lk/writing/vim/vi.md

title, tags, requires

title	tags	requires
How to Learn `vim`	vim learning	vim basics

1. Uninstall vim.
2. Install vi.
3. Write a few blog posts.

The ancient wisdom is correct - everyone should start with vi. But the standard wisdom fails to mention writing. So people just 'try to remember', then they edit a couple of configuration files with vim, then stop, because it's a pain to think about keystrokes while thinking about how the configuration file works. Nobody can learn like that.

Learn with a blog, or writing emails in vim, or writing anything, as long as it's real writing. Write a journal or some recipes. Write literally anything which is written in paragraphs.

And while you're writing, remember one rule: if you want something, vi can do it, you just need to look up how.

Blog first, then try out some of these commands:

• hjkl
• x
• :!grep very %
• onew line<Esc>...
• Onew line<Esc>...
• ~
• ~~~~
• $r!
• w %-2
• x!
• 0RTipex
• _4rX
• bc2e
• c2E
• cw
• cW
• ci'
• zz
• :set number
• :set nonumber
• :set relativenumber
• :set number relativenumber