How to Use the Command Line Vim Text Editor

Written by Amar Panjwani
Technical Writer

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This tutorial describes how to open, edit, and save a plain text file using the Vim text editor in a command line interface (CLI).

Why Use Vim

Vim offers a rich selection of keyboard-based shortcuts that make editing, inserting, deleting, and searching for specific use-cases speedy and efficient.

Background Information

Derived from the Vi text editor, Vim stands for "Vi IMproved".

Notable upgrades include:

Multi-Level Undo
Multiple Windows Mode
Syntax Highlighting

Modes - Input and Command

Vim has two main modes of operation: insert and command.

1. Insert Mode

In insert mode, anything typed by the user is output to the opened file. However, the user can't give shortcut commands to alter text or return to the command line.

For example, a user would use insert mode to type up a paragraph. However, a user would and could not use insert mode to give a command like dl to delete the line the cursor is on.

Press i to enter insert mode.

Press ESC to exit insert mode and enter command mode.

Note: Insert mode can be verified if an "-- INSERT --" message is shown in the bottom-left hand corner of the screen.

2. Command Mode (Default)

In command mode, anything typed by the user is processed as shortcut commands to alter the contents of the file in some shape or form. While in command mode, Vim does not input plain text into the file itself.

For example, a user would use command mode to input a command like dl to delete the line the cursor is on. A user would not use command mode to type up a paragraph.

How to Use - The Basics

Create a new file and open it in Vim.
- a. Type vim note.txt

Enter input mode.
- a. Press the i key.

Note: The -- INSERT -- status message in the bottom-left corner signals that you can now insert text.

Write in some text.
- a. Type in a message (Example: I love Linux.)

Exit insert mode.
- a. Press the ESC key.

Note: The -- INSERT -- message has now dissapeared.

Save the file (write it to disk).
- a. Type :w + ENTER

Exit (quit) Vim and return back to the command line.
- a. Type :q + ENTER

Note: Alternatively, typing :wq + ENTER writes the file and quits to the command line is one step.

Advanced Command Shortcuts

The best thing about Vim are its shortcuts.

Warning: Vim is case-sensitive, meaning it interprets the same letter as two different commands based on upper or lower casing.

Navigation

While navigation using the directional cursor keys or mouse is supported, it is recommended to use the following letter keys for quicker access to keyboard-based shortcuts:

Event	Command
Up	`k`
Left	`h`
Down	`j`
Right	`l`
Scroll up half a window	`CTRL-U`
Scroll down half a window	`CTRL-D`

Deleting Text

Move the cursor over the desired text and use the following:
Note: The following commands can also be prepended with a number for a multiplied effect.

Event	Command
Delete character	`x`
Delete word	`dw`
Delete line	`dd`
Undo last operation	`u`
Redo last operation	`CTRL-R` or `:redo` + `ENTER`

Entering Text

Event	Command
Insert blank line above and enter insert mode	`O`
Insert blank line below cursor and enter insert mode	`o`

Useful Commands

Event	Command
Force quit without saving	`:q!` + `ENTER`
Display line numbers	`:set number` + `ENTER`
Turn off line numbers	`:set nonumber` + `ENTER`
View help guides	`:help`

Moving the Cursor by Criteria

Move the cursor to the...

Event	Command
next occurrence of a specific character on the current line	`f` + `character`
previous occurrence of a specific character on the current line	`F` + `character`
beginning of the next word	`w`
beginning of the previous word	`b`
end of the next word	`e`
beginning of the next sentence	`)`
beginning of the current sentence	`)`
beginning of the next paragraph	`}`
beginning of the current paragraph	`{`
top line of the screen	`H`
middle line of the screen	`M`
bottom line of the screen	`L`

Searching for a String

Event	Command
Find the next occurrence of a string	`/` + `string` + `ENTER`
Find the previous occurrence of a string	`?` + `string` + `ENTER`
Repeat the last search	`n`
Repeat the last search in the opposite direction	`N`

More Information

You may wish to consult the following resources for additional information on this topic. While these are provided in the hope that they will be useful, please note that we cannot vouch for the accuracy or timeliness of externally hosted materials.

Official Vim Documentation

amarpan/how-to-use-the-vim-text-editor