The vim Language

Buffers, Splits/Windows and Tabs

• Buffers - buffer is an open file, which can be edited from multiple splits
• Splits/Windows - splits aka windows are the panes which you can move through
• Tabs - tab is a set of splits, like a tab in a terminal, people don't use it very often.

Binds

• :e <file> - will open a new file (buffer)
• :b <buffer> - will switch to an already opened file (buffer)
• :vsplit - will open a vertical split
• :split - will open a horizontal split
• use :help tab-page to read more about tabs (they're not very necessary)

Keybinds

Often you'll see a keybind described as something like that: ggyG - which copies the entire buffer.
All the signs in the keybind are meant to be pressed as you type them.
To execute this bind you'll need to press:

• gg - move to the top of the file
• y - start a copy
• shift+g - end the copy from the cursor to the end of the file

In vim you don't hold the keys in order to complete a key sequence as you type them, and you can configure the timeoutlen to make vim wait more/less between keystrokes.

Keybinds naming

You don't need to memorize keybinds as the letter stands for its action.

• y - yank
• p - paste

Each time where I introduce an action in this guide, I'll mark the letter I use to remember the bind.

Special Keys

• <cmd> - is : which starts a cmd
• <cr> - is enter
• <Esc> - is Escape
• <C-x> - is Ctrl+x
• <M-x> - is alt+x
• <M-X> - is alt+shift+x
• <A-x> - is alt+x
• <A-X> - is alt+shift+x
• <leader> - is the leader key

You can type :help <key> to open a help split for that key, the key can be anything, it can be G and it can be <cr>

Leader

vim maps most of the keyboard by default, <leader> acts as a prefix for custom user binds.
Leader is remappable, the default mapping is , most vim users change it to <Space>

Help

There's a help page for everything, start using it as soon as possible, it's like man just better and for vim.

Modes

There are a lot of modes in vim, I'll cover the important ones.
To exit from each mode back to normal press Escape. I recommend remapping it to capslock, you're going to press it a lot and it will be much easier to use the pinky without moving your hands.

• Normal - This is where you will be usually, you can move, copy in this mode, and much more
• Insert (i) - Insert text to the buffer, you want to be in this mode only when you're actually inserting text, you don't want to move in this mode
• Visual (v) - Select and copy/replace text
• Visual Line (V) - Select and copy/replace text by lines
• Command (:,/) - Inserting a command

How to map Capslock to Escape

• GNOME (Ubuntu) - Install gnome-tweak-tool, start Tweaks then Keyboard & Mouse -> Additional Layout Options -> Caps Lock behavior.
• macOS
• Windows - Install AutoHotKey and add Capslock::Esc to an ahk script.