Remember, in input mode (after an i, I, a, or A command), all key strokes except Esc become a character in the file.

"Command mode"

• cursor movements:
  • To replace the arrow keys
    h  -left one character
    l   -right one character
    j   -down one line
    k  -up one line

  • In windows you can use ctrl and the arrows to move words by words, here it's
    w  -right one word
    b   -back one word

  • Home key and End key are
    $   -to the end of line
    0   -to the beginning of the line

  • Other useful keys
    )   -right one sentence
    (   -left one sentence
    }   -right one paragraph
    {   -left one paragraph

  • Page down and page up
    Ctrl-F   -forward one page
    Ctrl-B   -back one page

• deleting (or cutting to the clipboard):
  d  - delete (then add one of the cursor movement symbols toshow what should be deleted)
  d$ -delete to end of line
  d0  -delete to the beginning of the line
  dw  -delete the current or next word
  dd  -delete delete (delete the whole line)
  x  -delete character cursor is on

• other basic commands:
  r  -replace one character
  ZZ  -save and exit (hold down shift and press "z" twice)
  u -undo last editing command (only once)
  /sometext  -search for "sometext", a very useful command
  • Copy
    y -yank (otherwise known as copy)
    yy - copy the current line
    yw  -copy the current word and the 4 to the right
    y0  -copy to the beginning of the line
    Y  -yank line cursor is on

  • Paste
    p -paste below the current line if buffer contains a newline character, otherwise, paste to left of current character
    P -paste above the current line if buffer contains a newline character, otherwise, paste to right of current character

• any command can take numeric argument before the name of "object", i.e.
  5dd  -delete 5 lines beginning with cursor line (or)
  d5d  - same as above
  2dw  -delete two words to right
  d2b  - delete two words to left
  c3w  -change 3 words
  3Ctrl-B  -move up three pages

• command line (sometimes called "ex mode"):
  :

• in ex mode "set" command can be executed to customize editing environment, i.e.:
  :set all   -will show the state of all options
  :set number  -will show on the screen numbers of all lines
  :set autoindent  -holds previous line's indention

• in ex mode any ex command can be performed on the range of lines, i.e.:
  :18,24 del -delete from line 18 to line 24
  :23,48 copy 17 -block from line 23 to 48 copy to line 17
  :2,17 move 92 -block from line 2 to 17 move to line 92

• file commands in ex mode:
  :r somefile  -read in "somefile"
  :x  -save and exit (if file is "Read Only", this command will exit without saving)
  :wq  -write and quit (same as above)
  :w  -write (save)
  :w somefile  -save this file as "somefile"
  :q  -quit without saving
  :q!  -quit without saving if changes were made
  :23  -go to line 23, very useful when debugging

"Input Mode" - editing your code...

• text input commands (all require "Esc" to terminate):
  i  -insert text before the character cursor is on
  I  -insert text at the beginning of the line
  a  -append (insert text after the character cursor is on)
  A  -append text to the end of the line
  c  -change (replace previous text with new one) example:
  c3w  -change 3 words to the right of cursor
  R  -start overwriting text
  o  -start entering text at the beginning of the new line below the cursor
  O  -start entering text at the beginning of the new line above the cursor

• if in doubt, press "Esc"