quickref.txt For Vim version 7.4. Last change: 2014 Nov 19LINK
VIM REFERENCE MANUAL by Bram Moolenaar
Quick reference guide
quickref ContentsLINK
tag subject tag subject
Q_ct list of help files Q_re Repeating commands
Q_lr motion: Left-right Q_km Key mapping
Q_ud motion: Up-down Q_ab Abbreviations
Q_tm motion: Text object Q_op Options
Q_pa motion: Pattern searches Q_ur Undo/Redo commands
Q_ma motion: Marks Q_et External commands
Q_vm motion: Various Q_qf Quickfix commands
Q_ta motion: Using tags Q_vc Various commands
Q_sc Scrolling Q_ce Ex: Command-line editing
Q_in insert: Inserting text Q_ra Ex: Ranges
Q_ai insert: Keys Q_ex Ex: Special characters
Q_ss insert: Special keys Q_st Starting Vim
Q_di insert: Digraphs Q_ed Editing a file
Q_si insert: Special inserts Q_fl Using the argument list
Q_de change: Deleting text Q_wq Writing and quitting
Q_cm change: Copying and moving Q_ac Automatic commands
Q_ch change: Changing text Q_wi Multi-window commands
Q_co change: Complex Q_bu Buffer list commands
Q_vi Visual mode Q_sy Syntax highlighting
Q_to Text objects Q_gu GUI commands
Q_fo Folding
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
N is used to indicate an optional count that can be given before the command.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_lr Left-right motionsLINK
h N h left (also: CTRL-H, <BS>, or <Left> key)
l N l right (also: <Space> or <Right> key)
0 0 to first character in the line (also: <Home> key)
^ ^ to first non-blank character in the line
$ N $ to the last character in the line (N-1 lines lower)
(also: <End> key)
g0 g0 to first character in screen line (differs from "0"
when lines wrap)
g^ g^ to first non-blank character in screen line (differs
from "^" when lines wrap)
g$ N g$ to last character in screen line (differs from "$"
when lines wrap)
gm gm to middle of the screen line
bar N | to column N (default: 1)
f N f{char} to the Nth occurrence of {char} to the right
F N F{char} to the Nth occurrence of {char} to the left
t N t{char} till before the Nth occurrence of {char} to the right
T N T{char} till before the Nth occurrence of {char} to the left
; N ; repeat the last "f", "F", "t", or "T" N times
, N , repeat the last "f", "F", "t", or "T" N times in
opposite direction
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ud Up-down motionsLINK
k N k up N lines (also: CTRL-P and <Up>)
j N j down N lines (also: CTRL-J, CTRL-N, <NL>, and <Down>)
- N - up N lines, on the first non-blank character
+ N + down N lines, on the first non-blank character (also:
CTRL-M and <CR>)
_ N _ down N-1 lines, on the first non-blank character
G N G goto line N (default: last line), on the first
non-blank character
gg N gg goto line N (default: first line), on the first
non-blank character
N% N % goto line N percentage down in the file; N must be
given, otherwise it is the % command
gk N gk up N screen lines (differs from "k" when line wraps)
gj N gj down N screen lines (differs from "j" when line wraps)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_tm Text object motionsLINK
w N w N words forward
W N W N blank-separated WORDs forward
e N e forward to the end of the Nth word
E N E forward to the end of the Nth blank-separated WORD
b N b N words backward
B N B N blank-separated WORDs backward
ge N ge backward to the end of the Nth word
gE N gE backward to the end of the Nth blank-separated WORD
) N ) N sentences forward
( N ( N sentences backward
} N } N paragraphs forward
{ N { N paragraphs backward
]] N ]] N sections forward, at start of section
[[ N [[ N sections backward, at start of section
][ N ][ N sections forward, at end of section
[] N [] N sections backward, at end of section
[( N [( N times back to unclosed '('
[{ N [{ N times back to unclosed '{'
[m N [m N times back to start of method (for Java)
[M N [M N times back to end of method (for Java)
]) N ]) N times forward to unclosed ')'
]} N ]} N times forward to unclosed '}'
]m N ]m N times forward to start of method (for Java)
]M N ]M N times forward to end of method (for Java)
[# N [# N times back to unclosed "#if" or "#else"
]# N ]# N times forward to unclosed "#else" or "#endif"
[star N [* N times back to start of comment "/*"
]star N ]* N times forward to end of comment "*/"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_pa Pattern searchesLINK
/ N /{pattern}[/[offset]]<CR>
search forward for the Nth occurrence of {pattern}
? N ?{pattern}[?[offset]]<CR>
search backward for the Nth occurrence of {pattern}
/<CR> N /<CR> repeat last search, in the forward direction
?<CR> N ?<CR> repeat last search, in the backward direction
n N n repeat last search
N N N repeat last search, in opposite direction
star N * search forward for the identifier under the cursor
# N # search backward for the identifier under the cursor
gstar N g* like "*", but also find partial matches
g# N g# like "#", but also find partial matches
gd gd goto local declaration of identifier under the cursor
gD gD goto global declaration of identifier under the cursor
pattern Special characters in search patterns
meaning magic nomagic
matches any single character . \.
matches start of line ^ ^
matches <EOL> $ $
matches start of word \< \<
matches end of word \> \>
matches a single char from the range [a-z] \[a-z]
matches a single char not in the range [^a-z] \[^a-z]
matches an identifier char \i \i
idem but excluding digits \I \I
matches a keyword character \k \k
idem but excluding digits \K \K
matches a file name character \f \f
idem but excluding digits \F \F
matches a printable character \p \p
idem but excluding digits \P \P
matches a white space character \s \s
matches a non-white space character \S \S
matches <Esc> \e \e
matches <Tab> \t \t
matches <CR> \r \r
matches <BS> \b \b
matches 0 or more of the preceding atom * \*
matches 1 or more of the preceding atom \+ \+
matches 0 or 1 of the preceding atom \= \=
matches 2 to 5 of the preceding atom \{2,5} \{2,5}
separates two alternatives \| \|
group a pattern into an atom \(\) \(\)
search-offset Offsets allowed after search command
[num] [num] lines downwards, in column 1
+[num] [num] lines downwards, in column 1
-[num] [num] lines upwards, in column 1
e[+num] [num] characters to the right of the end of the match
e[-num] [num] characters to the left of the end of the match
s[+num] [num] characters to the right of the start of the match
s[-num] [num] characters to the left of the start of the match
b[+num] [num] identical to s[+num] above (mnemonic: begin)
b[-num] [num] identical to s[-num] above (mnemonic: begin)
;{search-command} execute {search-command} next
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ma Marks and motionsLINK
m m{a-zA-Z} mark current position with mark {a-zA-Z}
`a `{a-z} go to mark {a-z} within current file
`A `{A-Z} go to mark {A-Z} in any file
`0 `{0-9} go to the position where Vim was previously exited
`` `` go to the position before the last jump
`quote `" go to the position when last editing this file
`[ `[ go to the start of the previously operated or put text
`] `] go to the end of the previously operated or put text
`< `< go to the start of the (previous) Visual area
`> `> go to the end of the (previous) Visual area
`. `. go to the position of the last change in this file
' '{a-zA-Z0-9[]'"<>.}
same as `, but on the first non-blank in the line
:marks :marks print the active marks
CTRL-O N CTRL-O go to Nth older position in jump list
CTRL-I N CTRL-I go to Nth newer position in jump list
:ju :ju[mps] print the jump list
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_vm Various motionsLINK
% % find the next brace, bracket, comment, or "#if"/
"#else"/"#endif" in this line and go to its match
H N H go to the Nth line in the window, on the first
non-blank
M M go to the middle line in the window, on the first
non-blank
L N L go to the Nth line from the bottom, on the first
non-blank
go N go go to Nth byte in the buffer
:go :[range]go[to] [off] go to [off] byte in the buffer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ta Using tagsLINK
:ta :ta[g][!] {tag} jump to tag {tag}
:ta :[count]ta[g][!] jump to [count]'th newer tag in tag list
CTRL-] CTRL-] jump to the tag under cursor, unless changes
have been made
:ts :ts[elect][!] [tag] list matching tags and select one to jump to
:tjump :tj[ump][!] [tag] jump to tag [tag] or select from list when
there are multiple matches
:ltag :lt[ag][!] [tag] jump to tag [tag] and add matching tags to the
location list
:tags :tags print tag list
CTRL-T N CTRL-T jump back from Nth older tag in tag list
:po :[count]po[p][!] jump back from [count]'th older tag in tag list
:tnext :[count]tn[ext][!] jump to [count]'th next matching tag
:tp :[count]tp[revious][!] jump to [count]'th previous matching tag
:tr :[count]tr[ewind][!] jump to [count]'th matching tag
:tl :tl[ast][!] jump to last matching tag
:ptag :pt[ag] {tag} open a preview window to show tag {tag}
CTRL-W_} CTRL-W } like CTRL-] but show tag in preview window
:pts :pts[elect] like ":tselect" but show tag in preview window
:ptjump :ptj[ump] like ":tjump" but show tag in preview window
:pclose :pc[lose] close tag preview window
CTRL-W_z CTRL-W z close tag preview window
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_sc ScrollingLINK
CTRL-E N CTRL-E window N lines downwards (default: 1)
CTRL-D N CTRL-D window N lines Downwards (default: 1/2 window)
CTRL-F N CTRL-F window N pages Forwards (downwards)
CTRL-Y N CTRL-Y window N lines upwards (default: 1)
CTRL-U N CTRL-U window N lines Upwards (default: 1/2 window)
CTRL-B N CTRL-B window N pages Backwards (upwards)
z<CR> z<CR> or zt redraw, current line at top of window
z. z. or zz redraw, current line at center of window
z- z- or zb redraw, current line at bottom of window
These only work when 'wrap' is off:
zh N zh scroll screen N characters to the right
zl N zl scroll screen N characters to the left
zH N zH scroll screen half a screenwidth to the right
zL N zL scroll screen half a screenwidth to the left
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_in Inserting textLINK
a N a append text after the cursor (N times)
A N A append text at the end of the line (N times)
i N i insert text before the cursor (N times) (also: <Insert>)
I N I insert text before the first non-blank in the line (N times)
gI N gI insert text in column 1 (N times)
o N o open a new line below the current line, append text (N times)
O N O open a new line above the current line, append text (N times)
:startinsert :star[tinsert][!] start Insert mode, append when [!] used
:startreplace :startr[eplace][!] start Replace mode, at EOL when [!] used
in Visual block mode:
v_b_I I insert the same text in front of all the selected lines
v_b_A A append the same text after all the selected lines
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ai Insert mode keysLINK
insert-index alphabetical index of Insert mode commands
leaving Insert mode:
i_<Esc> <Esc> end Insert mode, back to Normal mode
i_CTRL-C CTRL-C like <Esc>, but do not use an abbreviation
i_CTRL-O CTRL-O {command} execute {command} and return to Insert mode
moving around:
i_<Up> cursor keys move cursor left/right/up/down
i_<S-Left> shift-left/right one word left/right
i_<S-Up> shift-up/down one screenful backward/forward
i_<End> <End> cursor after last character in the line
i_<Home> <Home> cursor to first character in the line
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ss Special keys in Insert modeLINK
i_CTRL-V CTRL-V {char}.. insert character literally, or enter decimal
byte value
i_<NL> <NL> or <CR> or CTRL-M or CTRL-J
begin new line
i_CTRL-E CTRL-E insert the character from below the cursor
i_CTRL-Y CTRL-Y insert the character from above the cursor
i_CTRL-A CTRL-A insert previously inserted text
i_CTRL-@ CTRL-@ insert previously inserted text and stop
Insert mode
i_CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z%#:.-="} insert the contents of a register
i_CTRL-N CTRL-N insert next match of identifier before the
cursor
i_CTRL-P CTRL-P insert previous match of identifier before
the cursor
i_CTRL-X CTRL-X ... complete the word before the cursor in
various ways
i_<BS> <BS> or CTRL-H delete the character before the cursor
i_<Del> <Del> delete the character under the cursor
i_CTRL-W CTRL-W delete word before the cursor
i_CTRL-U CTRL-U delete all entered characters in the current
line
i_CTRL-T CTRL-T insert one shiftwidth of indent in front of
the current line
i_CTRL-D CTRL-D delete one shiftwidth of indent in front of
the current line
i_0_CTRL-D 0 CTRL-D delete all indent in the current line
i_^_CTRL-D ^ CTRL-D delete all indent in the current line,
restore indent in next line
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_di DigraphsLINK
:dig :dig[raphs] show current list of digraphs
:dig :dig[raphs] {char1}{char2} {number} ...
add digraph(s) to the list
In Insert or Command-line mode:
i_CTRL-K CTRL-K {char1} {char2}
enter digraph
i_digraph {char1} <BS> {char2}
enter digraph if 'digraph' option set
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_si Special insertsLINK
:r :r [file] insert the contents of [file] below the cursor
:r! :r! {command} insert the standard output of {command} below the
cursor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_de Deleting textLINK
x N x delete N characters under and after the cursor
<Del> N <Del> delete N characters under and after the cursor
X N X delete N characters before the cursor
d N d{motion} delete the text that is moved over with {motion}
v_d {visual}d delete the highlighted text
dd N dd delete N lines
D N D delete to the end of the line (and N-1 more lines)
J N J join N-1 lines (delete <EOL>s)
v_J {visual}J join the highlighted lines
gJ N gJ like "J", but without inserting spaces
v_gJ {visual}gJ like "{visual}J", but without inserting spaces
:d :[range]d [x] delete [range] lines [into register x]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_cm Copying and moving textLINK
quote "{char} use register {char} for the next delete, yank, or put
:reg :reg show the contents of all registers
:reg :reg {arg} show the contents of registers mentioned in {arg}
y N y{motion} yank the text moved over with {motion} into a register
v_y {visual}y yank the highlighted text into a register
yy N yy yank N lines into a register
Y N Y yank N lines into a register
p N p put a register after the cursor position (N times)
P N P put a register before the cursor position (N times)
]p N ]p like p, but adjust indent to current line
[p N [p like P, but adjust indent to current line
gp N gp like p, but leave cursor after the new text
gP N gP like P, but leave cursor after the new text
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ch Changing textLINK
r N r{char} replace N characters with {char}
gr N gr{char} replace N characters without affecting layout
R N R enter Replace mode (repeat the entered text N times)
gR N gR enter virtual Replace mode: Like Replace mode but
without affecting layout
v_b_r {visual}r{char}
in Visual block mode: Replace each char of the
selected text with {char}
(change = delete text and enter Insert mode)
c N c{motion} change the text that is moved over with {motion}
v_c {visual}c change the highlighted text
cc N cc change N lines
S N S change N lines
C N C change to the end of the line (and N-1 more lines)
s N s change N characters
v_b_c {visual}c in Visual block mode: Change each of the selected
lines with the entered text
v_b_C {visual}C in Visual block mode: Change each of the selected
lines until end-of-line with the entered text
~ N ~ switch case for N characters and advance cursor
v_~ {visual}~ switch case for highlighted text
v_u {visual}u make highlighted text lowercase
v_U {visual}U make highlighted text uppercase
g~ g~{motion} switch case for the text that is moved over with
{motion}
gu gu{motion} make the text that is moved over with {motion}
lowercase
gU gU{motion} make the text that is moved over with {motion}
uppercase
v_g? {visual}g? perform rot13 encoding on highlighted text
g? g?{motion} perform rot13 encoding on the text that is moved over
with {motion}
CTRL-A N CTRL-A add N to the number at or after the cursor
CTRL-X N CTRL-X subtract N from the number at or after the cursor
< N <{motion} move the lines that are moved over with {motion} one
shiftwidth left
<< N << move N lines one shiftwidth left
> N >{motion} move the lines that are moved over with {motion} one
shiftwidth right
>> N >> move N lines one shiftwidth right
gq N gq{motion} format the lines that are moved over with {motion} to
'textwidth' length
:ce :[range]ce[nter] [width]
center the lines in [range]
:le :[range]le[ft] [indent]
left-align the lines in [range] (with [indent])
:ri :[range]ri[ght] [width]
right-align the lines in [range]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_co Complex changesLINK
! N !{motion}{command}<CR>
filter the lines that are moved over through {command}
!! N !!{command}<CR>
filter N lines through {command}
v_! {visual}!{command}<CR>
filter the highlighted lines through {command}
:range! :[range]! {command}<CR>
filter [range] lines through {command}
= N ={motion}
filter the lines that are moved over through 'equalprg'
== N == filter N lines through 'equalprg'
v_= {visual}=
filter the highlighted lines through 'equalprg'
:s :[range]s[ubstitute]/{pattern}/{string}/[g][c]
substitute {pattern} by {string} in [range] lines;
with [g], replace all occurrences of {pattern};
with [c], confirm each replacement
:s :[range]s[ubstitute] [g][c]
repeat previous ":s" with new range and options
& & Repeat previous ":s" on current line without options
:ret :[range]ret[ab][!] [tabstop]
set 'tabstop' to new value and adjust white space
accordingly
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_vi Visual modeLINK
visual-index list of Visual mode commands.
v v start highlighting characters } move cursor and use
V V start highlighting linewise } operator to affect
CTRL-V CTRL-V start highlighting blockwise } highlighted text
v_o o exchange cursor position with start of highlighting
gv gv start highlighting on previous visual area
v_v v highlight characters or stop highlighting
v_V V highlight linewise or stop highlighting
v_CTRL-V CTRL-V highlight blockwise or stop highlighting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_to Text objects (only in Visual mode or after an operator)LINK
v_aw N aw Select "a word"
v_iw N iw Select "inner word"
v_as N as Select "a sentence"
v_is N is Select "inner sentence"
v_ap N ap Select "a paragraph"
v_ip N ip Select "inner paragraph"
v_ab N ab Select "a block" (from "[(" to "])")
v_ib N ib Select "inner block" (from "[(" to "])")
v_aB N aB Select "a Block" (from "[{" to "]}")
v_iB N iB Select "inner Block" (from "[{" to "]}")
v_a> N a> Select "a <> block"
v_i> N i> Select "inner <> block"
v_at N at Select "a tag block" (from <aaa> to </aaa>)
v_it N it Select "inner tag block" (from <aaa> to </aaa>)
v_a' N a' Select "a single quoted string"
v_i' N i' Select "inner single quoted string"
v_aquote N a" Select "a double quoted string"
v_iquote N i" Select "inner double quoted string"
v_a` N a` Select "a backward quoted string"
v_i` N i` Select "inner backward quoted string"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_re Repeating commandsLINK
. N . repeat last change (with count replaced with N)
q q{a-z} record typed characters into register {a-z}
q q{A-Z} record typed characters, appended to register {a-z}
q q stop recording
@ N @{a-z} execute the contents of register {a-z} (N times)
@@ N @@ repeat previous @{a-z} (N times)
:@ :@{a-z} execute the contents of register {a-z} as an Ex
command
:@@ :@@ repeat previous :@{a-z}
:g :[range]g[lobal]/{pattern}/[cmd]
execute Ex command [cmd] (default: ":p") on the lines
within [range] where {pattern} matches
:g :[range]g[lobal]!/{pattern}/[cmd]
execute Ex command [cmd] (default: ":p") on the lines
within [range] where {pattern} does NOT match
:so :so[urce] {file}
read Ex commands from {file}
:so :so[urce]! {file}
read Vim commands from {file}
:sl :sl[eep] [sec]
don't do anything for [sec] seconds
gs N gs goto Sleep for N seconds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_km Key mappingLINK
:map :ma[p] {lhs} {rhs} map {lhs} to {rhs} in Normal and Visual mode
:map! :ma[p]! {lhs} {rhs} map {lhs} to {rhs} in Insert and Command-line
mode
:noremap :no[remap][!] {lhs} {rhs}
same as ":map", no remapping for this {rhs}
:unmap :unm[ap] {lhs} remove the mapping of {lhs} for Normal and
Visual mode
:unmap! :unm[ap]! {lhs} remove the mapping of {lhs} for Insert and
Command-line mode
:map_l :ma[p] [lhs] list mappings (starting with [lhs]) for
Normal and Visual mode
:map_l! :ma[p]! [lhs] list mappings (starting with [lhs]) for
Insert and Command-line mode
:cmap :cmap/:cunmap/:cnoremap
like ":map!"/":unmap!"/":noremap!" but for
Command-line mode only
:imap :imap/:iunmap/:inoremap
like ":map!"/":unmap!"/":noremap!" but for
Insert mode only
:nmap :nmap/:nunmap/:nnoremap
like ":map"/":unmap"/":noremap" but for
Normal mode only
:vmap :vmap/:vunmap/:vnoremap
like ":map"/":unmap"/":noremap" but for
Visual mode only
:omap :omap/:ounmap/:onoremap
like ":map"/":unmap"/":noremap" but only for
when an operator is pending
:mapc :mapc[lear] remove mappings for Normal and Visual mode
:mapc :mapc[lear]! remove mappings for Insert and Cmdline mode
:imapc :imapc[lear] remove mappings for Insert mode
:vmapc :vmapc[lear] remove mappings for Visual mode
:omapc :omapc[lear] remove mappings for Operator-pending mode
:nmapc :nmapc[lear] remove mappings for Normal mode
:cmapc :cmapc[lear] remove mappings for Cmdline mode
:mkexrc :mk[exrc][!] [file] write current mappings, abbreviations, and
settings to [file] (default: ".exrc";
use ! to overwrite)
:mkvimrc :mkv[imrc][!] [file]
same as ":mkexrc", but with default ".vimrc"
:mksession :mks[ession][!] [file]
like ":mkvimrc", but store current files,
windows, etc. too, to be able to continue
this session later
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ab AbbreviationsLINK
:abbreviate :ab[breviate] {lhs} {rhs} add abbreviation for {lhs} to {rhs}
:abbreviate :ab[breviate] {lhs} show abbr's that start with {lhs}
:abbreviate :ab[breviate] show all abbreviations
:unabbreviate :una[bbreviate] {lhs} remove abbreviation for {lhs}
:noreabbrev :norea[bbrev] [lhs] [rhs] like ":ab", but don't remap [rhs]
:iabbrev :iab/:iunab/:inoreab like ":ab", but only for Insert mode
:cabbrev :cab/:cunab/:cnoreab like ":ab", but only for
Command-line mode
:abclear :abc[lear] remove all abbreviations
:cabclear :cabc[lear] remove all abbr's for Cmdline mode
:iabclear :iabc[lear] remove all abbr's for Insert mode
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_op OptionsLINK
:set :se[t] show all modified options
:set :se[t] all show all non-termcap options
:set :se[t] termcap show all termcap options
:set :se[t] {option} set boolean option (switch it on),
show string or number option
:set :se[t] no{option} reset boolean option (switch it off)
:set :se[t] inv{option} invert boolean option
:set :se[t] {option}={value} set string/number option to {value}
:set :se[t] {option}+={value} append {value} to string option, add
{value} to number option
:set :se[t] {option}-={value} remove {value} to string option,
subtract {value} from number option
:set :se[t] {option}? show value of {option}
:set :se[t] {option}& reset {option} to its default value
:setlocal :setl[ocal] like ":set" but set the local value
for options that have one
:setglobal :setg[lobal] like ":set" but set the global value
of a local option
:fix :fix[del] set value of 't_kD' according to
value of 't_kb'
:options :opt[ions] open a new window to view and set
options, grouped by functionality,
a one line explanation and links to
the help
Short explanation of each option: option-listLINK
'aleph' 'al' ASCII code of the letter Aleph (Hebrew)
'allowrevins' 'ari' allow CTRL-_ in Insert and Command-line mode
'altkeymap' 'akm' for default second language (Farsi/Hebrew)
'ambiwidth' 'ambw' what to do with Unicode chars of ambiguous width
'antialias' 'anti' Mac OS X: use smooth, antialiased fonts
'autochdir' 'acd' change directory to the file in the current window
'arabic' 'arab' for Arabic as a default second language
'arabicshape' 'arshape' do shaping for Arabic characters
'autoindent' 'ai' take indent for new line from previous line
'autoread' 'ar' autom. read file when changed outside of Vim
'autowrite' 'aw' automatically write file if changed
'autowriteall' 'awa' as 'autowrite', but works with more commands
'background' 'bg' "dark" or "light", used for highlight colors
'backspace' 'bs' how backspace works at start of line
'backup' 'bk' keep backup file after overwriting a file
'backupcopy' 'bkc' make backup as a copy, don't rename the file
'backupdir' 'bdir' list of directories for the backup file
'backupext' 'bex' extension used for the backup file
'backupskip' 'bsk' no backup for files that match these patterns
'balloondelay' 'bdlay' delay in mS before a balloon may pop up
'ballooneval' 'beval' switch on balloon evaluation
'balloonexpr' 'bexpr' expression to show in balloon
'binary' 'bin' read/write/edit file in binary mode
'bioskey' 'biosk' MS-DOS: use bios calls for input characters
'bomb' prepend a Byte Order Mark to the file
'breakat' 'brk' characters that may cause a line break
'breakindent' 'bri' wrapped line repeats indent
'breakindentopt' 'briopt' settings for 'breakindent'
'browsedir' 'bsdir' which directory to start browsing in
'bufhidden' 'bh' what to do when buffer is no longer in window
'buflisted' 'bl' whether the buffer shows up in the buffer list
'buftype' 'bt' special type of buffer
'casemap' 'cmp' specifies how case of letters is changed
'cdpath' 'cd' list of directories searched with ":cd"
'cedit' key used to open the command-line window
'charconvert' 'ccv' expression for character encoding conversion
'cindent' 'cin' do C program indenting
'cinkeys' 'cink' keys that trigger indent when 'cindent' is set
'cinoptions' 'cino' how to do indenting when 'cindent' is set
'cinwords' 'cinw' words where 'si' and 'cin' add an indent
'clipboard' 'cb' use the clipboard as the unnamed register
'cmdheight' 'ch' number of lines to use for the command-line
'cmdwinheight' 'cwh' height of the command-line window
'colorcolumn' 'cc' columns to highlight
'columns' 'co' number of columns in the display
'comments' 'com' patterns that can start a comment line
'commentstring' 'cms' template for comments; used for fold marker
'compatible' 'cp' behave Vi-compatible as much as possible
'complete' 'cpt' specify how Insert mode completion works
'completefunc' 'cfu' function to be used for Insert mode completion
'completeopt' 'cot' options for Insert mode completion
'concealcursor' 'cocu' whether concealable text is hidden in cursor line
'conceallevel' 'cole' whether concealable text is shown or hidden
'confirm' 'cf' ask what to do about unsaved/read-only files
'conskey' 'consk' get keys directly from console (MS-DOS only)
'copyindent' 'ci' make 'autoindent' use existing indent structure
'cpoptions' 'cpo' flags for Vi-compatible behavior
'cryptmethod' 'cm' type of encryption to use for file writing
'cscopepathcomp' 'cspc' how many components of the path to show
'cscopeprg' 'csprg' command to execute cscope
'cscopequickfix' 'csqf' use quickfix window for cscope results
'cscoperelative' 'csre' Use cscope.out path basename as prefix
'cscopetag' 'cst' use cscope for tag commands
'cscopetagorder' 'csto' determines ":cstag" search order
'cscopeverbose' 'csverb' give messages when adding a cscope database
'cursorbind' 'crb' move cursor in window as it moves in other windows
'cursorcolumn' 'cuc' highlight the screen column of the cursor
'cursorline' 'cul' highlight the screen line of the cursor
'debug' set to "msg" to see all error messages
'define' 'def' pattern to be used to find a macro definition
'delcombine' 'deco' delete combining characters on their own
'dictionary' 'dict' list of file names used for keyword completion
'diff' use diff mode for the current window
'diffexpr' 'dex' expression used to obtain a diff file
'diffopt' 'dip' options for using diff mode
'digraph' 'dg' enable the entering of digraphs in Insert mode
'directory' 'dir' list of directory names for the swap file
'display' 'dy' list of flags for how to display text
'eadirection' 'ead' in which direction 'equalalways' works
'edcompatible' 'ed' toggle flags of ":substitute" command
'encoding' 'enc' encoding used internally
'endofline' 'eol' write <EOL> for last line in file
'equalalways' 'ea' windows are automatically made the same size
'equalprg' 'ep' external program to use for "=" command
'errorbells' 'eb' ring the bell for error messages
'errorfile' 'ef' name of the errorfile for the QuickFix mode
'errorformat' 'efm' description of the lines in the error file
'esckeys' 'ek' recognize function keys in Insert mode
'eventignore' 'ei' autocommand events that are ignored
'expandtab' 'et' use spaces when <Tab> is inserted
'exrc' 'ex' read .vimrc and .exrc in the current directory
'fileencoding' 'fenc' file encoding for multi-byte text
'fileencodings' 'fencs' automatically detected character encodings
'fileformat' 'ff' file format used for file I/O
'fileformats' 'ffs' automatically detected values for 'fileformat'
'fileignorecase' 'fic' ignore case when using file names
'filetype' 'ft' type of file, used for autocommands
'fillchars' 'fcs' characters to use for displaying special items
'fkmap' 'fk' Farsi keyboard mapping
'foldclose' 'fcl' close a fold when the cursor leaves it
'foldcolumn' 'fdc' width of the column used to indicate folds
'foldenable' 'fen' set to display all folds open
'foldexpr' 'fde' expression used when 'foldmethod' is "expr"
'foldignore' 'fdi' ignore lines when 'foldmethod' is "indent"
'foldlevel' 'fdl' close folds with a level higher than this
'foldlevelstart' 'fdls' 'foldlevel' when starting to edit a file
'foldmarker' 'fmr' markers used when 'foldmethod' is "marker"
'foldmethod' 'fdm' folding type
'foldminlines' 'fml' minimum number of lines for a fold to be closed
'foldnestmax' 'fdn' maximum fold depth
'foldopen' 'fdo' for which commands a fold will be opened
'foldtext' 'fdt' expression used to display for a closed fold
'formatlistpat' 'flp' pattern used to recognize a list header
'formatoptions' 'fo' how automatic formatting is to be done
'formatprg' 'fp' name of external program used with "gq" command
'formatexpr' 'fex' expression used with "gq" command
'fsync' 'fs' whether to invoke fsync() after file write
'gdefault' 'gd' the ":substitute" flag 'g' is default on
'grepformat' 'gfm' format of 'grepprg' output
'grepprg' 'gp' program to use for ":grep"
'guicursor' 'gcr' GUI: settings for cursor shape and blinking
'guifont' 'gfn' GUI: Name(s) of font(s) to be used
'guifontset' 'gfs' GUI: Names of multi-byte fonts to be used
'guifontwide' 'gfw' list of font names for double-wide characters
'guiheadroom' 'ghr' GUI: pixels room for window decorations
'guioptions' 'go' GUI: Which components and options are used
'guipty' GUI: try to use a pseudo-tty for ":!" commands
'guitablabel' 'gtl' GUI: custom label for a tab page
'guitabtooltip' 'gtt' GUI: custom tooltip for a tab page
'helpfile' 'hf' full path name of the main help file
'helpheight' 'hh' minimum height of a new help window
'helplang' 'hlg' preferred help languages
'hidden' 'hid' don't unload buffer when it is abandoned
'highlight' 'hl' sets highlighting mode for various occasions
'hlsearch' 'hls' highlight matches with last search pattern
'history' 'hi' number of command-lines that are remembered
'hkmap' 'hk' Hebrew keyboard mapping
'hkmapp' 'hkp' phonetic Hebrew keyboard mapping
'icon' let Vim set the text of the window icon
'iconstring' string to use for the Vim icon text
'ignorecase' 'ic' ignore case in search patterns
'imactivatekey' 'imak' key that activates the X input method
'imactivatefunc' 'imaf' function to enable/disable the X input method
'imcmdline' 'imc' use IM when starting to edit a command line
'imdisable' 'imd' do not use the IM in any mode
'iminsert' 'imi' use :lmap or IM in Insert mode
'imsearch' 'ims' use :lmap or IM when typing a search pattern
'imstatusfunc' 'imsf' function to obtain X input method status
'include' 'inc' pattern to be used to find an include file
'includeexpr' 'inex' expression used to process an include line
'incsearch' 'is' highlight match while typing search pattern
'indentexpr' 'inde' expression used to obtain the indent of a line
'indentkeys' 'indk' keys that trigger indenting with 'indentexpr'
'infercase' 'inf' adjust case of match for keyword completion
'insertmode' 'im' start the edit of a file in Insert mode
'isfname' 'isf' characters included in file names and pathnames
'isident' 'isi' characters included in identifiers
'iskeyword' 'isk' characters included in keywords
'isprint' 'isp' printable characters
'joinspaces' 'js' two spaces after a period with a join command
'key' encryption key
'keymap' 'kmp' name of a keyboard mapping
'keymodel' 'km' enable starting/stopping selection with keys
'keywordprg' 'kp' program to use for the "K" command
'langmap' 'lmap' alphabetic characters for other language mode
'langmenu' 'lm' language to be used for the menus
'langnoremap' 'lnr' do not apply 'langmap' to mapped characters
'laststatus' 'ls' tells when last window has status lines
'lazyredraw' 'lz' don't redraw while executing macros
'linebreak' 'lbr' wrap long lines at a blank
'lines' number of lines in the display
'linespace' 'lsp' number of pixel lines to use between characters
'lisp' automatic indenting for Lisp
'lispwords' 'lw' words that change how lisp indenting works
'list' show <Tab> and <EOL>
'listchars' 'lcs' characters for displaying in list mode
'loadplugins' 'lpl' load plugin scripts when starting up
'macatsui' Mac GUI: use ATSUI text drawing
'magic' changes special characters in search patterns
'makeef' 'mef' name of the errorfile for ":make"
'makeprg' 'mp' program to use for the ":make" command
'matchpairs' 'mps' pairs of characters that "%" can match
'matchtime' 'mat' tenths of a second to show matching paren
'maxcombine' 'mco' maximum nr of combining characters displayed
'maxfuncdepth' 'mfd' maximum recursive depth for user functions
'maxmapdepth' 'mmd' maximum recursive depth for mapping
'maxmem' 'mm' maximum memory (in Kbyte) used for one buffer
'maxmempattern' 'mmp' maximum memory (in Kbyte) used for pattern search
'maxmemtot' 'mmt' maximum memory (in Kbyte) used for all buffers
'menuitems' 'mis' maximum number of items in a menu
'mkspellmem' 'msm' memory used before :mkspell compresses the tree
'modeline' 'ml' recognize modelines at start or end of file
'modelines' 'mls' number of lines checked for modelines
'modifiable' 'ma' changes to the text are not possible
'modified' 'mod' buffer has been modified
'more' pause listings when the whole screen is filled
'mouse' enable the use of mouse clicks
'mousefocus' 'mousef' keyboard focus follows the mouse
'mousehide' 'mh' hide mouse pointer while typing
'mousemodel' 'mousem' changes meaning of mouse buttons
'mouseshape' 'mouses' shape of the mouse pointer in different modes
'mousetime' 'mouset' max time between mouse double-click
'mzquantum' 'mzq' the interval between polls for MzScheme threads
'nrformats' 'nf' number formats recognized for CTRL-A command
'number' 'nu' print the line number in front of each line
'numberwidth' 'nuw' number of columns used for the line number
'omnifunc' 'ofu' function for filetype-specific completion
'opendevice' 'odev' allow reading/writing devices on MS-Windows
'operatorfunc' 'opfunc' function to be called for g@ operator
'osfiletype' 'oft' no longer supported
'paragraphs' 'para' nroff macros that separate paragraphs
'paste' allow pasting text
'pastetoggle' 'pt' key code that causes 'paste' to toggle
'patchexpr' 'pex' expression used to patch a file
'patchmode' 'pm' keep the oldest version of a file
'path' 'pa' list of directories searched with "gf" et.al.
'preserveindent' 'pi' preserve the indent structure when reindenting
'previewheight' 'pvh' height of the preview window
'previewwindow' 'pvw' identifies the preview window
'printdevice' 'pdev' name of the printer to be used for :hardcopy
'printencoding' 'penc' encoding to be used for printing
'printexpr' 'pexpr' expression used to print PostScript for :hardcopy
'printfont' 'pfn' name of the font to be used for :hardcopy
'printheader' 'pheader' format of the header used for :hardcopy
'printmbcharset' 'pmbcs' CJK character set to be used for :hardcopy
'printmbfont' 'pmbfn' font names to be used for CJK output of :hardcopy
'printoptions' 'popt' controls the format of :hardcopy output
'pumheight' 'ph' maximum height of the popup menu
'quoteescape' 'qe' escape characters used in a string
'readonly' 'ro' disallow writing the buffer
'redrawtime' 'rdt' timeout for 'hlsearch' and :match highlighting
'regexpengine' 're' default regexp engine to use
'relativenumber' 'rnu' show relative line number in front of each line
'remap' allow mappings to work recursively
'renderoptions' 'rop' options for text rendering on Windows
'report' threshold for reporting nr. of lines changed
'restorescreen' 'rs' Win32: restore screen when exiting
'revins' 'ri' inserting characters will work backwards
'rightleft' 'rl' window is right-to-left oriented
'rightleftcmd' 'rlc' commands for which editing works right-to-left
'ruler' 'ru' show cursor line and column in the status line
'rulerformat' 'ruf' custom format for the ruler
'runtimepath' 'rtp' list of directories used for runtime files
'scroll' 'scr' lines to scroll with CTRL-U and CTRL-D
'scrollbind' 'scb' scroll in window as other windows scroll
'scrolljump' 'sj' minimum number of lines to scroll
'scrolloff' 'so' minimum nr. of lines above and below cursor
'scrollopt' 'sbo' how 'scrollbind' should behave
'sections' 'sect' nroff macros that separate sections
'secure' secure mode for reading .vimrc in current dir
'selection' 'sel' what type of selection to use
'selectmode' 'slm' when to use Select mode instead of Visual mode
'sessionoptions' 'ssop' options for :mksession
'shell' 'sh' name of shell to use for external commands
'shellcmdflag' 'shcf' flag to shell to execute one command
'shellpipe' 'sp' string to put output of ":make" in error file
'shellquote' 'shq' quote character(s) for around shell command
'shellredir' 'srr' string to put output of filter in a temp file
'shellslash' 'ssl' use forward slash for shell file names
'shelltemp' 'stmp' whether to use a temp file for shell commands
'shelltype' 'st' Amiga: influences how to use a shell
'shellxescape' 'sxe' characters to escape when 'shellxquote' is (
'shellxquote' 'sxq' like 'shellquote', but include redirection
'shiftround' 'sr' round indent to multiple of shiftwidth
'shiftwidth' 'sw' number of spaces to use for (auto)indent step
'shortmess' 'shm' list of flags, reduce length of messages
'shortname' 'sn' non-MS-DOS: Filenames assumed to be 8.3 chars
'showbreak' 'sbr' string to use at the start of wrapped lines
'showcmd' 'sc' show (partial) command in status line
'showfulltag' 'sft' show full tag pattern when completing tag
'showmatch' 'sm' briefly jump to matching bracket if insert one
'showmode' 'smd' message on status line to show current mode
'showtabline' 'stal' tells when the tab pages line is displayed
'sidescroll' 'ss' minimum number of columns to scroll horizontal
'sidescrolloff' 'siso' min. nr. of columns to left and right of cursor
'smartcase' 'scs' no ignore case when pattern has uppercase
'smartindent' 'si' smart autoindenting for C programs
'smarttab' 'sta' use 'shiftwidth' when inserting <Tab>
'softtabstop' 'sts' number of spaces that <Tab> uses while editing
'spell' enable spell checking
'spellcapcheck' 'spc' pattern to locate end of a sentence
'spellfile' 'spf' files where zg and zw store words
'spelllang' 'spl' language(s) to do spell checking for
'spellsuggest' 'sps' method(s) used to suggest spelling corrections
'splitbelow' 'sb' new window from split is below the current one
'splitright' 'spr' new window is put right of the current one
'startofline' 'sol' commands move cursor to first non-blank in line
'statusline' 'stl' custom format for the status line
'suffixes' 'su' suffixes that are ignored with multiple match
'suffixesadd' 'sua' suffixes added when searching for a file
'swapfile' 'swf' whether to use a swapfile for a buffer
'swapsync' 'sws' how to sync the swap file
'switchbuf' 'swb' sets behavior when switching to another buffer
'synmaxcol' 'smc' maximum column to find syntax items
'syntax' 'syn' syntax to be loaded for current buffer
'tabstop' 'ts' number of spaces that <Tab> in file uses
'tabline' 'tal' custom format for the console tab pages line
'tabpagemax' 'tpm' maximum number of tab pages for -p and "tab all"
'tagbsearch' 'tbs' use binary searching in tags files
'taglength' 'tl' number of significant characters for a tag
'tagrelative' 'tr' file names in tag file are relative
'tags' 'tag' list of file names used by the tag command
'tagstack' 'tgst' push tags onto the tag stack
'term' name of the terminal
'termbidi' 'tbidi' terminal takes care of bi-directionality
'termencoding' 'tenc' character encoding used by the terminal
'terse' shorten some messages
'textauto' 'ta' obsolete, use 'fileformats'
'textmode' 'tx' obsolete, use 'fileformat'
'textwidth' 'tw' maximum width of text that is being inserted
'thesaurus' 'tsr' list of thesaurus files for keyword completion
'tildeop' 'top' tilde command "~" behaves like an operator
'timeout' 'to' time out on mappings and key codes
'timeoutlen' 'tm' time out time in milliseconds
'title' let Vim set the title of the window
'titlelen' percentage of 'columns' used for window title
'titleold' old title, restored when exiting
'titlestring' string to use for the Vim window title
'toolbar' 'tb' GUI: which items to show in the toolbar
'toolbariconsize' 'tbis' size of the toolbar icons (for GTK 2 only)
'ttimeout' time out on mappings
'ttimeoutlen' 'ttm' time out time for key codes in milliseconds
'ttybuiltin' 'tbi' use built-in termcap before external termcap
'ttyfast' 'tf' indicates a fast terminal connection
'ttymouse' 'ttym' type of mouse codes generated
'ttyscroll' 'tsl' maximum number of lines for a scroll
'ttytype' 'tty' alias for 'term'
'undodir' 'udir' where to store undo files
'undofile' 'udf' save undo information in a file
'undolevels' 'ul' maximum number of changes that can be undone
'undoreload' 'ur' max nr of lines to save for undo on a buffer reload
'updatecount' 'uc' after this many characters flush swap file
'updatetime' 'ut' after this many milliseconds flush swap file
'verbose' 'vbs' give informative messages
'verbosefile' 'vfile' file to write messages in
'viewdir' 'vdir' directory where to store files with :mkview
'viewoptions' 'vop' specifies what to save for :mkview
'viminfo' 'vi' use .viminfo file upon startup and exiting
'virtualedit' 've' when to use virtual editing
'visualbell' 'vb' use visual bell instead of beeping
'warn' warn for shell command when buffer was changed
'weirdinvert' 'wiv' for terminals that have weird inversion method
'whichwrap' 'ww' allow specified keys to cross line boundaries
'wildchar' 'wc' command-line character for wildcard expansion
'wildcharm' 'wcm' like 'wildchar' but also works when mapped
'wildignore' 'wig' files matching these patterns are not completed
'wildignorecase' 'wic' ignore case when completing file names
'wildmenu' 'wmnu' use menu for command line completion
'wildmode' 'wim' mode for 'wildchar' command-line expansion
'wildoptions' 'wop' specifies how command line completion is done
'winaltkeys' 'wak' when the windows system handles ALT keys
'window' 'wi' nr of lines to scroll for CTRL-F and CTRL-B
'winheight' 'wh' minimum number of lines for the current window
'winfixheight' 'wfh' keep window height when opening/closing windows
'winfixwidth' 'wfw' keep window width when opening/closing windows
'winminheight' 'wmh' minimum number of lines for any window
'winminwidth' 'wmw' minimal number of columns for any window
'winwidth' 'wiw' minimal number of columns for current window
'wrap' long lines wrap and continue on the next line
'wrapmargin' 'wm' chars from the right where wrapping starts
'wrapscan' 'ws' searches wrap around the end of the file
'write' writing to a file is allowed
'writeany' 'wa' write to file with no need for "!" override
'writebackup' 'wb' make a backup before overwriting a file
'writedelay' 'wd' delay this many msec for each char (for debug)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ur Undo/Redo commandsLINK
u N u undo last N changes
CTRL-R N CTRL-R redo last N undone changes
U U restore last changed line
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_et External commandsLINK
:shell :sh[ell] start a shell
:! :!{command} execute {command} with a shell
K K lookup keyword under the cursor with
'keywordprg' program (default: "man")
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_qf Quickfix commandsLINK
:cc :cc [nr] display error [nr] (default is the same again)
:cnext :cn display the next error
:cprevious :cp display the previous error
:clist :cl list all errors
:cfile :cf read errors from the file 'errorfile'
:cgetbuffer :cgetb like :cbuffer but don't jump to the first error
:cgetfile :cg like :cfile but don't jump to the first error
:cgetexpr :cgete like :cexpr but don't jump to the first error
:caddfile :caddf add errors from the error file to the current
quickfix list
:caddexpr :cad add errors from an expression to the current
quickfix list
:cbuffer :cb read errors from text in a buffer
:cexpr :cex read errors from an expression
:cquit :cq quit without writing and return error code (to
the compiler)
:make :make [args] start make, read errors, and jump to first
error
:grep :gr[ep] [args] execute 'grepprg' to find matches and jump to
the first one
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_vc Various commandsLINK
CTRL-L CTRL-L clear and redraw the screen
CTRL-G CTRL-G show current file name (with path) and cursor
position
ga ga show ascii value of character under cursor in
decimal, hex, and octal
g8 g8 for utf-8 encoding: show byte sequence for
character under cursor in hex
g_CTRL-G g CTRL-G show cursor column, line, and character
position
CTRL-C CTRL-C during searches: Interrupt the search
dos-CTRL-Break CTRL-Break MS-DOS: during searches: Interrupt the search
<Del> <Del> while entering a count: delete last character
:version :ve[rsion] show version information
:mode :mode N MS-DOS: set screen mode to N (number, C80,
C4350, etc.)
:normal :norm[al][!] {commands}
execute Normal mode commands
Q Q switch to "Ex" mode
:redir :redir >{file} redirect messages to {file}
:silent :silent[!] {command} execute {command} silently
:confirm :confirm {command} quit, write, etc., asking about
unsaved changes or read-only files
:browse :browse {command} open/read/write file, using a
file selection dialog
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ce Command-line editingLINK
c_<Esc> <Esc> abandon command-line (if 'wildchar' is
<Esc>, type it twice)
c_CTRL-V CTRL-V {char} insert {char} literally
c_CTRL-V CTRL-V {number} enter decimal value of character (up to
three digits)
c_CTRL-K CTRL-K {char1} {char2}
enter digraph (See Q_di)
c_CTRL-R CTRL-R {0-9a-z"%#:-=}
insert the contents of a register
c_<Left> <Left>/<Right> cursor left/right
c_<S-Left> <S-Left>/<S-Right> cursor one word left/right
c_CTRL-B CTRL-B/CTRL-E cursor to beginning/end of command-line
c_<BS> <BS> delete the character in front of the cursor
c_<Del> <Del> delete the character under the cursor
c_CTRL-W CTRL-W delete the word in front of the cursor
c_CTRL-U CTRL-U remove all characters
c_<Up> <Up>/<Down> recall older/newer command-line that starts
with current command
c_<S-Up> <S-Up>/<S-Down> recall older/newer command-line from history
:history :his[tory] show older command-lines
Context-sensitive completion on the command-line:
c_wildchar 'wildchar' (default: <Tab>)
do completion on the pattern in front of the
cursor; if there are multiple matches,
beep and show the first one; further
'wildchar' will show the next ones
c_CTRL-D CTRL-D list all names that match the pattern in
front of the cursor
c_CTRL-A CTRL-A insert all names that match pattern in front
of cursor
c_CTRL-L CTRL-L insert longest common part of names that
match pattern
c_CTRL-N CTRL-N after 'wildchar' with multiple matches: go
to next match
c_CTRL-P CTRL-P after 'wildchar' with multiple matches: go
to previous match
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ra Ex rangesLINK
:range , separates two line numbers
:range ; idem, set cursor to the first line number
before interpreting the second one
:range {number} an absolute line number
:range . the current line
:range $ the last line in the file
:range % equal to 1,$ (the entire file)
:range * equal to '<,'> (visual area)
:range 't position of mark t
:range /{pattern}[/] the next line where {pattern} matches
:range ?{pattern}[?] the previous line where {pattern} matches
:range +[num] add [num] to the preceding line number
(default: 1)
:range -[num] subtract [num] from the preceding line
number (default: 1)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ex Special Ex charactersLINK
:bar | separates two commands (not for ":global" and ":!")
:quote " begins comment
:_% % current file name (only where a file name is expected)
:_# #[num] alternate file name [num] (only where a file name is
expected)
Note: The next seven are typed literally; these are not special keys!
:<abuf> <abuf> buffer number, for use in an autocommand (only where a
file name is expected)
:<afile> <afile> file name, for use in an autocommand (only where a
file name is expected)
:<amatch> <amatch> what matched with the pattern, for use in an
autocommand (only where a file name is expected)
:<cword> <cword> word under the cursor (only where a file name is
expected)
:<cWORD> <cWORD> WORD under the cursor (only where a file name is
expected) (see WORD)
:<cfile> <cfile> file name under the cursor (only where a file name is
expected)
:<sfile> <sfile> file name of a ":source"d file, within that file (only
where a file name is expected)
After "%", "#", "<cfile>", "<sfile>" or "<afile>"
::p :p full path
::h :h head (file name removed)
::t :t tail (file name only)
::r :r root (extension removed)
::e :e extension
::s :s/{pat}/{repl}/ substitute {pat} with {repl}
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_st Starting VimLINK
-vim vim [options] start editing with an empty buffer
-file vim [options] {file} .. start editing one or more files
-- vim [options] - read file from stdin
-tag vim [options] -t {tag} edit the file associated with {tag}
-qf vim [options] -q [fname] start editing in QuickFix mode,
display the first error
Most useful Vim arguments (for full list see startup-options)
-gui -g start GUI (also allows other options)
-+ +[num] put the cursor at line [num] (default: last line)
-+c +{command} execute {command} after loading the file
-+/ +/{pat} {file} .. put the cursor at the first occurrence of {pat}
-v -v Vi mode, start ex in Normal mode
-e -e Ex mode, start vim in Ex mode
-R -R Read-only mode, implies -n
-m -m modifications not allowed (resets 'write' option)
-b -b binary mode
-l -l lisp mode
-A -A Arabic mode ('arabic' is set)
-F -F Farsi mode ('fkmap' and 'rightleft' are set)
-H -H Hebrew mode ('hkmap' and 'rightleft' are set)
-V -V Verbose, give informative messages
-C -C Compatible, set the 'compatible' option
-N -N Nocompatible, reset the 'compatible' option
-r -r give list of swap files
-r -r {file} .. recover aborted edit session
-n -n do not create a swap file
-o -o [num] open [num] windows (default: one for each file)
-f -f GUI: foreground process, don't fork
Amiga: do not restart Vim to open a window (for
e.g., mail)
-s -s {scriptin} first read commands from the file {scriptin}
-w -w {scriptout} write typed chars to file {scriptout} (append)
-W -W {scriptout} write typed chars to file {scriptout} (overwrite)
-T -T {terminal} set terminal name
-d -d {device} Amiga: open {device} to be used as a console
-u -u {vimrc} read inits from {vimrc} instead of other inits
-U -U {gvimrc} idem, for when starting the GUI
-i -i {viminfo} read info from {viminfo} instead of other files
--- -- end of options, other arguments are file names
--help --help show list of arguments and exit
--version --version show version info and exit
-- - read file from stdin
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ed Editing a fileLINK
Without !: Fail if changes have been made to the current buffer.
With !: Discard any changes to the current buffer.
:edit_f :e[dit][!] {file} edit {file}
:edit :e[dit][!] reload the current file
:enew :ene[w][!] edit a new, unnamed buffer
:find :fin[d][!] {file} find {file} in 'path' and edit it
CTRL-^ N CTRL-^ edit alternate file N (equivalent to ":e #N")
gf gf or ]f edit the file whose name is under the cursor
:pwd :pwd print the current directory name
:cd :cd [path] change the current directory to [path]
:cd- :cd - back to previous current directory
:file :f[ile] print the current file name and the cursor
position
:file :f[ile] {name} set the current file name to {name}
:files :files show alternate file names
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_fl Using the argument list argument-listLINK
:args :ar[gs] print the argument list, with the current file
in "[]"
:all :all or :sall open a window for every file in the arg list
:wn :wn[ext][!] write file and edit next file
:wn :wn[ext][!] {file} write to {file} and edit next file, unless
{file} exists; With !, overwrite existing
file
:wN :wN[ext][!] [file] write file and edit previous file
in current window in new window
:argument :argu[ment] N :sar[gument] N edit file N
:next :n[ext] :sn[ext] edit next file
:next_f :n[ext] {arglist} :sn[ext] {arglist} define new arg list
and edit first file
:Next :N[ext] :sN[ext] edit previous file
:first :fir[st] :sfir[st] edit first file
:last :la[st] :sla[st] edit last file
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_wq Writing and quittingLINK
:w :[range]w[rite][!] write to the current file
:w_f :[range]w[rite] {file} write to {file}, unless it already
exists
:w_f :[range]w[rite]! {file} write to {file}. Overwrite an existing
file
:w_a :[range]w[rite][!] >> append to the current file
:w_a :[range]w[rite][!] >> {file} append to {file}
:w_c :[range]w[rite] !{cmd} execute {cmd} with [range] lines as
standard input
:up :[range]up[date][!] write to current file if modified
:wall :wa[ll][!] write all changed buffers
:q :q[uit] quit current buffer, unless changes have been
made; Exit Vim when there are no other
non-help buffers
:q :q[uit]! quit current buffer always, discard any
changes. Exit Vim when there are no other
non-help buffers
:qa :qa[ll] exit Vim, unless changes have been made
:qa :qa[ll]! exit Vim always, discard any changes
:cq :cq quit without writing and return error code
:wq :wq[!] write the current file and exit
:wq :wq[!] {file} write to {file} and exit
:xit :x[it][!] [file] like ":wq" but write only when changes have
been made
ZZ ZZ same as ":x"
ZQ ZQ same as ":q!"
:xall :xa[ll][!] or :wqall[!]
write all changed buffers and exit
:stop :st[op][!] suspend Vim or start new shell; if 'aw' option
is set and [!] not given write the buffer
CTRL-Z CTRL-Z same as ":stop"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_ac Automatic CommandsLINK
viminfo-file read registers, marks, history at startup, save when exiting.
:rviminfo :rv[iminfo] [file] read info from viminfo file [file]
:rviminfo :rv[iminfo]! [file] idem, overwrite existing info
:wviminfo :wv[iminfo] [file] add info to viminfo file [file]
:wviminfo :wv[iminfo]! [file] write info to viminfo file [file]
modeline Automatic option setting when editing a file
modeline vim:{set-arg}: .. In the first and last lines of the
file (see 'ml' option), {set-arg} is
given as an argument to ":set"
autocommand Automatic execution of commands on certain events.
:autocmd :au list all autocommands
:autocmd :au {event} list all autocommands for {event}
:autocmd :au {event} {pat} list all autocommands for {event}
with {pat}
:autocmd :au {event} {pat} {cmd} enter new autocommands for {event}
with {pat}
:autocmd :au! remove all autocommands
:autocmd :au! {event} remove all autocommands for {event}
:autocmd :au! * {pat} remove all autocommands for {pat}
:autocmd :au! {event} {pat} remove all autocommands for {event}
with {pat}
:autocmd :au! {event} {pat} {cmd} remove all autocommands for {event}
with {pat} and enter new one
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_wi Multi-window commandsLINK
CTRL-W_s CTRL-W s or :split split window into two parts
:split_f :split {file} split window and edit {file} in one of
them
:vsplit :vsplit {file} same, but split vertically
:vertical :vertical {cmd} make {cmd} split vertically
:sfind :sf[ind] {file} split window, find {file} in 'path'
and edit it
CTRL-W_] CTRL-W ] split window and jump to tag under
cursor
CTRL-W_f CTRL-W f split window and edit file name under
the cursor
CTRL-W_^ CTRL-W ^ split window and edit alternate file
CTRL-W_n CTRL-W n or :new create new empty window
CTRL-W_q CTRL-W q or :q[uit] quit editing and close window
CTRL-W_c CTRL-W c or :cl[ose] make buffer hidden and close window
CTRL-W_o CTRL-W o or :on[ly] make current window only one on the
screen
CTRL-W_j CTRL-W j move cursor to window below
CTRL-W_k CTRL-W k move cursor to window above
CTRL-W_CTRL-W CTRL-W CTRL-W move cursor to window below (wrap)
CTRL-W_W CTRL-W W move cursor to window above (wrap)
CTRL-W_t CTRL-W t move cursor to top window
CTRL-W_b CTRL-W b move cursor to bottom window
CTRL-W_p CTRL-W p move cursor to previous active window
CTRL-W_r CTRL-W r rotate windows downwards
CTRL-W_R CTRL-W R rotate windows upwards
CTRL-W_x CTRL-W x exchange current window with next one
CTRL-W_= CTRL-W = make all windows equal height & width
CTRL-W_- CTRL-W - decrease current window height
CTRL-W_+ CTRL-W + increase current window height
CTRL-W__ CTRL-W _ set current window height (default:
very high)
CTRL-W_< CTRL-W < decrease current window width
CTRL-W_> CTRL-W > increase current window width
CTRL-W_bar CTRL-W | set current window width (default:
widest possible)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_bu Buffer list commandsLINK
:buffers :buffers or :files list all known buffer and file names
:ball :ball or :sball edit all args/buffers
:unhide :unhide or :sunhide edit all loaded buffers
:badd :badd {fname} add file name {fname} to the list
:bunload :bunload[!] [N] unload buffer [N] from memory
:bdelete :bdelete[!] [N] unload buffer [N] and delete it from
the buffer list
in current window in new window
:buffer :[N]buffer [N] :[N]sbuffer [N] to arg/buf N
:bnext :[N]bnext [N] :[N]sbnext [N] to Nth next arg/buf
:bNext :[N]bNext [N] :[N]sbNext [N] to Nth previous arg/buf
:bprevious :[N]bprevious [N] :[N]sbprevious [N] to Nth previous arg/buf
:bfirst :bfirst :sbfirst to first arg/buf
:blast :blast :sblast to last arg/buf
:bmodified :[N]bmod [N] :[N]sbmod [N] to Nth modified buf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_sy Syntax HighlightingLINK
:syn-on :syntax on start using syntax highlighting
:syn-off :syntax off stop using syntax highlighting
:syn-keyword :syntax keyword {group-name} {keyword} ..
add a syntax keyword item
:syn-match :syntax match {group-name} {pattern} ...
add syntax match item
:syn-region :syntax region {group-name} {pattern} ...
add syntax region item
:syn-sync :syntax sync [ccomment | lines {N} | ...]
tell syntax how to sync
:syntax :syntax [list] list current syntax items
:syn-clear :syntax clear clear all syntax info
:highlight :highlight clear clear all highlight info
:highlight :highlight {group-name} {key}={arg} ..
set highlighting for {group-name}
:filetype :filetype on switch on file type detection, without
syntax highlighting
:filetype :filetype plugin indent on
switch on file type detection, with
automatic indenting and settings
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_gu GUI commandsLINK
:gui :gui UNIX: start the GUI
:gui :gui {fname} .. idem, and edit {fname} ..
:menu :menu list all menus
:menu :menu {mpath} list menus starting with {mpath}
:menu :menu {mpath} {rhs} add menu {mpath}, giving {rhs}
:menu :menu {pri} {mpath} {rhs}
idem, with priorities {pri}
:menu :menu ToolBar.{name} {rhs}
add toolbar item, giving {rhs}
:tmenu :tmenu {mpath} {text} add tooltip to menu {mpath}
:unmenu :unmenu {mpath} remove menu {mpath}
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q_fo FoldingLINK
'foldmethod' set foldmethod=manual manual folding
set foldmethod=indent folding by indent
set foldmethod=expr folding by 'foldexpr'
set foldmethod=syntax folding by syntax regions
set foldmethod=marker folding by 'foldmarker'
zf zf{motion} operator: Define a fold manually
:fold :{range}fold define a fold for {range} lines
zd zd delete one fold under the cursor
zD zD delete all folds under the cursor
zo zo open one fold under the cursor
zO zO open all folds under the cursor
zc zc close one fold under the cursor
zC zC close all folds under the cursor
zm zm fold more: decrease 'foldlevel'
zM zM close all folds: make 'foldlevel' zero
zr zr reduce folding: increase 'foldlevel'
zR zR open all folds: make 'foldlevel' max.
zn zn fold none: reset 'foldenable'
zN zN fold normal set 'foldenable'
zi zi invert 'foldenable'
vim:tw=78:ts=8:ft=help:norl: