inserted text |
| `"_` | Black hole (discard) |

## Macros

### Recording & Playing

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `q{a}` | Start recording macro into register a |
| `q` | Stop recording |
| `@{a}` | Play macro from register a |
| `@@` | Replay last macro |
| `5@a` | Play macro a 5 times |

### Macro Example

```
qa        " start recording into a
I//       " insert // at line start
Esc j     " return to normal, move down
q         " stop recording
10@a      " comment next 10 lines
```

## Settings

### Common Options

```
:set number         " show line numbers
:set relativenumber  " relative line numbers
:set tabstop=4      " tab width
:set expandtab      " spaces instead of tabs
:set ignorecase     " case-insensitive search
```

### Display & Behavior

```
:set wrap / nowrap   " toggle line wrapping
:set hlsearch        " highlight search matches
:set incsearch       " incremental search
:set cursorline      " highlight current line
:syntax on           " enable syntax highlighting
```

## File Operations

### Save & Quit

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `:w` | Save |
| `:w file` | Save as file |
| `:q` | Quit (fails if unsaved) |
| `:q!` | Quit without saving |
| `:wq / :x / ZZ` | Save and quit |
| `:wa` | Save all buffers |
| `:qa` | Quit all buffers |

### File Info & External

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `Ctrl+g` | Show file info |
| `:!cmd` | Run shell command |
| `:r !cmd` | Insert command output |
| `:r file` | Insert file contents |

## Text Objects

### Inner & Around Objects

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `iw / aw` | Inner / around word |
| `is / as` | Inner / around sentence |
| `ip / ap` | Inner / around paragraph |
| `i" / a"` | Inner / around double quotes |
| `i' / a'` | Inner / around single quotes |
| `i( / a(` | Inner / around parentheses |
| `i{ / a{` | Inner / around braces |
| `it / at` | Inner / around HTML tag |

### Common Combos

```
ciw     " change inner word
di"     " delete inside quotes
ya{     " yank around braces
vip     " select inner paragraph
```

## Marks & Jumps

### Marks

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `m{a}` | Set mark a at cursor position |
| `'a` | Jump to line of mark a |
| ``a` | Jump to exact position of mark a |
| `:marks` | List all marks |

### Jump List

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `Ctrl+o` | Jump to previous position |
| `Ctrl+i` | Jump to next position |
| `:jumps` | Show jump list |
| `''` | Jump to last jump position |