My (Neo)Vim Cheat Sheet

Reading Time 35 minutes Apr 30, 2020

Table Of Contents

I love Vim because I can do everything with the keyboard. The downside, is that you have to do everything with the keyboard.

In case you didn’t get the pun, the real problem is that you have to memorize a bunch of commands and key combinations to to do things like delete a line in the current text or how to format the current buffer.

To aid myself on memorizing this commands I created this cheat sheet that works with my configuration.

If you want something more complete, graphical and generic, you can visit the Graphical vi-vim Cheat Sheet and Tutorial site.

One thing tough. I try to use the default key-maps as much as I can, so this cheat sheet might still be useful to you in case you want to create you own.

Movements and insert

This commands are for normal mode:

Command	Action
`w`	Beginning of the next word
`b`	Beginning of the previews word
`e`	End of the next word
`o`	To get to the other end of the selection
`$`	End of line
`f<char>`	Go to forward to the next character. Pe. `fx`
`{`	Go to previous paragraph (empty line)
`}`	Go to next paragraph (empty line)
`A`	Add text at the end of the line
`I`	Add text at the beginning of the line
`zz`	Place the current line in the middle of the editor window
`z<enter>`	Place the current line at the top of the editor window

Advanced movement commands

All this commands are for normal mode:

Command	Action
`gg`	Go to beginning of file
`G`	Go to end of file
`<C-f>`	Page Down (Page Forward)
`<C-b>`	Page Up (Page Backward)
`gd`	Go to definition of word or function in current file
`gf`	To to definition in other file
`<number>G`	Go to line `<number>`. P.e. `16G`
`<C-o>`	Previous position or previous buffer (useful when using gd or gf)
`<C-i>`	Next position or next buffer

Advanced save

This commands are for normal mode:

Command	Action
`<number1>,<number2>w file-name.txt`	Saves lines to a new file. P.e. `12,43w`
`:r <file-name.txt>`	Inserts contents of `file-name.txt` in current position

Delete Undo/Redo

This commands are for normal mode:

Command	Action
`x`	Cut (Works in visual mode too)
`s`	Cut (Substitute) char and place in insert mode
`de`	Delete to end of word
`d0`	Delete to the beginning of the line
`db`	Delete back
`df<char>`	Delete until the next `<char>`. P.e `dfx`
`:.,$d`	Delete until the end of the buffer
`u`	Undo
`U`	Undo on the whole line
`<C-r>`	Redo

Repeat

Most commands, when preceded by a number, are executed multiple times:

Command	Action
`6dw`	Delete next 6 words
`6dd`	Delete next 6 lines
`.`	Redo last change action
`;`	Redo last character find `f{char}`

Clipboard

Command	Action
`y<movement>`	Copy (Yank). `<movement>` can be `h`, `j`, `l`, `k`, `w`, `e`, `$`, `0`
`p`	Paste it after the cursor
`dd`	Delete line
`O`	Paste over the current line
`P`	Paste under the current line

The last 2 command work to add a new line before or after the current line if you haven’t yanked anything yet

Registers

It’s like a clipboard history

Command	Action
`:reg`, `:reg [char]`	List registers. Show contents of one register
`"<number>p`	Paste contents of register. P.e. `"2p` Pastes register 2
`<C-r><char>`	Paste the contents of register in insert mode
`""`	The register used when Copy (`y`), Cut (`x`) or Substitute (`s`)
`"0`-`"9`	Last yanked elements being `"0` the newest ( `"0p` is the same as `p`)
`"%`	Current file path starting from the project root

When you create a macro with q, p.e. qw, the steps of the macro will be stored in the register w
:let @W='i;' (Uppercase W) will append a new step to the register w (lowercase w)

Changes

Command	Action
`r`	Replace current character
`R`	Overwrite content (replace) until you escape
`ciw`	Change Inside word no matter the position
`cip`	Change Inside paragraph (between empty lines) no matter the position
`ci)`	Change (inside) the contents until the next `)`

Folding

Command	Action
`zi`	Fold enable
`zf2j`	Fold the next 2 lines (depends of the fold type)
`:20,40 fo`	Fold from line 20 to 40
`zfa}`	Fold until the next `}`
`zo zO`	Open current fold. Open recursively
`zc zC`	Close current fold. Close recursively
`za zA`	Toggle current fold. Toggle recursively
`zm zM`	Reduce fold level by one. Close all folds
`zr zR`	Increase fold level by one. Increase recursively

With set foldmethod=marker the {{{ and }}} symbols will be used as markers
Use foldlevel (pe foldlevel=99) to fold all levels

Search

Command	Action
`/`	Search
`?`	Search backwards
`*`	Search for the word under the cursor
`n`	Next result
`N`	Previous result

Search & Replace

Command	Action
`:s/original/new/g`	Search and replace in the complete line
`:%s/original/new/gc`	Search in all document asking if do the change (`c`)

Visual

Command	Action
`v`	Start the visual (Use jkhl to move the selection)
`v$`	Select until the end of line
`vip`	Select current paragraph (content between empty lines)
`V`	Visual the complete line (Use jk to move the selection)

Splits

Command	Action
`:sp`, `:vs`	Split and Vertical split
`:only`	Focus on a splt
`gi`	Open in split in NERDTree

QuickFix and Location List

Command	Action
`:copen`	Open error list
`:cclose`	Close error list
`:cnext`	Go to next error

Debug utilities

Command	Action
`Ctrl-g`	Show file status
`:verbose imap <tab>`	Find if the `<tab>` key is defined
`:verbose imap <C-p>`	Find if the `<ctrl>p` key is defined
`:lopen`, `:lclose`	Open/closes the location list. Used by plugins like ALE to show a list of errors
`:copen`, `:close`	Open/Closes/Focuses the list of errors

Native Autocomplete

Command	Action
`<C-x><C-p>`	Autocomplete with an already present word

Native autocomplete works by searching the current buffer

Sessions

Command	Action
`:mks <path>`	Saves the current session to a path. Better if it’s a hidden dir

Markers and Macros

Command	Action
`m<character>`	Creates a marker with the name `<character`
`'<character>`	Jumps to marker. (Use backtick to include column )

Spell

Spell needs to have set spell option active on .vimrc and optionally use set spelllang=en_us. I use es_co for Spanish Colombia.

Command	Action
`z=`	Search for alternatives of the current word
`zg`	Add current word to dictionary
`zw`	Remove current word from dictionary
`]s`	Jump to next spell error
`[s`	Jump to previous spell error

Plugins

NERDTree Commands

This are particular to my configuration

Command	Action
`<C-k><C-k>`	Toggle NERDTree (open if closed, close if open)
`<C-k><C-f>`	Toggle NERDTree and select the current file

This commands are to be executed while inside the NERDTree sidebar:

Command	Action
`s`	Open on left
`vs`	Open on top
`t`	Open on new tab

NERD Commenter

This are the default key-maps

Command	Action
`<leader>c<space>`	Toggle comments
`<leader>ci`	Toggles the comment state of the selected line(s) individually.
`<leader>cs`	Toggle sexy Comments out the selected lines with a pretty block formatted layout.

FZF Commands

Its really helpful to use :help fzf-vim-comands to browse the documentation

Command	Action
`:BCommits`	Commits for the current buffer (Requires Fugitive)
`:Commands`	Searchable list of ALL commands
`:GFiles`	Ignores files in `.gitignore`
`:History`	Opens up the list of last edited files
`:Rg!`	Like `grep` for all the project files but faster
`:Snippets`	UtilSnips snippets
`:Tags`	Tags in the project
`<C-k><C-u>`	Executes `:Buffers`
`<C-6>`	Loops through the 2 most recent buffers

Most commands support CTRL-T / CTRL-X / CTRL-V key bindings to open in a new tab, a new split, or in a new vertical split

GitGutter

Command	Action
`:GitGutterToggle`	Show/Hide file changes
`[c`	Show next block of changes
`]c`	Show previous block of changes
`<Leader>hu`	Remove hunk
`:GitGutterFold`	Toggle fold of the file changes

Fugitive

This commands are to be executed on the :Gstatus window

Command	Action
`g?`	Show help
`=`	Toggle small diff of the file under the cursor
`-`	Toggle stage/unstage file under cursor
`dv`	Diff split vertically
`<leader>gs`	Toggle Status (my `.vimrc`)

CoC commands

This commands assume you used the example configuration suggested by the CoC GitHub page

Command	Action
`:Format`	Code beautify
`:Fold`	Fold functions
`:OR`	Organize Imports
`:CocConfig`	Open the configuration file
`:CocInstall <plugin name>`	Install a new CoC plugin

Vim-Surround

A complete tutorial can be viewed here

Command	Action
`ys<motion><char>`	You surround. Pe, `ysiw'`, `ysa2w"`
`cs<char><char>`	Change surrounding. Pe. `cs'"` Change surrounding `'` with `"`. Or `cstt` change tag with another tag
`ds<char>`	Delete surrounding. Pe. `ds'` Remove surrounding quote. `dst` will delete a tag
`dW`	Delete word including it’s surrounding space
`yss<char>`	The line. Pe `yss"` Surround the line with `"`
`yssf`, `ysiwf`	You surround with a function (It will prompt you for the function name). `iw` its inside a word
`ysst`, `ysiwt`	You surround with an html tag. (it will prompt you for the tag)
`ysas"`	You surround a Sentence
`yS`	Surround a motion and adds a line afterwards. Pe. `ySi2w(`
`ySS`	Surround the complete line and add a line afterwrds. Pe `ySS(`

You have to provide a motion after the prefix. Pe: ysiw':
- you surround.
- inside.
- Around a word.
- The char '.
If you use the opening character ([({<), instead of the closing one, you’ll get an additional space in the surround

In visual mode

Command	Action
`S`	Surround the selected words
`gS`	Suppress auto indent

Aliases

Char	Alias
`)`	b
`}`	B
`]`	r
`>`	a
`_` (space)	s
`<` (html)	t
`f`	Function

If you change t with <C-T>. Surround will add an empty line before and after. And it will also indent the paragraph.