Essential Vim Commands: The Ultimate Guide for Developers

Let me be honest—I’m not a hardcore Vim enthusiast who lives and breathes in terminal editors. But I’ve come to absolutely appreciate this powerful little tool for what it does best: editing files on remote servers through SSH connections. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of efficiently manipulating text without ever touching your mouse!

The biggest challenge? I don’t use Vim every day, which means I constantly forget commands and have to Google them. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and breaks my workflow. That’s why I created this comprehensive guide—initially as a personal reference, but now I’m sharing it with you, too!

This isn’t just another Vim cheatsheet. It’s a carefully curated collection of the most practical Vim commands that developers actually use daily. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to level up your Vim skills, you’ll find exactly what you need here.

Tip 💡: Working with files that should be version controlled? Consider mastering the essential git commands as well!

Getting Started with Vim

Before diving into specific commands, let’s understand how Vim operates. Unlike most text editors, Vim uses different modes:

• Normal mode: The default mode for navigation and simple commands
• Insert mode: For typing and editing text
• Visual mode: For selecting text blocks
• Command mode: For executing commands

Opening Files with Vim

To open a file in Vim:

vim filename.txt    # Open or create a file
vim +143 filename.txt    # Open file at line 143
vim -R filename.txt    # Open in read-only modeCode language: PHP (php)

Essential Mode Switching Commands

These are the absolute foundation of working with Vim:

i    # Enter insert mode at cursor position
I    # Enter insert mode at beginning of line
a    # Enter insert mode after cursor position
A    # Enter insert mode at end of line
Esc  # Exit insert mode (return to normal mode)Code language: PHP (php)

Remember—most commands only work in normal mode, so hitting Esc before trying other commands is crucial if things aren’t working!

Navigation Commands

Moving efficiently is where Vim truly shines:

Basic Movement

h    # Move cursor left
j    # Move cursor down
k    # Move cursor up
l    # Move cursor rightCode language: PHP (php)

Faster Movement

w    # Jump to start of next word
b    # Jump to start of previous word
e    # Jump to end of word
0    # Jump to start of line
$    # Jump to end of line
^    # Jump to first non-blank character in lineCode language: PHP (php)

Page Navigation

gg   # Go to first line of document
G    # Go to last line of document
:n   # Jump to line n (replace n with line number)
Ctrl+f    # Page down (forward)
Ctrl+b    # Page up (backward)Code language: PHP (php)

Search and Replace

Finding and replacing text is incredibly powerful in Vim:

/pattern       # Search forward for pattern
?pattern       # Search backward for pattern
n             # Repeat search in same direction
N             # Repeat search in opposite direction
:%s/old/new/g  # Replace all old with new throughout file
:%s/old/new/gc # Replace all old with new throughout file with confirmationsCode language: PHP (php)

Editing Commands

These commands make text manipulation much faster:

Deleting Text

x    # Delete character under cursor
dw   # Delete word from cursor position
d$   # Delete to end of line
dd   # Delete entire line
5dd  # Delete 5 linesCode language: PHP (php)

Copying and Pasting (Yank and Put)

yy   # Yank (copy) a line
5yy  # Yank 5 lines
y$   # Yank to end of line
p    # Put (paste) after cursor
P    # Put (paste) before cursorCode language: PHP (php)

Text Selection

v           # Start visual mode for character selection
V           # Start visual mode for line selection
Ctrl+v      # Start visual block mode (column selection)Code language: PHP (php)

After selecting text with visual mode, you can:

• Press d to delete selected text
• Press y to copy selected text
• Press p to replace selected text with clipboard contents

Working with Multiple Files

Vim can handle multiple files efficiently:

:e filename     # Edit a file in a new buffer
:bn             # Next buffer
:bp             # Previous buffer
:bd             # Delete buffer (close file)
:sp filename    # Open file in horizontal split
:vsp filename   # Open file in vertical split
Ctrl+ws         # Split window horizontally
Ctrl+wv         # Split window vertically
Ctrl+ww         # Switch between windows
Ctrl+wq         # Quit a windowCode language: PHP (php)

Saving and Exiting

Don’t get stuck in Vim! Here’s how to get out:

:w              # Write (save) the file
:w filename     # Write to specified filename
:wq or :x       # Write and quit
:q              # Quit (fails if unsaved changes)
:q!             # Quit and discard unsaved changes
:w !sudo tee %  # Save file with sudo privilegesCode language: CSS (css)

That last command is an absolute lifesaver when you forget to open a file with sudo!

Line Numbers and Navigation

Line numbers make navigation much easier:

:set number     # Show line numbers
:set nonumber   # Hide line numbersCode language: JavaScript (javascript)

Advanced Text Manipulation

These commands help you manipulate text more efficiently:

Indentation

>>        # Indent line
<<        # Unindent line
=G        # Auto-indent entire fileCode language: PHP (php)

Case Manipulation

~         # Change case of character under cursor
gUw       # Change word to uppercase
guw       # Change word to lowercaseCode language: PHP (php)

Text Deletion

To delete all content in a file:

gg        # Go to beginning of file
dG        # Delete to end of fileCode language: PHP (php)

Or select all and delete:

ggVGd     # Go to top, visual select to bottom, deleteCode language: PHP (php)

Vim Productivity Boosters

Repeating Commands

.         # Repeat last commandCode language: PHP (php)

Macros

q{letter}  # Start recording macro into register {letter}
q          # Stop recording macro
@{letter}  # Execute macro in register {letter}
@@         # Repeat last executed macroCode language: PHP (php)

Marks

m{letter}  # Set mark at current position (a-z for local marks)
'{letter}  # Jump to line of mark
`{letter}  # Jump to position of markCode language: PHP (php)

Customizing Vim

You can customize your Vim experience by editing the .vimrc file in your home directory:

:syntax on           # Enable syntax highlighting
:set tabstop=4       # Set tab width to 4 spaces
:set autoindent      # Enable auto-indentation
:set hlsearch        # Highlight search resultsCode language: PHP (php)

Common Problems and Solutions

Stuck in a Mode?

If you’re stuck in a mode and can’t get out, try:

• Press Esc multiple times
• Press Ctrl+c
• Type :q! to force quit

File Permission Issues?

If you can’t save due to permission issues:

:w !sudo tee % > /dev/nullCode language: JavaScript (javascript)

Terminal Issues?

If your terminal gets messed up after using Vim:

:!reset

Final Thoughts

Vim has an incredibly steep learning curve, but the productivity gains are enormous once you master it. Start by memorizing just a few essential commands, then gradually add more to your toolkit as you become more comfortable.

Remember, the key to mastering Vim is consistency—try to use it regularly, even for small editing tasks, to build muscle memory. Before you know it, you’ll be editing text at the speed of thought!

What are your favorite Vim commands? Did I miss any crucial ones that save you time? Let me know in the comments!