/nvim-cheat-sheet

Various helpfull nvim commands.

nvim-cheat-sheet

A list of helpfull commands in nvim

Before reading

  • Always assume we are in normal mode unless explicitely specified
  • This guide uses the default commands (no remapping unless explicity specified)
  • For a config template: see my nvim config here

The basics

Open File

:help file

  • nvim filename1 filename2 open files filename1 and filename2 with nvim

Normal Mode

:help normal

  • ESC or ctrl+[ return to normal mode

Save File

:help save-file :help quit
Note that ! can be appended to the following commands to force it (i.e :wq!)

  • :w write to current file
  • :q quit file (must be saved before)
  • :wq or :x write & quit
  • :saveas save current file into another file
    Here are a few equivalent shorthands
  • ZZ is like :x
  • ZQ is like :q!

Insert Mode

:help insert

  • i enter insert mode

Replace mode

:help replace

  • r enter replace mode

Movement

:help movement

  • gg go to first line of file
  • G go to last line of file
  • 5G go to line 5
  • % go to next part of parenthesis, bracket etc.
  • up or k move up
  • down or j move down
  • left or h move left
  • right of l move right

Undo / Redo

:help undo

  • u undo one change
  • CTRL-R redo one change
  • :undolist show the undo list (usefull when undo branching happens)

Paste

:help paste

  • p paste content of unnnamed register after cursor
  • "aP paste the content of register a before cursor

Yanking

:help yank

  • yw yank word forward into unnnamed register
  • "ayW yank WORD forward into register a
  • "+yy yank current line to clipboard
  • y} yank paragraph into unnnamed register

Repetition

  • . will repeat the previous command if possible
    (Concept) Many commands can be executed multiple times by prepending them with any number, which represent the number of repetition we need.
  • 5i will enter insert mode and insert 5 times the content written
  • 7dd wil delete the 7 following lines, including the current one
  • 99yy will yank 99 lines, including the current one
  • etc.

The Advanced Stuff

Searching

:help search

  • /word to enter forward search mode and search word
  • n while forward searching to go forward
  • N while forward searching to go backward
  • * search current word forward
  • # search current word backwards
  • ctrl+o return to previous position before search

Registers (yank & paste buffers)

:help registers

  • "" the unnamed (default) register
  • "a overwrite version of register a
  • "A append version of register a
  • "+ the clipboard
  • "_ the black hole register, does nothing (not affecting the other registers
  • "/ the last used regex register

Insert Completion

:help ins-completion
while in insert mode

  • ctrl+n any completion
  • ctrl+x + ctrl+n keyword in file
  • ctrl+x + ctrl+k words in dictionary
  • ctrl+x + ctrl+t words in thesaurus
  • ctrl+x + ctrl+f filenames

Recording

  • qa will start a recording in overwrite mode in register a
  • qA will start a recording in append mode in register a
  • @a will execute the recording in regester a

Formatting

:help formatting

  • ~ swap character between UPPER lower
  • gUw make word UPPER
  • guw make word lower
  • gqq format current line
  • gqap format current paragraph
  • gqG format from current line to end of file

Tags

:help tags

  • ctags must be present in the root directory to allow jumping.
  • ctrl+] jump to tag on cursor
  • ctrl+t go to position prior to tag jump

Jump Motions

:help jump-motions

  • ctrl+o go to previous position in jump list
  • ctrl+i go to next position in jump list
  • :ju show jump list

Substitute (search and replace)

:help substitute

  • :<range>s/<regex_expr>/<replacement>/<flag>

Range

:help range

  • % for the whole file.
  • '<,'> for the lines of visually selected block. This might get you more than you want of the visual selection starts or ends in the middle of a line. The whole line is included.
  • 'a,'b from mark a to mark b.
  • .,$ from the current line to the end of the file.
  • .,.+10 from current line to 10 lines below current line
  • :help :range for more

Regex

:help regex

Flag

:help s_flags

  • c ask to confirm before each substitution
  • g replace all occurences on the line (as opposed to the first occurence)
  • i ignorecase for regex pattern
  • I dont ignorecase for regex pattern

Folding

:help folding

  • za while in a code block to toggle between collapsed / normal

Visual Block mode

:help block

  • ctrl+v enter visual block mode (I remapped to v cuz normal visual mode sucks)
    while in visual block mode
  • I enter block insert mode which will insert before the cursor for every line in block
  • shift+$ select the whole block from left to right
  • A enter block append mode which will append after the cursor for every line in block