Vim Editor: Commands, Configuration & Customization

Vim, an enhanced version of the Vi editor, is a versatile and open-source text editor available across multiple platforms. It utilizes a modal editing approach, enabling efficient text navigation and modification through keyboard commands. Widely used in Linux for tasks like configuring system files, programming, and scripting, Vim offers advanced functionalities, including multi-level undo, syntax highlighting, command-line editing, and visual text selection.

This guide walks you through using Vim on a Linux system to create, manage, and modify files effectively.

Prerequisites

Before getting started, ensure the following:

• You have access to a Linux environment.

Vim Modes and Essential Commands

Understanding Vim’s modes and associated functions is key to using the editor efficiently. Each mode is designed for specific operations like navigating, editing, selecting, or executing commands. Below are the primary modes in Vim:

Normal Mode

Vim opens in Normal mode by default. In this mode, you can move the cursor, delete or copy lines, and run commands. Press Esc to return to Normal mode from any other mode.

Common Normal mode commands:

• h, j, k, l: Move the cursor left, down, up, and right.
• dd: Delete the current line.
• yy: Copy the current line.
• p: Paste a copied line.
• u: Undo the last action.
• Ctrl + r: Redo the last undone action.
• gg: Go to the beginning of the file.
• G: Go to the end of the file.

Insert Mode

Insert mode allows text input and editing. Switch to this mode from Normal mode using one of the following commands:

• i: Begin inserting text before the cursor.
• a: Append text after the cursor.
• o: Open a new line below the current line.
• O: Open a new line above the current line.

Visual Mode

Visual mode is used for selecting and modifying blocks of text. Activate it from Normal mode using one of these commands:

• v: Start character-wise selection.
• V: Start line-wise selection.
• Ctrl + v: Start block-wise selection.

In Visual mode, the following commands are available:

• h, j, k, l or Arrow keys: Move the cursor and adjust the selection.
• d: Delete selected text.
• y: Copy selected text.
• x: Cut selected text.
• p: Paste over the selected area.
• >: Indent selected lines.
• <: Unindent selected lines.

Command-line Mode

Command-line mode is used for administrative operations like saving, quitting, and changing settings. To enter this mode, press : from Normal mode.

Useful command-line mode commands include:

• :w: Save the current file.
• :q: Exit Vim.
• :wq: Save and exit.
• :q!: Exit without saving.
• :set number: Show line numbers.
• :set nonumber: Hide line numbers.
• :/word: Search for “word” in the file.

Create Files Using Vim

Vim lets you create files directly by specifying the file name when launching the editor. Use the following command format to create a new file with Vim:

$ vim FILENAME

For instance, the command below creates a new file named vimExample:

$ vim vimExample

This command opens a blank Vim editor where you can write content and then save the file to complete its creation.

After adding your content, press Esc to exit insert mode, then type :wq to save and close Vim.

Open Files Using Vim

Vim is a powerful tool for opening and managing one or more files. Here’s how you can open files and navigate between them using Vim.

To open a file, specify its name after the vim command as shown below:

$ vim existingFile

This command opens the file named existingFile for editing. If the file is not present, Vim opens an empty buffer so you can create it.

You can also open multiple files at once by listing them in the command:

$ vim file1 file2

This opens file1 and file2 in separate buffers within Vim.

To navigate between multiple files in Vim, use the following commands:

• :n or :next: Switches to the next file.
• :prev or :previous: Goes back to the previous file.

Edit Files Using Vim

Vim offers flexible tools for editing text, reversing mistakes, and saving changes. You can write or modify content in Insert mode, undo or redo edits, and save files with or without administrative access. The steps below guide you through these actions.

Add Text to the File

To input text, you first need to enter Insert mode. The process below outlines how to begin editing a file:

Open the file using Vim:

$ vim filename

Then press i to enter Insert mode and start typing your content.

Press Esc to return to Normal mode when you're done editing.

Undo and Redo Changes

You can easily undo and redo changes in Vim, which helps fix errors or revert recent modifications:

• Press u in Normal mode to undo the most recent change.
• Press Ctrl + r to redo the last undone change.

Save Files Using Vim

Once you've made changes, save your file by entering command-line mode and using the following command:

:w

To save a file that requires elevated privileges, use the command below:

:w !sudo tee %

This saves the file using superuser permissions. After saving, exit Vim by typing :q and pressing Enter.

Find and Replace Text Using Vim

Vim includes powerful commands for locating and replacing text, making it easy to update or manage content within a file.

Find Text

To search for specific text patterns, use the following command in command-line mode, replacing pattern with your search term:

:/pattern

To highlight all matches of a pattern:

:set hlsearch

To remove the highlighting:

:nohlsearch

Replace Text

To replace a specific string throughout the entire file, use the following command. Replace old with the text you want to find and new with the replacement:

:%s/old/new/g

To restrict the replacement to a specific range of lines, prefix the command with the starting and ending line numbers:

:6,8s/old/new/g

To display line numbers in the file, use:

:set number

If you want to be prompted for confirmation before each replacement, use the c option:

:%s/old/new/gc

This command will ask for confirmation on each match (press y to replace, a for all, n to skip).

Cut, Copy, and Paste Text Using Vim

This section shows you how to effectively cut, copy, and paste content in Vim. These operations allow you to move or duplicate text quickly and accurately.

Cut Text

To cut text in Vim:

• Press v to enter Visual mode.
• Use arrow keys or h, j, k, l to select the text.
• Press d to cut the selected portion.

Additional cutting methods:

• To cut a single line, press dd in Normal mode.
• To cut several lines, use d followed by a movement. For instance, 3j cuts the current line and the next two lines.

Copy (Yank) Text

To copy text in Vim:

• Press v to enter Visual mode.
• Select the text with arrow keys or h, j, k, l.
• Press y to copy the selected portion.

More ways to copy:

• To copy a single line, use yy in Normal mode.
• To copy multiple lines, press y followed by a movement like 3j to copy the current line and the next two.

Paste Text

To paste previously copied or cut text:

• Press p to paste after the cursor.
• Press P to paste before the cursor.
• To paste multiple times, press a number followed by p (e.g., 3p to paste three times).

Delete Lines in Vim

Vim offers various ways to delete lines. Normally, deleted content is saved in a register, so you can paste it later. To discard it without saving, use the black hole register "_.

Delete a Single Line

• Place the cursor anywhere on the line and press dd to delete it.
• To delete the line without saving it, use "_dd.

Delete Multiple Lines

• Use ndd to remove multiple lines from the current position (replace n with a number). For example, 3dd deletes the current and next two lines.
• To delete without saving, use "_ndd, like "_3dd.

Delete Lines to the End of File

• Press dG to delete from the current line to the file’s end.
• Use "_dG to delete without saving the content.

Delete Lines at the Beginning of a File

• Press dgg to delete from the current line to the start of the file.
• Use "_dgg to remove lines without saving them.

Customize Vim

Vim provides extensive customization through settings, key mappings, and plugins. The .vimrc file is the central place to define these configurations, allowing you to adjust the editor’s behavior and interface.

Modify the .vimrc File

The .vimrc file stores user-specific settings for Vim. Open the file using the following command:

$ vim ~/.vimrc

Add desired settings to tailor Vim to your needs. Below are a few examples:

Show line numbers:

set number

Enable syntax highlighting:

syntax on

Highlight matching brackets:

set showmatch

Highlight the current cursor line:

set cursorline

Customize Colors and Themes in Vim

Vim supports different color schemes to personalize the editor's appearance. Use the following command to see which theme is active:

:colorscheme

To list all available color schemes, type :colorscheme followed by a space and press Ctrl + D. You will see a list like:

blue, delek, evening, koehler, murphy, quiet, shine, torte, zellner, darkblue, desert, habamax, lunaperche, pablo, retrobox, slate, wildcharm, default, elflord, industry, morning, peachpuff, ron, sorbet, zaibatsu

To apply a color scheme, use:

:colorscheme habamax

To make the color scheme permanent, add it to your .vimrc:

colorscheme habamax

Map Custom Keys in Vim

You can create key shortcuts in Vim by mapping keys in your .vimrc file.

Open .vimrc:

$ vim ~/.vimrc

Map qq in Insert mode to switch to Normal mode:

inoremap qq 

Map Ctrl + S to save a file:

nnoremap  :w<CR>
inoremap  :w<CR>a

Map q to quit Vim:

nnoremap q :q<CR>

Map Ctrl + V to paste from the system clipboard:

nnoremap <C-v> "+p
inoremap <C-v> <Esc>"+pi"

Install and Manage Plugins in Vim

Plugins extend Vim’s capabilities. You can manage plugins using a tool like vim-plug. Follow these steps to install and use it:

Install vim-plug:

$ curl -fLo ~/.vim/autoload/plug.vim --create-dirs https://raw.githubusercontent.com/junegunn/vim-plug/master/plug.vim

Edit .vimrc and define plugins:

call plug#begin('~/.vim/plugged')
Plug 'vim-airline/vim-airline' " Status bar enhancement
Plug 'tpope/vim-commentary' " Easy commenting
call plug#end()

This configuration adds the vim-airline and vim-commentary plugins.

Install plugins from within Vim:

:PlugInstall

Managing Plugins Using vim-plug

• Update plugins:

:PlugUpdate

• Remove unused plugins:

:PlugClean

• Check plugin status:

:PlugStatus

To explore more plugins, visit the Vim Awesome website and browse available tools for enhancing your Vim experience.

Exit Vim

There are multiple ways to exit Vim based on whether or not you wish to save changes. Use the following commands depending on your situation:

Save and exit Vim:

:wq

Exit without saving changes:

:q!

Exit Vim (if no changes need to be saved):

:q

Exit all open files:

:qa

Exit all open files without saving changes:

:qa!

Conclusion

You have now learned how to use Vim in Linux for file creation, editing, and navigation. You also explored syntax highlighting, color scheme customization, and key mapping to enhance your workflow. For additional configuration options and advanced usage, enter the following command to access the Vim manual:

man vim