USR_24
*usr_24.txt* For IdeaVIM version 0.12.0. Last change: 2006 Nov 12
IdeaVIM USER MANUAL - by Rick Maddy
Inserting quickly
When entering text, Vim offers various ways to reduce the number of keystrokes
and avoid typing mistakes. Use Insert mode completion to repeat previously
typed words. Abbreviate long words to short ones. Type characters that
aren't on your keyboard.
|24.1| Making corrections
|24.2| Showing matches
|24.3| Completion
|24.4| Repeating an insert
|24.5| Copying from another line
|24.6| Inserting a register
|24.7| Abbreviations
|24.8| Entering special characters
|24.9| Digraphs
|24.10| Normal mode commands
Next chapter: |usr_25.txt| Editing formatted text
Previous chapter: |usr_23.txt| Editing other files
Table of contents: |usr_toc.txt|
*24.1* Making corrections
The <BS> key was already mentioned. It deletes the character just before the
cursor. The <Del> key does the same for the character under (after) the
cursor.
When you typed a whole word wrong, use CTRL-W:
The horse had fallen to the sky
CTRL-W
The horse had fallen to the
If you really messed up a line and want to start over, use CTRL-U to delete
it. This keeps the text after the cursor and the indent. Only the text from
the first non-blank to the cursor is deleted. With the cursor on the "f" of
"fallen" in the next line pressing CTRL-U does this:
The horse had fallen to the
CTRL-U
fallen to the
When you spot a mistake a few words back, you need to move the cursor there to
correct it. For example, you typed this:
The horse had follen to the ground
You need to change "follen" to "fallen". With the cursor at the end, you
would type this to correct it:
<Esc>4blraA
<Esc>
four words back 4b
move on top of the "o" l
replace with "a" ra
restart Insert mode A
Another way to do this:
<C-Left><C-Left><C-Left><C-Left><Right><Del>a<End>
<C-Left><C-Left><C-Left><C-Left>
move on top of the "o" <Right>
delete the "o" <Del>
insert an "a" a
go to end of the line <End>
This uses special keys to move around, while remaining in Insert mode. This
resembles what you would do in a modeless editor. It's easier to remember,
but takes more time (you have to move your hand from the letters to the cursor
keys, and the <End> key is hard to press without looking at the keyboard).
These special keys are most useful when writing a mapping that doesn't
leave Insert mode. The extra typing doesn't matter then.
An overview of the keys you can use in Insert mode:
<C-Home> to start of the file
<PageUp> a whole screenful up
<Home> to start of line
<S-Left> one word left
<C-Left> one word left
<S-Right> one word right
<C-Right> one word right
<End> to end of the line
<PageDown> a whole screenful down
<C-End> to end of the file
There are a few more, see |ins-special-special|.
*24.2* Showing matches
This information does not apply to IdeaVIM.
*24.3* Completion
This information does not apply to IdeaVIM. Use IDEA's code completion features.
*24.4* Repeating an insert
If you press CTRL-A, the editor inserts the text you typed the last time you
were in Insert mode.
Assume, for example, that you have a file that begins with the following:
"file.h"
/* Main program begins */
You edit this file by inserting "#include " at the beginning of the first
line:
#include "file.h"
/* Main program begins */
You go down to the beginning of the next line using the commands "j^". You
now start to insert a new "#include" line. So you type:
i CTRL-A
#include "file.h"
#include /* Main program begins */
The "#include " was inserted because CTRL-A inserts the text of the previous
insert. Now you type "main.h"<Enter> to finish the line:
#include "file.h"
#include "main.h"
/* Main program begins */
The CTRL-@ command does a CTRL-A and then exits Insert mode. That's a quick
way of doing exactly the same insertion again.
*24.5* Copying from another line
The CTRL-Y command inserts the character above the cursor. This is useful
when you are duplicating a previous line. For example, you have this line of
C code:
b_array[i]->s_next = a_array[i]->s_next;
Now you need to type the same line, but with "s_prev" instead of "s_next".
Start the new line, and press CTRL-Y 14 times, until you are at the "n" of
"next":
b_array[i]->s_next = a_array[i]->s_next;
b_array[i]->s_
Now you type "prev":
b_array[i]->s_next = a_array[i]->s_next;
b_array[i]->s_prev
Continue pressing CTRL-Y until the following "next":
b_array[i]->s_next = a_array[i]->s_next;
b_array[i]->s_prev = a_array[i]->s_
Now type "prev;" to finish it off.
The CTRL-E command acts like CTRL-Y except it inserts the character below the
cursor.
*24.6* Inserting a register
The command CTRL-R {register} inserts the contents of the register. This is
useful to avoid having to type a long word. For example, you need to type
this:
r = VeryLongFunction(a) + VeryLongFunction(b) + VeryLongFunction(c)
The function name is defined in a different file. Edit that file and move the
cursor on top of the function name there, and yank it into register v:
"vyiw
r =
Now use CTRL-R v to insert the function name:
r = VeryLongFunction
You continue to type the characters in between the function name, and use
CTRL-R v two times more.
You could have done the same with completion. Using a register is useful
when there are many words that start with the same characters.
*24.7* Abbreviations
This functionality is not currently support by IdeaVIM.
*24.8* Entering special characters
You can use the command CTRL-V {digits} to insert a character with the
decimal number {digits}. For example, the character number 127 is the <Del>
character (but not necessarily the <Del> key!). To insert <Del> type:
CTRL-V 127
<Tab> and then a dot:
CTRL-V 9.
CTRL-V 09.
CTRL-V 009.
To enter a character in hexadecimal, use an "x" after the CTRL-V:
CTRL-V x7f
CTRL-V xff). You can use "o" to type a
character as an octal number and two more methods allow you to type up to
a 16 bit and a 32 bit number (e.g., for a Unicode character):
CTRL-V o123
CTRL-V u1234
CTRL-V U12345678
*24.9* Digraphs
Some characters are not on the keyboard. For example, the copyright character
(©). To type these characters in Vim, you use digraphs, where two characters
represent one. To enter a ©, for example, you press three keys:
CTRL-K Co
:digraphs
AC ~_ 159 NS | 160 !I ¡ 161 Ct ¢ 162 Pd £ 163 Cu ¤ 164 Ye ¥ 165
BB ¦ 166 SE § 167 ': ¨ 168 Co © 169 -a ª 170 << « 171 NO ¬ 172
-- 173 Rg ® 174 'm ¯ 175 DG ° 176 +- ± 177 2S ² 178 3S ³ 179
This shows, for example, that the digraph you get by typing CTRL-K Pd is the
character (£). This is character number 163 (decimal).
Pd is short for Pound. Most digraphs are selected to give you a hint about
the character they will produce. If you look through the list you will
understand the logic.
You can exchange the first and second character, if there is no digraph for
that combination. Thus CTRL-K dP also works. Since there is no digraph for
"dP" Vim will also search for a "Pd" digraph.
Note:
The digraphs depend on the character set that Vim assumes you are
using. On MS-DOS they are different from MS-Windows. Always use
":digraphs" to find out which digraphs are currently available.
More information about digraphs here: |digraphs|
*24.10* Normal mode commands
Insert mode offers a limited number of commands. In Normal mode you have many
more. When you want to use one, you usually leave Insert mode with <Esc>,
execute the Normal mode command, and re-enter Insert mode with "i" or "a".
There is a quicker way. With CTRL-O {command} you can execute any Normal
mode command from Insert mode. For example, to delete from the cursor to the
end of the line:
CTRL-O D
CTRL-O "g3dw
Next chapter: |usr_25.txt| Editing formatted text
Copyright: see |manual-copyright|