mdbook

The user manual (an older version) is available as a single, ready to print HTML and PDF file here: http://vimdoc.sf.net

Getting Started

Read this from start to end to learn the essential commands.

• usr_01.txt About the manuals
  • 01.1 Two manuals
  • 01.2 Vim installed
  • 01.3 Using the Vim tutor
  • 01.4 Copyright
• usr_02.txt The first steps in Vim
  • 02.1 Running Vim for the First Time
  • 02.2 Inserting text
  • 02.3 Moving around
  • 02.4 Deleting characters
  • 02.5 Undo and Redo
  • 02.6 Other editing commands
  • 02.7 Getting out
  • 02.8 Finding help
• usr_03.txt Moving around
  • 03.1 Word movement
  • 03.2 Moving to the start or end of a line
  • 03.3 Moving to a character
  • 03.4 Matching a parenthesis
  • 03.5 Moving to a specific line
  • 03.6 Telling where you are
  • 03.7 Scrolling around
  • 03.8 Simple searches
  • 03.9 Simple search patterns
  • 03.10 Using marks
• usr_04.txt Making small changes
  • 04.1 Operators and motions
  • 04.2 Changing text
  • 04.3 Repeating a change
  • 04.4 Visual mode
  • 04.5 Moving text
  • 04.6 Copying text
  • 04.7 Using the clipboard
  • 04.8 Text objects
  • 04.9 Replace mode
  • 04.10 Conclusion
• usr_05.txt Set your settings
  • 05.1 The vimrc file
  • 05.2 The example vimrc file explained
  • 05.3 The defaults.vim file explained
  • 05.4 Simple mappings
  • 05.5 Adding a package
  • 05.6 Adding a plugin
  • 05.7 Adding a help file
  • 05.8 The option window
  • 05.9 Often used options
• usr_06.txt Using syntax highlighting
  • 06.1 Switching it on
  • 06.2 No or wrong colors?
  • 06.3 Different colors
  • 06.4 With colors or without colors
  • 06.5 Printing with colors
  • 06.6 Further reading
• usr_07.txt Editing more than one file
  • 07.1 Edit another file
  • 07.2 A list of files
  • 07.3 Jumping from file to file
  • 07.4 Backup files
  • 07.5 Copy text between file
  • 07.6 Viewing a file
  • 07.7 Changing the file name
• usr_08.txt Splitting windows
  • 08.1 Split a window
  • 08.2 Split a window on another file
  • 08.3 Window size
  • 08.4 Vertical splits
  • 08.5 Moving windows
  • 08.6 Commands for all windows
  • 08.7 Viewing differences with vimdiff
  • 08.8 Various
• usr_09.txt Using the GUI
  • 09.1 Parts of the GUI
  • 09.2 Using the mouse
  • 09.3 The clipboard
  • 09.4 Select mode
• usr_10.txt Making big changes
  • 10.1 Record and playback commands
  • 10.2 Substitution
  • 10.3 Command ranges
  • 10.4 The global command
  • 10.5 Visual block mode
  • 10.6 Reading and writing part of a file
  • 10.7 Formatting text
  • 10.8 Changing case
  • 10.9 Using an external program
• usr_11.txt Recovering from a crash
  • 11.1 Basic recovery
  • 11.2 Where is the swap file?
  • 11.3 Crashed or not?
  • 11.4 Further reading
• usr_12.txt Clever tricks
  • 12.1 Replace a word
  • 12.2 Change “Last, First” to “First Last”
  • 12.3 Sort a list
  • 12.4 Reverse line order
  • 12.5 Count words
  • 12.6 Find a man page
  • 12.7 Trim blanks
  • 12.8 Find where a word is used

Editing Effectively

Subjects that can be read independently.

• usr_20.txt Typing command-line commands quickly
  • 20.1 Command line editing
  • 20.2 Command line abbreviations
  • 20.3 Command line completion
  • 20.4 Command line history
  • 20.5 Command line window
• usr_21.txt Go away and come back
  • 21.1 Suspend and resume
  • 21.2 Executing shell commands
  • 21.3 Remembering information; viminfo
  • 21.4 Sessions
  • 21.5 Views
  • 21.6 Modelines
• usr_22.txt Finding the file to edit
  • 22.1 The file explorer
  • 22.2 The current directory
  • 22.3 Finding a file
  • 22.4 The buffer list
• usr_23.txt Editing other files
  • 23.1 DOS, Mac and Unix files
  • 23.2 Files on the internet
  • 23.3 Encryption
  • 23.4 Binary files
  • 23.5 Compressed files
• usr_24.txt Inserting quickly
  • 24.1 Making corrections
  • 24.2 Showing matches
  • 24.3 Completion
  • 24.4 Repeating an insert
  • 24.5 Copying from another line
  • 24.6 Inserting a register
  • 24.7 Abbreviations
  • 24.8 Entering special characters
  • 24.9 Digraphs
  • 24.10 Normal mode commands
• usr_25.txt Editing formatted text
  • 25.1 Breaking lines
  • 25.2 Aligning text
  • 25.3 Indents and tabs
  • 25.4 Dealing with long lines
  • 25.5 Editing tables
• usr_26.txt Repeating
  • 26.1 Repeating with Visual mode
  • 26.2 Add and subtract
  • 26.3 Making a change in many files
  • 26.4 Using Vim from a shell script
• usr_27.txt Search commands and patterns
  • 27.1 Ignoring case
  • 27.2 Wrapping around the file end
  • 27.3 Offsets
  • 27.4 Matching multiple times
  • 27.5 Alternatives
  • 27.6 Character ranges
  • 27.7 Character classes
  • 27.8 Matching a line break
  • 27.9 Examples
• usr_28.txt Folding
  • 28.1 What is folding?
  • 28.2 Manual folding
  • 28.3 Working with folds
  • 28.4 Saving and restoring folds
  • 28.5 Folding by indent
  • 28.6 Folding with markers
  • 28.7 Folding by syntax
  • 28.8 Folding by expression
  • 28.9 Folding unchanged lines
  • 28.10 Which fold method to use?
• usr_29.txt Moving through programs
  • 29.1 Using tags
  • 29.2 The preview window
  • 29.3 Moving through a program
  • 29.4 Finding global identifiers
  • 29.5 Finding local identifiers
• usr_30.txt Editing programs
  • 30.1 Compiling
  • 30.2 Indenting C files
  • 30.3 Automatic indenting
  • 30.4 Other indenting
  • 30.5 Tabs and spaces
  • 30.6 Formatting comments
• usr_31.txt Exploiting the GUI
  • 31.1 The file browser
  • 31.2 Confirmation
  • 31.3 Menu shortcuts
  • 31.4 Vim window position and size
  • 31.5 Various
• usr_32.txt The undo tree
  • 32.1 Undo up to a file write
  • 32.2 Numbering changes
  • 32.3 Jumping around the tree
  • 32.4 Time travelling

Tuning Vim

Make Vim work as you like it.

• usr_40.txt Make new commands
  • 40.1 Key mapping
  • 40.2 Defining command-line commands
  • 40.3 Autocommands
• usr_41.txt Write a Vim script
  • 41.1 Introduction
  • 41.2 Variables
  • 41.3 Expressions
  • 41.4 Conditionals
  • 41.5 Executing an expression
  • 41.6 Using functions
  • 41.7 Defining a function
  • 41.8 Lists and Dictionaries
  • 41.9 White space
  • 41.10 Line continuation
  • 41.11 Comments
  • 41.12 Fileformat
• usr_42.txt Add new menus
  • 42.1 Introduction
  • 42.2 Menu commands
  • 42.3 Various
  • 42.4 Toolbar and popup menus
• usr_43.txt Using filetypes
  • 43.1 Plugins for a filetype
  • 43.2 Adding a filetype
• usr_44.txt Your own syntax highlighted
  • 44.1 Basic syntax commands
  • 44.2 Keywords
  • 44.3 Matches
  • 44.4 Regions
  • 44.5 Nested items
  • 44.6 Following groups
  • 44.7 Other arguments
  • 44.8 Clusters
  • 44.9 Including another syntax file
  • 44.10 Synchronizing
  • 44.11 Installing a syntax file
  • 44.12 Portable syntax file layout
• usr_45.txt Select your language (locale)
  • 45.1 Language for Messages
  • 45.2 Language for Menus
  • 45.3 Using another encoding
  • 45.4 Editing files with a different encoding
  • 45.5 Entering language text

Writing Vim script

• usr_50.txt Advanced Vim script writing
  • 50.1 Exceptions
  • 50.2 Function with variable number of arguments
  • 50.3 Restoring the view
• usr_51.txt Write plugins
  • 51.1 Writing a generic plugin
  • 51.2 Writing a filetype plugin
  • 51.3 Writing a compiler plugin
  • 51.4 Distributing Vim scripts
• usr_52.txt Write larger plugins
  • 52.1 Export and import
  • 52.2 Autoloading
  • 52.3 Autoloading without import or export
  • 52.4 Other mechanisms to use
  • 52.5 Using a Vim9 script from legacy script

Making Vim Run/read

Before you can use Vim.

• usr_90.txt Installing Vim
  • 90.1 Unix
  • 90.2 MS-Windows
  • 90.3 Upgrading
  • 90.4 Common installation issues
  • 90.5 Uninstalling Vim