usr_01.txt ForVim version 9.2. Last change: 2026 Feb 14 VIM USER MANUALbyBramMoolenaar About the manualsThis chapter introduces the manuals available with Vim. Read this to know theconditions under which the commands are explained.01.1 Two manuals01.2 Vim installed01.3 Using the Vimtutor01.4 Copyright Next chapter:usr_02.txt The first steps in VimTable of contents:usr_toc.txt==============================================================================01.1 Two manualsThe Vim documentation consists of two parts:1. TheUser manual Task oriented explanations, from simple to complex. Reads from start toend likea book.2. The Reference manual Precise description of how everything in Vim works.Thenotation used in these manualsis explained here:notationJUMPING AROUNDThe text contains hyperlinks between the two parts, allowing you to quicklyjump between the description of an editing task anda precise explanation ofthe commands andoptions used for it. Use these two commands:PressCTRL-] to jump toa subject under the cursor.PressCTRL-O to jump back (repeat togo further back).Many links are in vertical bars, like this:bars. Thebars themselves maybe hidden or invisible; see below. An option name, like'number',a commandin doublequotes like ":write" and any otherword can also be usedasa link.Tryit out: Move the cursor toCTRL-] and pressCTRL-] on it.Other subjects can be found with the ":help" command; seehelp.txt.Thebars and stars are usually hidden with theconceal feature. They alsousehl-Ignore, using the same color for the textas the background. You canmake them visible with::set conceallevel=0:hi link HelpBar Normal:hi link HelpStar Normal==============================================================================01.2 Vim installedMost of the manuals assume that Vim has been properly installed. If youdidn'tdo that yet, or if Vim doesn't run properly (e.g., files can't be foundor in theGUI themenusdo not show up) first read the chapter oninstallation:usr_90.txt.not-compatibleThe manuals often assume you are using Vim with Vi-compatibility switchedoff. For most commands this doesn't matter, but sometimesitis important,e.g., for multi-level undo. Aneasy way to make sure you are usinga nicesetupis to copy the examplevimrc file. By doing this inside Vim you don'thave to check out whereitis located. How todo this depends on the systemyou are using:Unix::!cp -i $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim ~/.vimrcMS-Windows::!copy $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim $VIM/_vimrcAmiga::!copy $VIMRUNTIME/vimrc_example.vim $VIM/.vimrcIf the file already exists you probably want to keep it.If you start Vim now, the'compatible' option should be off. You can checkitwith this command::set compatible?Ifit responds with "nocompatible" you are doing well. If the responseis"compatible" you are in trouble. You will have to find out why the optionisstill set. Perhaps the file you wrote aboveis not found. Use this commandto find out::scriptnamesIf your fileis not in the list, check its location and name. Ifitis in thelist, theremust be some other place where the'compatible' optionis switchedback on.For more info seevimrc andcompatible-default.Note:This manualis about using Vim in the normal way. Thereis analternative called "evim" (easy Vim). Thisis still Vim, but used ina way that resemblesa click-and-type editor like Notepad. It alwaysstays inInsert mode, thusit feels very different. Itis notexplained in the user manual, sinceit should be mostlyself-explanatory. Seeevim-keys for details.==============================================================================01.3 Using the VimtutortutorvimtutorFor the interactive tutor, seevim-tutor-modeInstead of reading the text (boring!) you can use thevimtutor to learn yourfirst Vim commands. Thisisa 30-minute tutorial provided in 2 chapters, thatteaches the most basic Vim functionality hands-on.On Unix, if Vim has been properly installed, you can startit from the shell:vimtutorOnMS-Windows you can findit in the "Program/Vim 9.1" menu. Or executevimtutor.bat from the installation directory (You can use `:echo $VIMRUNTIME`from within Vim to find this directory).This will makea copy of chapter 1tutor file, so that you can editit withoutthe risk of damaging the original. To continue with chapter 2, you can usethe following command:vimtutor -c 2 There area few translated versions of the tutor. To find out if yoursisavailable, use the two-letter language code. For French:vimtutor frOn Unix, if you prefer using theGUI version of Vim, use "gvimtutor" or"vimtutor-g" instead of "vimtutor".For OpenVMS, if Vim has been properly installed, you can startvimtutor fromaVMS prompt with:@VIM:vimtutorOptionally add the two-letter language codeas above.On other systems, you have todoa little work:1. Copy thetutor file. You cando this with Vim (it knows where to find it):vim --clean -c 'e $VIMRUNTIME/tutor/tutor1' -c 'w! TUTORCOPY' -c 'q' This will write the file "TUTORCOPY" in the current directory. To useatranslated version of the tutor, append the two-letter language code to thefilename. For French:vim --clean -c 'e $VIMRUNTIME/tutor/tutor1.fr' -c 'w! TUTORCOPY' -c 'q'2. Edit the copied file with Vim:vim --clean TUTORCOPY The--clean argument makes sure Vimis started with nice defaults.3. Delete the copied file when you are finished with it:del TUTORCOPY==============================================================================01.4 Copyrightmanual-copyrightThe Vim user manual andreference manual are Copyright (c) 1988 byBramMoolenaar. This material may be distributed only subject to the terms andconditions set forth in the Open Publication License, v1.0 or later. Thelatest versionis presently available at:https://opencontent.org/openpub/People who contribute to the manualsmust agree with the abovecopyrightnotice.frombookParts of the user manual come from thebook "Vi IMproved- Vim" by SteveOualline (published by New Riders Publishing, ISBN: 0735710015). The OpenPublication License applies to this book. Only selected parts are includedand these have been modified (e.g., by removing the pictures, updating thetext for Vim 6.0 and later, fixing mistakes). The omission of thefrombooktag does not mean that the text does not come from the book.Many thanks to Steve Oualline and New Riders for creating thisbook andpublishingit under the OPL! It has beena greathelp whilewriting the usermanual. Not only by providing literal text, but also by setting the tone andstyle.If you make money through selling the manuals, you are strongly encouraged todonate part of the profit tohelp AIDS victims in Uganda. SeeKuwasha.==============================================================================Next chapter:usr_02.txt The first steps in VimCopyright: seemanual-copyright vim:tw=78:ts=8:noet:ft=help:norl: