https://github.com/junegunn/vim-plug

TOC

3 main modes

Normal mode

For navigation and manipulation of text. This is the mode that vim will usually start in

Command mode

For executing extra commands like the help, shell, ...

Insert (edit) mode

For inserting new text, where you type into your file like other editors.

NORMAL MODE

^

MOTIONS

move around the text (file) by

                   gg
                 ctrl+b
                 ctrl+u
                    -
                    k
                    ^
0 / ^ / B / b / h <   > l / e / E / w / W / $
                    v
                    +
                    j
                 ctrl+d
                 ctrl+f
                    G

arrow keys

    k
    ^
h <   >l
    j

word

w # next word
W # next WORD
b # previous word
B # previous WORD
e # end of word
E # end of WORD

w / W # word / WORD
[, ] # block
(, ) # block
<, > # block
", ' #" in double quote or quote
t # XML/HTML tag
s # sentence

line

0 # begin of line (column 0)
^ # begin of line (non-blank)
$ # end of line
\- = k^ # start of previous line
\+ = j^ # start of next line

file

gg / G # go to begin / end of file
[num]gg / [num]G / :num<CR>  # go to line num
gd # go to definition of current word
gf # go to the file (under the cursor)

EDITING

syntax

set ft=prolog # set the file type to prolog

copy/paste:

yy # yank/copy current line
p # paste to the next line
P # paste above current line

commands

. # repeat last command
~ # swap case
x # delete char current char
r # replace char under the cursor
J # merge with the next line
dd # delete current line
D / C # delete line from cursor to the EOL
u # undo
ctrl+r # redo

visual mode

v # into visual/select mode
V # into visual/select mode by line
ctrl+v # into visual/select mode by block

alignment

== # auto indent
>> # shift right, increase indent
<< # shift left, decrease indent

examples

di) # delete the text inside current paranthesis
ci" #" change the text inside ""
gUiw # make the word under the cursor to upper case

registers

"[char][y|d] #" yank/delete into register
"[char][p|P] #" paste from register
:echo @[char] # shows register content
:reg[isters] # shows all registers

macro

q[char] # start recording into register char
q # stop recording macro
@[char] # play macro in register char
@@ # repeat last playback

code folding

zi # toggles folding on or off
za # toggles current fold open or close
zc # close current fold
zC # close current fold recursively
zo # open current fold
zO # open current fold recursively
zR # open all folds
zM # close all folds
zv # expand folds to reveal the cursor
zk / zj # move to previous / next fold

WINDOW

move inside

H # top of window
M # middle of window
L # low (bottom) of window
zt # scroll to top
zz # scroll to middle
zb # scroll to bottom
ctrl+b / ctrl+f # previous / next page
ctrl+u / ctrl+d # previous / next half page

split

ctrl+w s = :sp[lit] # split current window horizontally
ctrl+w v = :vs[plit] # split current window vertically
ctrl+w c = :cl[ose] # close current window
ctrl+w o = :on[ly] # close all windows except current one
ctrl+w ctrl+w # switch to next split window
ctrl+w ctrl+p # switch to previous split window
ctrl+w hjkl # switch (move cursor) to left, below, above or right split
ctrl+w HJKL # move current window to left, below, above or right
ctrl+w r # rotate window clockwise
ctrl+w = # make all windows equal in size
[num]ctrl+w +- # increase/decrease current window height
[num]ctrl+w <> # increase/decrease current window width
ctrl+w _ # minimize current window
ctrl+w T # move current window to new tab

JUMPS & MARKS

ctrl+o # jump/switch back in the buffer history
ctrl+i # jump/switch forward in the buffer history
ctrl+6 # jump/switch to the buffer you just left
ctrl+] # jump/switch to tag under cursor (if ./tags is available)
' ' # jump/switch back to last jump
'. #' jump/switch to last edited line

} # next paragraph
{ # previous paragraph

% # switch matching (), {} or []
m[char] / '[char] # mark by / jump to [char]
m[CHAR] / '[CHAR] # mark by / jump to [CHAR] across the files.

SPELL CHECKING

]s # jump to next spelling error
[s # jump to previous spelling error
z= # suggest corrections for current word
zg # add current word to the dictionary
zw # remove current word from dictionary

SEARCHING

word

- # find next current word
'#' # find previous current word
/[pattern] # search forward by matching pattern
?[pattern] # search backward by matching pattern
n # next result
N # previous result

[I # show lines with matching word under cursor

character

f[char] # find next exact character in the line
F[char] # find previous exact character in the line
t[char] # find next exact character in the word
T[char] # find previous exact character in the line
; next repeat for f/t/F/T action
, previous repeat for f/t/F/T action

COMMAND MODE

^

editing the text without transition to Insert Mode:

@: # repeat last command-line change (command invoked with ":", for example :s/old/new/).

windows and splits

:sp[lit] = ctrl+w s # split current window horizontally
:vs[plit] = ctrl+w v # split current window vertically
:cl[ose] = ctrl+w c # close current window
:on[ly] = ctrl+w o # close all windows except current one

lists

:jumps # shows the jump list
:changes # shows the change list
:reg[isters] # shows the registers
:marks # shows the marks
:delm[arks] {marks} # delete specified mark(s)
  delm a b 1 \" # deletes a, b, 1 and "
  delm a-h # deletes all marks from a to h
:delm[marks]! # deletes all lowercase marks

file and buffers

:w[rite] # write current file
:q # close/quit current file, split or tab
:wq = ZZ # write current file and quit
:q! = ZQ # quit without writing the changes
:qa # quit all splits
:ls # list all open files/buffers
:f[ile] = ctrl+g # shows current file path
:e[dit] # open a file for editing
:ene[w] # open a blank new file for editing
:b<n> # jump to buffer n returned from :ls
:b<file> # jump to buffer file, Tab to scroll through available options
:bn[ext] # jump to next buffer
:bp[rev] # jump to previous buffer
:bd[elete] # remove file from buffer list

shell

:mak[e] # run make in current directory
:cw # toggle mini window for errors
:! # executes external shell command
:r[ead] # read external program output into current file

tabs

ctrl+w gf # open file under the cursor into new tab
:tabs # list current tabs and windows
:tabn = <ctrl+PageDown> # next tab
:tabn <n> # goto tab n
:tabp = tabN = <ctrl+PageUp> # previous tab
:tabe [file] # create a new blank tab or opens file in that tab

OPERATORS

operator are generally constructed as:
[operator][count][motion]
[operator]i[motion]

operators:

c # change command ...
d # delete ...
y # yank (copy) ...
g~ # swap case ...
gu # to lower case ...
gU # to upper case ...

HELP

:h cmd # normal mode command help
:h :cmd # command line help for cmd
:h i_cmd # insert mode command help
:h v_cmd # visual mode command help
:h c_cmd # command line editing cmd help
:h 'option' # help of option
:helpg[rep] # search through help docs!

special help sections

:h motions
:h word-motions
:h jump-motions
:h mark-motions
:h operators
:h buffres
:h windows
:h tabs
:h registers
:h pattern-searches

OPTIONS

:set <opt>? # shows current option value
:set no<opt> # turn off flag opt
:set opt # turn on flag opt
:set opt=val # override value of opt
:set opt+=val # append val to opt
:echo &opt # shows value of opt

essential options

hidden or hid # when off, a buffer is unloaded when it's abandoned.
laststatus or ls # shows status line # 0 (never), 1 (only if at least two windows), 3 (always)
hisearch or his # highlight search matches
number or nu # shows line number
showcmd or sc # shows command as you type them (may not be available on your compilation)
ruler or ru # shows line and column number of the cursor
wrap # controls line wrapping
ignorecase or ic # ignores case for search patterns
smartindent or si # flag for smart indenting
foldmethod or fdm # fold method
spell / nospell # turn spell checking enable or disable.

SUBSTITUTE

:s/search/replace/ # basic substitution on a line
:%s/search/replace/ # run substitution on every line
:%s/search/replace/g # g flag means apply to every match
:%s/search/replace/c # c flag means ask for confirmation

tags / ctags

by executing $> ctags -r under project tree:

:tag <name>TAB # goes to tag name
ctrl+] # goes to the tag under cursor

INSERT/EDIT MODE

^

insert

i # insert at left of cursor
a # insert at right of cursor
I # insert at the line beginning (non-blank)
A # insert at end of line
o # insert by adding new line below the cursor
O # insert by insert new line above the cursor
s # substitute at cursor and enter insert mode
S = ^DA = ddO # delete current line and enter insert mode
C = c$ # change line from cursor to EOL

mode change

Esc = ctrl+c = ctrl+[ # exit insert mode

auto complete

ctrl+p # auto-complete / previous item
ctrl+n # auto-complete / next item
ctrl+xctrl+l # auto complete line mode

cool editing stuff

ctrl+w # delete word before cursor
ctrl+u # delete line before cursor
ctrl+r[char] # insert content of register [char]
ctrl+t # increase line indent
ctrl+u # decrease line indent