10 tips for improving your code editing experience with Vim

  1. Use the h, j, k, and l keys to move the cursor around the code. These keys correspond to the left, down, up, and right arrow keys, respectively, and are easier to reach when your hands are positioned on the home row of the keyboard.

  2. Use the w, e, and b keys to move the cursor to the beginning or end of a word. The w key moves the cursor to the next word, the e key moves the cursor to the end of the current word, and the b key moves the cursor to the beginning of the current word.

  3. Use the gg and G keys to move the cursor to the beginning or end of the file. The gg key moves the cursor to the beginning of the file, and the G key moves the cursor to the end of the file.

  4. Use the i, a, I, and A keys to enter insert mode. The i key enters insert mode at the current cursor position, the a key enters insert mode after the current cursor position, the I key enters insert mode at the beginning of the current line, and the A key enters insert mode at the end of the current line.

  5. Use the . key to repeat the last edit. This can be helpful for quickly repeating an edit multiple times, such as inserting a block of code or deleting a line.

  6. Use the u key to undo the last change, and the Ctrl+r key to redo a change that has been undone.

  7. Use the / key to search for a word or phrase in the file. You can enter the search term after pressing the / key, and use the n and N keys to navigate to the next or previous occurrence of the search term.

  8. Use the :%s/old/new/g command to replace all occurrences of a word or phrase in the file. The old and new values should be replaced with the word or phrase to be replaced and the replacement text, respectively.

  9. Use the Ctrl+n and Ctrl+p keys to complete a word or phrase based on the context of the code. This can be helpful for quickly completing long or complex names or for inserting common code patterns.

  10. Use the Ctrl+o and Ctrl+i keys to jump between the current position and the previous position in the file. This can be helpful for quickly navigating between different parts of the code.