Vim Tasks with Feedback (TwFs)

1. Normal mode – For navigating and issuing commands.

2. Insert mode – For editing text.

3. Visual mode – For selecting blocks of text and issuing associated commands.

4. Command-line mode – For entering commands like :w, :q, and :s/foo/bar/g.

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A mode is a setting that determines what happens when your press various keys or key combinations.

Example: In normal mode, pressing the “j” key causes the cursor to move down one line. In insert mode, pressing the “j” key inserts the “j” character.

Vim is a modal editor; this means that the the meaning of the keystrokes changes depending on the mode that you are in.

The most common modes in Vim are normal, insert, command, and visual.

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• Work in different modes (Normal, Insert, Visual, Command-line).
• move around efficiently
• edit text
• highlight text (in Visual mode)
• search or search and replace
• explore a directory (using :Ex or plugins)
• copy, cut (delete), and paste text (using registers)
• undo and redo changes
• save (:w) and exit (:q, :wq, :q!)
• work with multiple files and buffers
• use tabs and windows to manage multiple views
• record and play macros for repetitive tasks
• file management: create new, delete, search, …
• use registers to store and retrieve text
• customize your environment (key mappings, options, syntax highlighting)
• run shell commands from within Vim
• leverage a vast ecosystem of plugins to extend functionality.
• use powerful text objects and motions for precise editing
• navigate and refer to specific line numbers.
• utilize auto-completion for words and filenames.

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Use :%s/\<todo\>/TODO:/g

• :%s → substitute across all lines

• < > → match whole word boundaries

• g → apply change globally on each line

💡 Bonus tip: If you want to confirm each replacement, use c at the end:

:%s/\<todo\>/TODO:/gc

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In brief, use three ways:

• ctermfg=blue: color name
• ctermfg=123: ANSI color code
• ctermfg=#FF229A: hex color code (e.g., #RRGGBB)

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Use the command:

:bufdo bd

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A keybinding is mapping between a key stroke and one or more commands.

For example, you can map a key stroke to open a file that you commonly use.

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Syntax

vim.keymap.set(mode, keys, command)  -- Explanation

• mode: The mode for the keybinding (e.g., ‘n’ for normal, ‘i’ for insert).

• keys: The key combination to trigger the command.

• command: The Vim command or Lua function to run.

• explanation: Documentation of the keymap (optional)

Example and Details

1. Add the keybinding to either:

   • ~/.config/nvim/init.lua — for a single-file config, or

   • ~/.config/nvim/lua/keybindings.lua — if you organize configs by module.

2. Example keybinding:

vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>cd', ':cd /Users/donaldelger/Documents/Vault/Notes<CR>')
-- Change directory to Notes

Explanation

• ‘n’: This binding works in normal mode.

• ‘cd’: The shortcut you press (by default, unless you’ve changed your ).

• :cd /Users/donaldelger/Documents/Vault/Notes<CR>: Runs the Vim :cd command to change the current directory. <CR> simulates pressing Enter.

This lets you quickly switch to your Vault Notes directory by pressing in normal mode.

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