Yet another Vim tutorial, part 1: basic editing.

yavt-part1.txt

##### ===== ----- > Yet another Vim tutorial, Part 1 < ----- ===== #####
# Vim is an ubiquitous text editor built to make creating and changing #
# any kind of text very efficient. (http://www.vim.org/)               #
# This is yet another Vim tutorial.                                    #
# The first part is about basic editing.                               #

If you see some text like

/-\
|!|-|int!
\-/

then there is a hint! :D

If you see some text like `Exercise:`, then that's an exercise that you
might want to train on.

Now, ensure that Caps Lock is not on, and press `j` some times so that
the start of the Basics section fits fully on the screen. Or `Down`,
whatever your heart feels.

///// Basics ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

h, j, k and l are Vim cursor keys!

    k     Hints: h is on the left and moves to the left
h --+-- l        l is the opposite - on the right and moves to the right
    j            k has an ascender which points up
                 j is the opposite - has a descender which points down

I'll wait below until you're comfortable with the cursor keys.

/-\       The regular cursor keys (the arrow keys) work, too. But you
|!|-|int! should use the Vim cursor keys as they are much closer to the
\-/       hands than regular cursor keys!

||||| Insert mode ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Press `i` to enter insert mode. Once you enter insert mode, the words
`-- INSERT --` should appear on the status-bar below, and you can type
in text. Press `Ctrl-C` or `Escape` to exit to normal mode.

/-\       Insert mode is actually very similar to a GUI text editor!
|!|-|int! You can use cursor/navigation keys, backspace, delete and
\-/       more!

Exercise: This text makes absolutely no sense. Fix it by using the
          insert mode.

I have a that my four little will one day in a nation where they will
not be by the of their skin but by the of their character.
 -- Martin Luther King, Jr. -- "I Have a Dream" -- 1963
 (wq: http://linkr.xyz/r/Bk-sBK4tl)
 (source wp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream)

||||| Deletion |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Press `x` to delete the current character. Press `X` to delete the
character to the left.

Exercise: That one guy was *so* dumb, he even typed random characters!
          That's just dumb! Fix the text using the deletion keys!

IIt iss amazzinng www.hat you ccan accommpplish iff you ddto nott
carree www.ho gettys thhe creddit.
 -- Harry S. Truman (?)
 (wq: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harry_S._Truman#Misattributed)

||||| Append mode ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Press `A` to enter append mode. It is insertion mode, but the text gets
inserted at the end of the line (wherever you are in the line!).

Exercise: That one guy was *so* dumb, he even hit me while I was
          writing! That's just dumb! Fix the text using the append
          mode!

Most people would rather die than think; in f
 -- Bertrand Russell -- "The ABC of Relativity" -- 1925
 (wq: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell#1920s)

|| Lesson Paused

h, j, k and l are Vim cursor keys -- use them as they are much closer 
to the hands than regular cursor keys!
`i` enters insert mode!
`x` deletes a character, `X` back-spaces a character!
`A` appends text at end of line!

But wait, don't tune out! There's an exercise of your skills before we
continue to the Electives, and that's where things become more fun! :D

|> Unpause

Exercise: Use the skills gained to fix the text!

Exxxperieencce thhe nname givves tto mi
 -- Oscar Wilde -- Lady Windermere's Fan -- 1892
 (wq: http://linkr.xyz/r/SyzAnY4Ke)
 (source wp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Windermere%27s_Fan)

But wait, don't switch channels! Now we will begin the Electives, and
that's where things become more fun! :D

\\\\\ Electives \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Press `u` to undo the last action. Press `C-R` to redo the last undone
action.

/-\       Vim gives short names to modifier key combinations. `C-R`, in
|!|-|int! this case, means `Ctrl-R`!
\-/

I hope you don't undo your exercises so far.

----- Jumps ------------------------------------------------------------

Press `0` to jump to the beginning of the line, `$` to jump to the end
of the line. `^` jumps to the first non-white-space character in the
line.

         ___                 ___
0    _.-'   '-._    ^    _.-'   '-._    $
|_.-'           '-._|_.-'           '-._|
                    This is a line!1!!11!

----- "words" ----------------------------------------------------------

Use `w`, `b` and `e` to move along "words". A "word" is a sequence of
characters either of the alphanumeric or special characters type.

 .- cursor somewhere here
b|e w
|v| |
alg HelloWorld

----- "WORDS!" ---------------------------------------------------------

Use `W`, `B` and `E` to move along "WORDS!" A "WORD!" is a sequence of
any characters that are not whitespace!

/-\       Remember: "words" are not "WORDS!" They differ in what
|!|-|int! characters are captured!
\-/

          .- cursor somewhere here
        b |  e w
        | v  | |
beg int thing, thingything, thingamabobajig

----- Replace mode -----------------------------------------------------

Press `R` to enter replace mode. It is insertion mode, but the text
gets replaced over existing characters.

Exercise: Fill in the blanks with replace mode! :D

All _______ are _____ - but some _______ are more _____ than others.
 -- Animal Farm by George Orwell -- Chapter 10 -- 1945
 (wq: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Animal_Farm#Chapter_10)
 (source wp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Farm)

----- Extended commands ------------------------------------------------

The last thing in each lesson is learning some extended commands.

Press `:` to start an extended command. Next, type the extended
command, and press `Enter` to send the extended command.

Today, we will learn some crucial commands.

::::: :w - write :::::::::::::::::::
: -------------------------------- :
: | Synopsis: | :w | :w FILENAME | :
: -------------------------------- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Write the current file in the buffer into FILENAME. If FILENAME is   :
: omitted, write the current file in the buffer into the current file. :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::: :q - quit ::::::::::::
: ------------------------ :
: | Synopsis: | :q | :q! | :
: ------------------------ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Quit Vim. If ! is omitted, and there are changes, the command will   :
: fail. If the current tile is not the only tile currently open        :
: (tutorial coming soon), the command will close the current tile      :
: instead.                                                             :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

::::: :wq - write and quit :::::::::::
: ---------------------------------- :
: | Synopsis: | :wq | :wq FILENAME | :
: ---------------------------------- :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Write the current file in the buffer into FILENAME and quit Vim. If  :
: FILENAME is omitted, write the current file in the buffer into the   :
: current file. If the current tile is not the only tile currently     :
: open (tutorial coming soon), the command will, after writing, close  :
: the current tile instead.                                            :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Exercise: save the current file into *another file* by typing
          `:w FILENAME`, replacing FILENAME with the filename that will
          work best. I suggest `yavt-part1-YOUR-NAME.txt`, where
          YOUR-NAME is, well, your name!

But don't think about `:q`ing yet! There's a final exercise!

|| Lesson Paused

`u` undoes the last action, `C-R` redoes the last undo!
`0` jumps to the "hard" beginning of line, `$` to the end of line, `^`
to the "soft" beginning of line!
Use `w`, `b` and `e` to move along "words"!
Use `W`, `B` and `E` to move along "WORDS!"
`R` enters replace mode!

::::: Extended commands :::::
: -----------------         :
: | :w | :q | :wq |         :
: -----------------         :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

But don't think about `:q`ing yet! There's the final exercise!

|> Unpause

Exercise: Use the skills you learned so far to fix the text! :D

To-morrow, and _________, annd _________, creepps in this peetty pace
from daay, to thhe last of reeccordeed _____; and all our have
liightted the to duusty ______. Out, ____, brieeff
 -- Macbeth by William Shakespeare - Act V - c. 1605
 (wq: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Macbeth#Act_V)
 (source wp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth)

Once you finished the final exercise, you can get a pat on your back,
for

----------------------------------------------------
| You Finished Yet Another Vim Tutorial, Part One! |
----------------------------------------------------

<> Eject

Now, you can `:wq` safely, with your shiny new skills!

# This work by Andrew Zyabin (@schas002) is licensed under a Creative  #
# Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license.                 #
# The license is available at                                          #
# https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/.                     #
##### ===== ----- > End of yet another Vim tutorial! < ----- ===== #####