nvim-cheat-sheet

A list of helpfull commands in nvim

Before reading

• Always assume we are in normal mode unless explicitely specified
• This guide uses the default commands (no remapping unless explicity specified)
• For a config template: see my nvim config here

The basics

Open File

:help file

• nvim filename1 filename2 open files filename1 and filename2 with nvim

Normal Mode

:help normal

• ESC or ctrl+[ return to normal mode

Save File

:help save-file :help quit
Note that ! can be appended to the following commands to force it (i.e :wq!)

• :w write to current file
• :q quit file (must be saved before)
• :wq or :x write & quit
• :saveas save current file into another file
  Here are a few equivalent shorthands
• ZZ is like :x
• ZQ is like :q!

Insert Mode

:help insert

• i enter insert mode

Replace mode

:help replace

• r enter replace mode

Movement

:help movement

• gg go to first line of file
• G go to last line of file
• 5G go to line 5
• % go to next part of parenthesis, bracket etc.
• up or k move up
• down or j move down
• left or h move left
• right of l move right

Undo / Redo

:help undo

• u undo one change
• CTRL-R redo one change
• :undolist show the undo list (usefull when undo branching happens)

Paste

:help paste

• p paste content of unnnamed register after cursor
• "aP paste the content of register a before cursor

Yanking

:help yank

• yw yank word forward into unnnamed register
• "ayW yank WORD forward into register a
• "+yy yank current line to clipboard
• y} yank paragraph into unnnamed register

Repetition

• . will repeat the previous command if possible
  (Concept) Many commands can be executed multiple times by prepending them with any number, which represent the number of repetition we need.
• 5i will enter insert mode and insert 5 times the content written
• 7dd wil delete the 7 following lines, including the current one
• 99yy will yank 99 lines, including the current one
• etc.

The Advanced Stuff

Searching

:help search

• /word to enter forward search mode and search word
• n while forward searching to go forward
• N while forward searching to go backward
• * search current word forward
• # search current word backwards
• ctrl+o return to previous position before search

Registers (yank & paste buffers)

:help registers

• "" the unnamed (default) register
• "a overwrite version of register a
• "A append version of register a
• "+ the clipboard
• "_ the black hole register, does nothing (not affecting the other registers
• "/ the last used regex register

Insert Completion

:help ins-completion
while in insert mode

• ctrl+n any completion
• ctrl+x + ctrl+n keyword in file
• ctrl+x + ctrl+k words in dictionary
• ctrl+x + ctrl+t words in thesaurus
• ctrl+x + ctrl+f filenames

Recording

• qa will start a recording in overwrite mode in register a
• qA will start a recording in append mode in register a
• @a will execute the recording in regester a

Formatting

:help formatting

• ~ swap character between UPPER lower
• gUw make word UPPER
• guw make word lower
• gqq format current line
• gqap format current paragraph
• gqG format from current line to end of file

Tags

:help tags

• ctags must be present in the root directory to allow jumping.
• ctrl+] jump to tag on cursor
• ctrl+t go to position prior to tag jump

Jump Motions

:help jump-motions

• ctrl+o go to previous position in jump list
• ctrl+i go to next position in jump list
• :ju show jump list

Substitute (search and replace)

:help substitute

• :<range>s/<regex_expr>/<replacement>/<flag>

Range

:help range

• % for the whole file.
• '<,'> for the lines of visually selected block. This might get you more than you want of the visual selection starts or ends in the middle of a line. The whole line is included.
• 'a,'b from mark a to mark b.
• .,$ from the current line to the end of the file.
• .,.+10 from current line to 10 lines below current line
• :help :range for more

Regex

:help regex

Flag

:help s_flags

• c ask to confirm before each substitution
• g replace all occurences on the line (as opposed to the first occurence)
• i ignorecase for regex pattern
• I dont ignorecase for regex pattern

Folding

:help folding

• za while in a code block to toggle between collapsed / normal

Visual Block mode

:help block

• ctrl+v enter visual block mode (I remapped to v cuz normal visual mode sucks)
  while in visual block mode
• I enter block insert mode which will insert before the cursor for every line in block
• shift+$ select the whole block from left to right
• A enter block append mode which will append after the cursor for every line in block