129 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
129 lines
5.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Modes in Vim
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---
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# Vim Modes
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Because Vim is focused on changing existing code just as much as writing new
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code, it is split into several modes that each have different purposes.
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### Normal Mode
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By default, Vim starts in "normal" mode.
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Normal mode can be accessed from other modes by pressing `Esc` or `<C-[>`.
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In Normal mode key presses don't work as one would expect. That is, they don't insert text into the document; instead,
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certain key presses can:
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#### Move the cursor
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- **h** move one character left
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- **j** move one row down
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- **k** move one row up
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- **l** move one character right
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As many vim commands, row movement can be prefixed by a number to move several lines at a time:
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- **4j** move 4 rows down
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- **6k** move 6 rows up
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Basic word movements:
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- **w** move to beginning of next word
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- **b** move to previous beginning of word
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- **e** move to end of word
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- **W** move to beginning of next word after a whitespace
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- **B** move to beginning of previous word before a whitespace
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- **E** move to end of word before a whitespace
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Beginning/End of line movement:
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- **0** move to the beginning of the line
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- **$** move to the end of the line
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#### Manipulate text
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#### Enter other modes
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**Normal mode** is where one should spend most of their time while using Vim. Remember,
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this is what makes Vim different.
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In normal mode, there are multiple ways to move around an open file. In addition
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to using the cursor keys to move around, you can use `h` (left), `j` (down), `k`
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(up), and `l` (right) to move as well. This particularly helps touch typists who
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don’t like leaving the home row when making changes.
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You can also make changes to single characters in normal mode. For example, to
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replace a single character, move your cursor over it and press `r`, and then the
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character you want to replace it with. Similarly, you can delete single characters
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by moving your cursor over it and pressing `x`.
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To perform an undo, press `u` in normal mode. This undoes changes up to the last
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time you were in normal mode. If you want to redo (*i.e.*, undo your undo) press
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`Ctrl+r` in normal mode.
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### Insert Mode
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This is the second most used mode, and will be the most familiar behavior
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to most people. Once in insert mode, typing inserts characters just like a regular
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text editor. You can enter it by using an insert command from normal mode.
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Insert commands include:
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- `i` for '**i**nsert', this immediately switches vim to insert mode
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- `a` for '**a**ppend', this moves the cursor after the current character and enters insert mode
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- `o` inserts a new line below the current line and enters insert mode on the new line
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These commands have an uppercase variety too:
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- `I` moves the cursor to the beginning of the line and enters insert mode
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- `A` moves the cursor to the end of the line and enters insert mode
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- `O` inserts a new line above the current one and enters insert mode on the new line
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There are so many more ways of inserting text in Vim that can't be listed here
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but these are the simplest. Also, beware of staying in insert mode for too long; Vim is
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not designed to be used in insert mode all the time.
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To leave insert mode and return to normal mode, press `Esc` or `<C-[>`
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### Visual Mode
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Visual mode is used to make selections of text, similar to how clicking and dragging with a
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mouse behaves. Selecting text allows commands to apply only to the selection, such as copying,
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deleting, replacing, and so on.
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To make a text selection:
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- Press `v` to enter visual mode, this will also mark a starting selection point
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- Move the cursor to the desired end selection point; vim will provide a visual
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highlight of the text selection
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Visual mode also has the following variants:
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- `V` to enter visual line mode, this will make text selections by line
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- `<C-V>` to enter visual block mode, this will make text selections by blocks; moving the
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cursor will make rectangle selections of the text
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To leave visual mode and return to normal mode, press `Esc` or `<C-[>`.
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The visual mode actually has multiple subtypes: *visual*, *block-visual* and *linewise-visual*
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- *visual*: like described above. Enter by pressing `v`
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- *block-visual*: select any rectangular region. Enter by pressing `<ctrl>+v`
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- *linewise-visual*: always select full lines. Enter by pressing `<shift>+v`
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### Command Mode
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Command mode has a wide variety of commands and can do things that normal mode
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can't do as easily. To enter command mode type ':' from normal mode and then
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type your command which should appear at the bottom of the window.
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For example, to do a global find and replace type `:%s/foo/bar/g` to replace
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all 'foo' with 'bar'
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- `:` Enters command mode
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- `%` Means across all lines
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- `s` Means substitute
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- `/foo` is regex to find things to replace
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- `/bar/` is regex to replace things with
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- `/g` means global, otherwise it would only execute once per line
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Vim has a number of other methods that you can read about in the help
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documentation, `:h` or `:help`.
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### Replace Mode
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Replace mode allows you replace existing text by directly typing over it.
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Before entering this mode, get into normal mode and put your cursor
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on top of the first character that you want to replace. Then press 'R' (capital R) to
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enter replace mode. Now whatever you type will replace the existing text. The
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cursor automatically moves to the next character just like in insert mode. The
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only difference is that every character you type will replace the existing one.
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