Vim

This page is about Vim everyday usage. Remember: The best way to get any Vim answers is to use :help command.

Why I like VIM§

Vim is only ever doing one thing at a time.

It’s not scanning your directory for function definitions, it’s not traversing a syntax tree to give you complex autocomplete suggestions, it’s not calculating the context of your cursor and doing requests to a documentation API, it’s not doing a git blame on every line of code and it’s not auto-downloading syntax for every file. But Vim can do all of these things when you tell it to.

Open, Save & Close files§

Press ESC to exit INSERT mode.

Selection, copy & paste§

Press ESC to exit INSERT mode.

Replace selected word with yanked (copied) word:

Check out "Mapping Keys" section to learn how to map this commands and make your editing easier.

To add ' ' to the end of each line in selected block. Which is a common thing when you work with bash scripts.

:norm A \

Clipboard (X11)§

Check the native clipboard support in X11. Usually Vim compiled without native clipboard support which allows it to run on console only machines.

vim --version | grep .xterm_clipboard -o

-xterm_clipboard output means you don't have clipboard support enabled (- sign).

The faith test: install vim-gtk3 package to enable X11 (xterm) clipboard support.

# apt install vim-gtk3

Now in view mode (ESC) you can use register + which is the X11 clipboard register in Debian (Linux).

Paste block bellow the copied one§

1. Select text block with Shift + v and press y to copy it into the register 0.
2. Press ' and then separately press ] to set cursor position on the last copied line.
3. Press p to paste copied block.

Buffers§

Buffer is a temporary copy of file's contents. When you open a file, Vim loads its contents into memory. The original file remains intact until you save changes. This is how you can control buffers in Vim.

N - buffer number, integer.

You can map :bn to <C-Tab> in gVim to switch next buffer. Console Vim can't understant difference between <C-Tab> and <Tab>. So you can use any function key like F12.

nmap <C-Tab> :bn<CR>

Split windows§

Vim allows user to split content area into vertical or horizontal windows. Window is a view of buffer. Here are some commands I use with windows.

Open several files in split windows. Use -o for horizontal layout and -O for vertical layout.

vim -o {file path 1} {file path 2}
vim -O {file path 1} {file path 2}

Search & Replace§

Press / to enter search mode.

To replace Press : and type replace expression.

:%s/old/new/gc

To replace in selection press : and the command line will automatically enter the range.

:'<,'>s/old/new/g

Using gc instead of g allows user manually confirm each replacement.

You can select text, press Ctrl+r and choose register 0 to paste its contents.

:%s/<C-r>0/

Sessions§

A developer who is working with a lots of projects will need a sessions.

:mks ~/.vim/sessions/blog.vim
:source ~/.vim/session/blog.vim 

Mapping keys§

You can use your functional keys to execute custom commands. Here are seveal examples.

Mapping functional keys.

nmap <F1> :Vexplore<CR>
nmap <S-F1> :Sexplore<CR>
nmap <F2> :set number!<CR>
nmap <S-F2> :set list!<CR>
nmap <F3> :buffers<CR>:buffer<Space>
nmap <F4> :terminal<CR>
nmap <S-F4> :tab terminal<CR>
nmap <S-Tab> :bn<CR>
nmap <C-Tab> :b#<CR>

Use <Leader> keyword to map \ key in combination with other keys. In this example pressing \ + d will paste current timestamp in a new line:

nmap <Leader>D :pu=strftime('%c')<CR>

Here is an example of how to map keys in insert mode in current cursor position:

imap <F12> <C-R>=strftime('%c')<CR>

Configuration gvimrc§

Mostly works for Vim CLI.

Changing font and color scheme for GUI Vim:

if has('gui_gtk')
  set guifont=Hack\ Regular\ 12
endif

colorscheme torte

let g:terminal_ansi_colors = [
  \'#eeeeee', '#af0000', '#008700', '#5f8700',
  \'#f0fafa', '#878787', '#005f87', '#444444',
  \'#bcbcbc', '#d70000', '#d70087', '#8700af',
  \'#d75f00', '#d75f00', '#005faf', '#005f87' ]

Additional configuration options.

Redraw GUI Vim when windows size changed.

autocmd VimResized * exe "normal \<c-w>="

Always on status bar.

set laststatus=2

You can imitate console vim using empty guioptions parameter in /etc/vim/gvimrc:

set guioptions=

Disable syntax highlight for Diff mode and better looking colors.

if &diff
  syntax off
  hi DiffText   cterm=none ctermfg=Black ctermbg=Red gui=none guifg=Black guibg=Red
  hi DiffChange cterm=none ctermfg=Black ctermbg=LightMagenta gui=none guifg=Black guibg=LightMagenta
endif

Highlight cursor line and column:

set cursorline
set cursorcolumn

Do not wrap long lines

set nowrap

Set characters for whitespaces:

set listchars=eol:↓,tab:\▸\ ,trail:·,space:·,extends:»,precedes:«,nbsp:×

Using bash-like completion when opening files with e.

set wildmenu
set wildmode=list:longest
set wildignore=*.docx,*.jpg,*.png,*.gif,*.pdf,*.pyc,*.exe,*.flv,*.img,*.xlsx

Open netrw when you start Vim without arguments.

augroup InitNetrw
    autocmd!
    autocmd VimEnter * if argc() == 0 | Explore! | endif
augroup end

Folding TERM /etc/vim/vimrc.

set foldmethod=syntax
hi Folded ctermbg=grey ctermfg=black
hi FoldColumn ctermbg=darkgrey ctermfg=white

Folding GUI /etc/vim/gvimrc.

set foldmethod=syntax
hi Folded guibg=grey guifg=black
hi FoldColumn guibg=darkgrey guifg=white

Important sessions configuration for GVIm.

" do not store global and local values in a session
set ssop-=options
" do not store folds
set ssop-=folds

Code completion§

• Internal dictionary completion function that mapped on C-n and C-p hotkeys.
• Full row completion in insert mode with C-x C-l.
• Omni Completion - the filetype specific code completion which acts like most IDEs SKD-based completion does.

Here are configuration options to activate Omni Completion and override internal dictionary completion:

filetype plugin on
set omnifunc=syntaxcomplete#Complete

Changing completion menu colors:

hi Pmenu ctermfg=white ctermbg=black gui=NONE guifg=black guibg=gray
hi PmenuSel ctermfg=white ctermbg=blue gui=bold guifg=gray guibg=blue

You can check filetype of the current buffer with command :set ft? or manually set the filetype of the current buffer with command :set ft=python.

This command will change the completeopt option so that Vim's popup menu doesn't select the first completion item, but rather just inserts the longest common text of all matches; and the menu will come up even if there's only one match. The longest setting is responsible for the former effect and the menuone is responsible for the latter.

:set completeopt=longest,menuone

The next mapping will change the behavior of the Enter key when the popup menu is visible. In that case the Enter key will simply select the highlighted menu item, just as C-y does.

:inoremap <expr> <CR> pumvisible() ? "\<C-y>" : "\<C-g>u\<CR>"

Other§

Add this line at bottom of the configuration file to start Vim in insert mode by default.

:startinsert

Other tweaks.

set so=7 " Not loosing context when jumping pages
set autochdir " Change current directory to opened file path

Commands§

Convert all tabs into spaces (2 spaces here).

:%s/\t/  /g

Delete§

di' — delete inside the 'single quotes'.

da" — delete around the "double quotes".

dit — delete inside the html tags.

di( - delete inside current round brackets of a function.

di{ - delete inside curly brackets of an object.

ci[ — change inside the [square brackets].

Motions§

Motions are the type of key-command you'll use the most in Vim because they can be used on their own to move the cursor around. Some motions work on their own and some only work when used as a part of a combo.

For example the w (for word) key will skip the cursor forward one word at a time, but the ' single-quote isn’t a motion on it's own, and does something completely different.

Some motions become different types depending on if they're used in combo or on their own. For example the b key in the three-part combos meant block but when you use it on it's own it means back, and moves the cursor backwards one word at a time.