Vim Editor Basics for Beginners

Today I learned the basics of the Vim (or vi) editor — how it works, its different modes, and the shortcuts that make editing files from the terminal much faster. Here's the clean, simple version.

Opening a File

vim filename

This opens the file inside Vim. If the file doesn't exist yet, Vim will create it once you save.

The Status Bar

At the bottom of the screen, Vim shows useful details:

• The file name
• How many lines are in the file
• Where your cursor is currently located
• How much of the file you're currently viewing (as a percentage)

The Modes in Vim

Vim works using different modes. This is what makes it different from simple editors — you switch modes depending on whether you want to move around, type text, or run commands.

1. Normal Mode (also called Command Mode)

This is the mode you start in when you open a file. In this mode, your keystrokes are treated as commands, not text. For example, pressing dd deletes a line instead of typing the letters "dd."

2. Insert Mode

This is where you actually type and edit text, like a normal text editor.

• Press i → start typing right where your cursor is.
• Press ESC → go back to Normal mode (needed before you can save or run other commands).

3. Command-Line Mode (Extended Commands)

Press : while in Normal mode to enter this mode. Here you can run commands like saving, quitting, searching and replacing, or turning on line numbers.

Examples: :wq, :q, :set nu

4. Visual Mode

Used to select/highlight text, similar to how you'd click-and-drag to select text in a regular editor, but using the keyboard.

• Press Shift + v → highlights whole lines. Use the up/down arrow keys to extend the selection.

Moving Around the File

Shortcut	What it does
Shift + g	Go to the bottom of the file
gg	Go to the top of the file
/keyword	Search for a word in the file
:23	Jump to a specific line number (e.g. line 23)

Deleting and Copying Text

Shortcut	What it does
dd	Delete the current line
5dd	Delete 5 lines starting from the current line (replace 5 with any number)
yy	Copy (yank) the current line
5yy	Copy 5 lines
p	Paste the copied/deleted text after the cursor
3p	Paste the copied text 3 times
dw	Delete a single word where the cursor is
dG (press d then Shift+g)	Delete everything from the cursor to the end of the file
dgg (press d then gg)	Delete everything from the cursor to the beginning of the file
yG (press y then Shift+g)	Copy everything from the cursor to the end of the file
ygg (press y then gg)	Copy everything from the cursor to the beginning of the file

Undo and Redo

• u → Undo the last change (make sure you're in Normal mode — press ESC first)
• Ctrl + r → Redo the change you just undid

Insert Mode Shortcuts (Ways to Start Typing)

Shortcut	What it does
i	Start typing right where the cursor is
Shift + i	Move to the beginning of the line and start typing
Shift + a	Move to the end of the line and start typing
a	Move one character to the right of the cursor and start typing(Cursor move one character and insert next line )
o	Create a new empty line below the cursor and start typing
Shift + o	Create a new empty line above the cursor and start typing

Find and Replace

:%s/oldword/newword/g

This finds every occurrence of oldword in the file and replaces it with newword.

• % means "apply to the whole file" (not just one line)
• g means "replace all matches in each line," not just the first one

Saving and Quitting

Command	What it does
:wq	Save the file and quit
:q	Quit (only works if there are no unsaved changes)
ZZ (Shift + z, twice)	Save and quit — a shortcut for :wq
:x	Also saves and quits, similar to :wq

Line Numbers

• :set nu → Turn on line numbers
• :set nonu → Turn off line numbers

Working with Multiple Files

• vim -O file1 file2 file3 → Open multiple files at once, side by side (vertical split)
• :vsplit filename → Open another file in a vertical split while already inside Vim
• Ctrl + w, then w → Switch between the open file windows/splits
• :wqa → Save and quit all open files at once

Password Protecting a File in Vim

• :X → Set a password for the file (you'll be asked to type and confirm it)
• To remove the password: open the file, type :X, then just press Enter twice without typing anything — this clears the password.

Quick Recap

Vim has different modes for different jobs: Normal mode to move around and run commands, Insert mode to type text, Visual mode to select text, and Command-line mode to save, quit, search, and replace. Once you get comfortable switching between these with i, ESC, and :, editing files becomes very fast — no mouse required.