Contents:

• Docs & Articles
• Setup
  • Installing the Python provider
• Random tips
  • Documentation
  • Surround text
  • Visual-block mode
  • Copy & Paste
  • Fold / Unfold
  • Go to …
  • Vimdiff
  • Record macros

Docs & Articles #

Important:

• Vim Cheatsheet (archive) / Github Repo (archive)
• Vim Graphical Cheatsheet (archive)

Other:

• Use Vim macros to automate frequent tasks
• Configuring .ideavimrc (archive)
• Everyone Who Tried to Convince Me to use Vim was Wrong (archive)
• Seven habits of effective text editing (archive)
• Vim - precision editing at the speed of thought (Vimeo.com video)
• Vim Adventures (game)
• Vim content by Alvin Alexander (archive)
• Vim Tips for the Intermediate Vim User (archive)
• VimGolf (archive)

Setup #

Installing the Python provider #

Some plugins require the Python provider to be available. This can be checked with the following vim command:

:checkhealth provider

This requires the pynvim Python package. It’s best if the setup uses virtualenv. On macOS prefer to use pyenv:

brew install pyenv pyenv-virtualenv

This needs the following initialization code in ~/.zshrc:

eval "$(pyenv init -)"
eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"

Then, install a Python 3 version:

pyenv install 3.10.6

Create a new virtualenv:

pyenv virtualenv 3.10.6 neovim

Activate it temporarily in your shell session:

pyenv activate neovim

Install the required Python package:

pip install pynvim

Then add this to ~/.config/nvim/init.vim:

let g:python3_host_prog=expand('~/.pyenv/versions/neovim/bin/python')

Random tips #

Documentation #

• :help
• :help g
• :help motion.txt
• :help spell.txt
• :help user-manual
• :help visual.txt

Surround text #

Functionality from vim-surround, which also works in VS Code (with VSCodeVim):

v                    # Enter visual mode
<visually select>    # Use the keyboard to select the section of text
s                    # Press upper case S
"                    # Specify what you want to surround the visual selection with

Visual-block mode #

This works like (and implemented with) multi-cursors in other editors (see VS Code (archive)).

• Ctrl-v to enter visual-block mode
  • Select block
• I (capital letter) to enter insert mode
• <Esc> to exit insert mode

Copy & Paste #

Shortcuts:

• d is for cut, y is for copy, p or P are for paste

Normally one uses the clipboard register to cut, copy and paste, which is *. So "*y copies to the system clipboard, and "*p pastes from that clipboard.

To activate the system clipboard for copy and pasting with the “unnamed” register, add this to .vimrc:

set clipboard+=unnamed

Fold / Unfold #

• zc: fold
• zo: unfold
• zM: fold all
• zR: unfold all

Go to … #

• gd: go to definition
• gx: open link
• Ctrl+O: jump back to last position

Vimdiff #

• do: Get changes from other window into the current window
• dp: Put the changes from current window into the other window.
• ]c: Jump to the next change.
• [c: Jump to the previous change.
• Ctrl W + Ctrl W: Switch to the other split window.

Record macros #

• to record macros: q<register><commands>q
  • pressing qa starts recording in register a
  • pressing q again stops recording
• to view recorded macros: :reg
• to play the macro once: @<register>
  • @a plays the macro in register a
• to repeat the macro execution: @@