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Welcome to Vim

Estimated time: 5 minutes

Vim is a powerful text editor that's been around for decades. It might seem intimidating at first, but once you learn the basics, you'll find it incredibly efficient for coding, writing, and any text editing task.

What Makes Vim Different?

Unlike most text editors, Vim has different modes that separate navigation from editing:

  • Normal Mode: For navigation and commands (default mode)
  • Insert Mode: For typing text
  • Visual Mode: For selecting text
  • Command Mode: For running commands

This modal approach allows for incredibly fast text manipulation once you understand the fundamentals.

What You'll Learn in This Course

This beginner-friendly course will take you through three essential areas:

Chapter 1: Vim Basics & Movement
- Master the fundamental h, j, k, l movement keys
- Learn word-based navigation with w, e, and b
- Practice line navigation with 0 and $
- Understand count modifiers for precise movement

Chapter 2: Navigation & Jumping
- Navigate large files with screen movement commands
- Jump to specific locations with gg, G, and line numbers
- Search through text efficiently with / and ?
- Master file position jumping for quick code review

Chapter 3: Basic Text Editing
- Enter Insert Mode and start editing text
- Learn different insertion methods (i, a, o, O)
- Master basic deletion commands (x, dw, dd)
- Practice switching between modes fluidly

Why Learn Vim?

  • Speed: Navigate and edit text without using a mouse
  • Efficiency: Powerful commands that accomplish complex edits quickly
  • Ubiquity: Available on virtually every system and server
  • Muscle Memory: Once learned, these skills transfer everywhere
  • Productivity: Reduce repetitive strain and increase coding speed

What to Expect

By the end of this 90-minute course, you'll have solid fundamentals in Vim navigation and basic editing. You'll be comfortable moving around files, making simple edits, and understanding how Vim's modal approach works. These skills form the foundation for more advanced Vim techniques.

Let's start your Vim journey!

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