Vim 101: Insert Mode Shortcuts

When editing a file in Insert mode, it sometimes feels restrictive in terms of editing shortcuts. However, many shortcuts used elsewhere in Unix and other text editors are available. For example, CTRL-w (:help i_CTRL-W) will delete the word before the cursor, and CTRL-u (:help i_CTRL-U) will delete the current line. Pressing CTRL-[ (:help i_CTRL-[) quits Insert mode and goes back to Normal mode.

There’s even a shortcut for putting text from a register: CTRL-r {reg} (:help i_CTRL-R). This is extremely useful when working with the system paste buffer.

You may already know about these, but CTRL-n and CTRL-p (:help CTRL-N) will invoke Vim's auto completion, displaying a menu of matches.

There are many other similar shortcuts, see :help ins-special-keys for a complete table of them in the Vim manual.

I like to map the caps-lock key to CTRL, which makes typing these shortcuts very convenient — CTRL-[ is easier than pressing <Esc>, because I don't have to move my hands from the home row. However, hanging out for too long in Insert mode can be dangerous, because changes made with commands like CTRL-U cannot be undone. The text will still be available in the . register (type :reg . to see it). The Vim Tips Wiki has a solution to this problem: Recover from accidental Ctrl-U.