VIM

Question 1

What are the three main modes in VIM?

Answer 1

normal,
insert,
last line

normal mode is often also called ‘command’ mode, but is ‘normal’ in the manual
last line or lastline may also be called command-line or ex. But afaik it is “officially” called last line mode

Question 2

What is the primary way to enter insert mode? Also, what mode must you be in to enter insert mode?

Answer 2

From ‘normal’ mode, press ‘i’

Question 3

What button should you press to enter last line mode? Also, what mode must you be in to enter this mode?

Answer 3

From ‘normal’ mode, press ‘:’

Question 4

If you wish to open a document for editing in a VIM session, what mode is the only mode capable of doing this?

Answer 4

This is done with the last line command ‘:e ‘

Question 5

What is the command to enter insert mode and place the cursor at the end of the current line?

Answer 5

A

Question 6

If you wish to enter insert mode to change the line from the point of the cursor to the end of the line, which key should you use?

Answer 6

C

Question 7

If you are in normal mode and wish to delete the character under the cursor without entering insert mode, how would you do this?

Answer 7

x

Question 8

If you are in normal mode and wish to change the single character under the cursor without entering insert mode, how can this be done?

Answer 8

r and then enter the letter you wish to replace it

Question 9

To move to the beginning of the line in normal mode, which key should you use?

Answer 9

0 as in ‘zero’

Question 10

How to move to the end of the line in normal mode?

Answer 10

$

Question 11

In normal mode, does ‘j’ mean ‘down’ or ‘up’?

Answer 11

It means down. I remember this because j hooks ‘down’ and k points ‘up’

Question 12

In normal mode, does ‘k’ mean down or up?

Answer 12

It means up! It does not hook ‘down’ like j does

Question 13

If you wish to enter insert mode after the character that is under your cursor, what key should you press?

Answer 13

a

Question 14

If, while in normal mode, you wish to create a new line after the cursor and enter insert mode on that line, which key should you press?

Answer 14

o, as in ‘my god’

Question 15

If, while in normal mode, you wish to create a new line before the cursor and enter insert mode on that line, which key should you press?

Answer 15

O, as in ‘MY GOD!!”

Question 16

What if you are in normal mode and wish to enter insert mode in order to change the entirety of the word that the cursor is currently on?

Answer 16

‘ciw’ for ‘change inner word’

note: the ‘inner’ is not to help memorize this command. If you said ‘cw’ for ‘change word’, it would change from the cursor to the end of the word. If you said ‘ctw’ for ‘change till w’, it would delete everything from the cursor to the next ‘w’ and enter insert mode. hopefully this makes sense.

Question 17

In normal mode, you wish to place your cursor on the next ‘X’ symbol in the line without using the ‘l’ key. You do not need to enter insert mode, just to move the cursor

Answer 17

this is done with ‘f’ and then ‘X’

you can seek backwards with ‘F’

Question 18

What if you are in normal mode and you wish to enter insert mode to change the text from under the cursor until the next ‘/’ symbol. What should you press to do this?

Answer 18

‘ct/’

“change till… /”

You can seek backwards with a capital “Till”:

‘cT/’

Question 19

How do you enter command mode from insert mode?

Answer 19

ESC key

Question 20

Which mode enables you to save your file? What is the command?

Answer 20

last line mode

the command is:
:w

for ‘write’

Question 21

What symbol in last line mode acts as an ‘override’? If you cannot send the write command, for instance, what would you add to the command to override and save?

Answer 21

!

example:
:w!

Question 22

What mode must you be in to tell VIM to quit? What command is used?

Answer 22

last line

:q

Question 23

VIM will not close if you have unsaved changes. What key will override this?

Answer 23

!
example:
:q!

Question 24

You wish to move the cursor to the first line of the document. Which mode and which command?

Answer 24

Normal mode
‘gg’

This is an alias for ‘1G’. The first line is the ‘1st’ line, not the ‘0th’ line.

Question 25

What normal command brings you to line 7?

Answer 25

7G

Question 26

What normal mode command brings you to the last line in a document?

Answer 26

G

Question 27

What normal mode command jumps your cursor forward to the beginning of the next word?

Answer 27

w

W makes you go backwards :)

Question 28

Which normal mode command brings your cursor to the end of the next line?

Answer 28

e

E makes you go backwards~

Question 29

Delete the current line and the following 4 lines with normal mode

Answer 29

5dd

dd deletes the current line (and moves its contents into the default buffer)
5 makes it happen five times.

Question 30

If you just send an edit command in normal mode and you liked it so much you want to repeat it, what button will accomplish this?

Answer 30

.