Pointer Variables and Dynamic Allocation

Vim for programmers

Introduction

Modes

Normal: typed characters are commands to editor [initial mode]
Input: typed characters are inserted into file [enter/exit with i/escape]
Replace: typed characters replace characters in file [enter/exit with R/escape]
Visual: highlight text
Command: command line commands

Important Minimal Essentials

Esc - Exit insert mode
:wq : Exit and save changes
:q! : Exit and abandon changes

Command Mode

Enter command mode with - in normal mode
Example: :hardcopy (:ha)
Tab - command completion
Exit command mode with enter, esc, or ctrl-c
Example: :set number, :set nonumber
Example: :set spell, :set nospell

Printing

:ha - hardcopy - on windows, brings up menu

Help

:help - open help window
:help topic - open help window on topic
tab does completion of topics
:q - exit help

Simple File Commands

:q - exit if no changes
:q! - exit and abandon changes
:wq - exit and save changes
:w - save file (but don't exit)
:w filename - save file to filename

More File Commands

:w filename - save file to filename (continue editing current)
:w! filename - save file to filename, overwriting existing (continue editing current)
What if you want to change name of file currently editing
:saveas filename - save current file as filename and begin editing filename

Bang Commands

Used for dangerous versions of commands
:q - exit if no changes - will not exit if changes
:q! - exit and abandon changes
:w filename - save file to filename (continue editing current) - will not write if exists
:w! filename - save file to filename, overwriting existing (continue editing current)
:ha - hardcopy - print dialog
:ha! - hardcopy - print without dialog

Input Mode Commands

Change to input mode

i - input
s - delete the current character and enter input mode
I - input at beginning of line (at indent)
a - append to current character
A - append to end of line
o - open the line below
O - Open the line above

Exit Input Mode

esc - exit from input mode

Change to input mode - Advanced

gi - input at location of most recent input
gI - input at beginning of line ignoring indent

G commands - Advanced

Several commands have g versions
i - input
gi - input at location of most recent input
I - input at beginning of line (at indent)
gI - input at beginning of line ignoring indent
J - Join lines, insert space between lines
gJ - Join lines, don't insert space

More G commands - Advanced

gv - remark visual area
gg - go to top of file
gd - go to declaration (ie first mention)
ga - show ascii
ctrl-g - show file information

Control commands in input mode - Advanced

ctrl-t shift right (ie tab) line
ctrl-d shift left (ie untab) line
ctrl-y insert character from line above
ctrl-e insert character from line below

Replace Mode Commands

Change to Replace mode

R - Replace current characters with input characters
esc - exit from Replace mode

Movement

Cursor Movement - Character

hl - left and right one character
jk - up and down one line

Cursor Movement - Word

w - start of word forward
b - start of word backward
e - end of word
ge - end of word backward

Cursor Movement - Line

0 - beginning of line
$ - beginning of line
20| - column 20

Cursor Movement - File

gg - top of file
G - end of file
3 G - line 3

[Count] Movement

3 movement - move 3 times
3 h - move 3 characters left
3 k - move 3 lines right
3 w - move 3 words forward
3 b - move 3 words backward

Screen Movement

ctrl-f - Screen forward one screen
ctrl-b - Screen backward one screen

Screen Movement - Advanced

ctrl-y - Screen down one line, cursor moves with screen
ctrl-e - Screen up one line, cursor moves with screen
ctrl-u - Screen backward one screen
ctrl-d - Screen forward one screen

More Cursor Movement - Advanced

HML - High, Middle, Low on screen
zt - Move cursor line to top of screen
zz - Move cursor line to middle of screen
zb - Move cursor line to bottom of screen

Mark Movement (Advanced, but useful)

ma - mark current location with mark a
'a - go to mark a
can use any letter
'' - return to previous location (two single quotes)

Jump Movement - Advanced

ctrl-o - go to older location on jump list
ctrl-i - go to newer location on jump list

Searching

/pattern - forward search for pattern
?pattern - backward search for pattern
n - repeat previous search
N - repeat previous search, in reverse

Search Options

smart case: ignore case unless used
Example: Word word word Word word (try /word and /Word from column 1)
:set hlsearch - turn on search highlight

Advanced Searching

/pat/e - go to end of located string
/pat/b+1 - go to second character of located string
/pat/e-1 - go to next to last character of located string
/pat/e+1 - go to character after located string
/pat/-2 - go to 2 lines above located string
/pat/+2 - go to 2 lines below located string

Regular Espressions - Advanced

^ beginningg of line
$ end of line
. matches any letter
- matches multiple of previous item
MANY more

Editing

Deleting character [can use counts]

x - one character
3x - 3 characters

Undo, redo, repeat

u - undo
^r - redo
. - repeat last edit command

Command plus motion

dw - delete one word forward
db - delete one word backward
3dw - delete three words forward

Deleting lines [can use counts]

dd - delete entire current line
d$ - delete to end of current line
D - to end of line

Cut and Paste

cut with delete commands above
p - paste after current line/character
p - paste before current line/character

Swap

xp - characters
ddp - lines

Copy (Command and motion) and Paste

yy - yank line
Y - yank line
yw - yank word

Copy Buffers - Advanced

"aY - Yank into buffer a, replacing contents of a
"ap - put buffer a, leaving contents of a
"AY - Yank into buffer a, appending to current contents

Replace a Character

rx - replace current character with x

Changing words [all take counts]

cw - one word forward
cb - one word backward

Changing lines [all take counts]

cc - change entire current line
c$ - change end of current line
C - change to end of current line

Text Objects - Advanced (but really useful)

Can change and delete text objects
Example: di( - delete an inner () block
Examples: ca( - change a () block
Example line to operate on: procedure foo(p: param1) is.
Other objects: [ { < ' "

More Text Objects - Advanced

Tag objects: cit - change inner tag
Example line to operate on: a list item .
Words - w W
Paragraph and sentence: p s (what is a paragraph?)

Substitute Command - Substitute one string for another

:s/old/new - default: operate on current line
:s/old/new/g - all occurrences on line
:s/old/new/c - with confirm
:%s/old/new/gc - all occurrences in file, with confirm
Can operate on visual area (see below)

Visual Mode - Highlighting

Three kinds of highlighted areas

Character - v
Line - V
Block - ^v

Commands on Visual Areas

d and x - delete
c - change area
C - change area lines
rx - replace each character in area with character x
R - replace all lines of area
< > = - shift lines left, right, or indent

Commands on Visual Blocks

I - Insert at beginning of block on all lines
A - Insert at end of block on all lines [use $ to mark end of line]
c - Change block on all lines
C - Change from beginning of block to end of line on all lines
:s - Substitute

Other Visual Commands

gv - rehighlight area
o - go to beginning/end of area
O - go to beginning/end of line of block
v, V, ^v - change visual mode

Folding

Creating Folds

Creating folds and opening and closing folds are different operations
zf - creates fold from visual area and closes it
:set foldmethod={manual, indent, marker, ...}

Opening and Closing Folds

zo - open fold at cursor
zc - close fold at cursor

History Windows

Command History Window - Advanced (but really useful)

Enter with q:
Search and edit as in normal window
Execute with enter
Exit with enter on empty line
Exit with ctrl-c twice

Search History Window

Enter with q/
Exit with ctrl-c twice

Multifile Editing (Advanced, but few basics)

Editing another file

:vi foo.adb - ends current edit and edits foo.adb
:vi # - ends current edit and edits most recently edited file
:ls - list of files currently in buffers
:bu n - edits buffer n

Split Windows

:split filename
:vsplit filename
Movement between windows: ^W then hjkl
Exit with :q

Tabbed Editing

:tabe filename - opens a new tab
:gt - move to next tab
:gT - move to previous tab
works in unix
vim -p first.adb second.adb - opens 2 files in 2 tabs

:args

vim first.adb second.adb - opens 2 files with one vim session
:args - lists the open files in the argument list
:n - goes to next file in argument list
:prev - goes to previous file in argument list
:argdo - perform the same operation on all files in argument list

Configuration

Set Command

Example: :set hlsearch, :nohlsearch
Example: :set spell, :nospell
:set
:set all
:options

:options Command

can check and set options in place
set by pressing enter
exit with :q

Map Command

Map one character to another
Favorite mapping: :map ; :
Query with :map

Vim Startup

Startup Files

.vimrc - commands in .vimrc are automatically read and executed on startup
Put .vimrc in your home directory
May need underscore vimrc on Windows
Check current vimrc with :echo $MYVIMRC
Check current home with :echo $HOME
Check startup scripts :scriptnames - shows all files read on startup

Vimrc Commands - Colons not required

set nobackup      " backup files are useful, but they create clutter
filetype indent on  " do automatic indentation
filetype plugin on  " load filetype plugins
syntax enable       " turn on syntax highlighting
set ai              " autoindent 
set backspace=2     " backspace past newlines
set shiftwidth=4    " how much to shift on >>
set smarttab        " Enters shiftwidth spaces at line start when tab entered
set ignorecase      " Ignore case when searching
set smartcase       "    but, if case is used in the pattern, DON'T ignore it
noremap ; :         : Save a keystroke
remap q; q:         : Save another keystroke

Useful operators

Shift: >>
Shift: <<
Indent: ==
For visual areas: <, >, =

Plugins

Files in plugin directories are loaded on startup
Loads from system and user plugin directories
To install in user plugin, simply drop .vim file there

User Plugins

Your Plugin directory: $HOME\vimfiles\plugin
Try: :split $HOME\vimfiles\plugin
Find plugins on vim.org
Useful plugins: supertab.vim - Enables keyword completion calendar.vim - Open a calendar jad.vim - Edit a compressed file (current?)

Filetype Plugins

Loaded based on the type of file that is being edited

User Filetype Plugins

Your Plugin directory: $HOME\vimfiles\ftplugin
Try: :split $HOME\vimfiles\ftplugin
Put commands in language.vim (eg java.vim, ada.vim)
Can put newlines in definitions (with \ at end of line, I think)

User Filetype Plugin: java.vim

    set makeprg=javac\ % 
    ab pc public class <CR>{<CR><CR>}<UP><up><up><END><left>
    ab psvm public static void main(String[] args)<CR>{<CR><CR>}<UP><TAB><TAB>
    ab sop System.out.println();<LEFT><LEFT>
    ab fori for (int i = 0; i < X; i++)<CR>{<CR><CR>}<UP><TAB><TAB>

Quickfix window

:make - compile with makeprg
:cc - go to current error
:cn - go to next error
:cp - go to prev error
:cope - open quickfix window

Input Mode Completion

In input: ctrl-x plus ...
I prefer Supertab

What happend to my paste??

Sometimes a cut and paste does too much indenting
:set paste
then do the paste
:set nopaste

References

vim.org
search
:help quickref

My Language Summary

An attempt at listing all commands
Under construction
mapping.html

How to learn

vimtutor
pick a few, learn more as needed
gets easier!

Happy 21st Birthday Vim

History

Some baby pictures

Pictures