Practical Vim

Name: Practical Vim
ISBN: 9787115338693

Drew NeilPosts & Telecom Press · ChinaJun 2015

4.5

Word count: 137K words
Chapters: 38
ISBN: 9787115338693

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Summary

Vim is a feature-rich and powerful text editor. Its convenient features for programming, such as code completion, compilation, and error jumping, are especially rich, and it is very widely used among programmers. Vim can greatly improve a programmer's work efficiency. For a Vim expert, Vim can edit text at the speed of thought. At the same time, learning and using Vim skillfully involves a certain degree of difficulty. Practical Vim is written for those programmers who want to improve themselves; reading this book is the necessary path to mastering superb Vim techniques. The book contains 21 chapters in all, with 121 techniques. Each chapter is a collection of techniques on a related topic. Each technique is aimed at solving one problem or one class of problems, helping readers improve their Vim skills. With rich examples and clear explanations, the book uses a simple notation to represent interactive editing effects, helping readers quickly master and become proficient in Vim. The book is suitable for readers who want to learn and master the Vim tool; programmers with some Vim experience can also consult it to solve specific problems.

Editor's review

Written by Drew Neil, Practical Vim is a classic work highly praised by Vim users worldwide. Rather than simply listing commands, it guides readers through carefully designed tips toward a deep understanding of Vim's editing philosophy. The author breaks Vim operations down into composable "moves" and emphasizes a shift in mindset—from repetitive keystrokes to an efficient, precise art of text editing. Covering core topics from movement, deletion, and search-and-replace to macro recording and register management, each tip comes with clear examples and analysis of underlying principles, helping readers know not just how but why. For intermediate users, the book systematically fills knowledge gaps and breaks through usage bottlenecks; for beginners, it offers a path that avoids common detours and leads directly to an efficient workflow. Its value lies in elevating Vim from a mere text editor to a methodology for sharper thinking and greater productivity—an essential guide for programmers, system administrators, and anyone who works with text over the long term.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Programmers who want to advance from Vim beginner to proficient user
System administrators or technical writers seeking to improve text-editing efficiency
Users who already use Vim but feel stuck and want to systematically learn its core philosophy
Tech enthusiasts with a strong interest in high-performance tools and workflow optimization

Not a good fit for

Non-technical users who only need basic text editing and have no wish to master a complex tool in depth
Readers looking for a quick-reference command list who do not want to understand the design thinking behind it

Reading tips

Read the chapters in order, and be sure to practice each tip in the editor as you go to build muscle memory.
Pay attention to the "Conclusion" section at the end of each chapter, which summarizes the core idea behind the tips.
Apply what you learn to your daily coding or writing tasks, gradually integrating individual tips into your own workflow.

About the publisher

Posts & Telecom Press China · Founded in 1953

Posts & Telecom Press is known for its strengths in science and technology, computing, and information and communications titles, and has extended its publishing into photography, art, software learning, and inspirational growth, giving it a fairly diverse range. Its catalog includes computing and communications works such as Refactoring and Patterns (Revised Edition) and Huawei Switch Learning Guide (Second Edition), alongside bilingual collector's editions such as The Little Prince (Chinese-English-French illustrated collector's edition), The Great Gatsby, and Three Days to See. Beijing Ten Years: 1980-1990 and Ghost Blade: WLOP Personal Illustration Collection reflect its presence in photography and art. Its authors include Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Helen Keller, Joshua Kerievsky, Wang Da, Zhang Zhaozeng, and WLOP.

版权信息
序
自序
写作体例说明
Vim解决问题的方式
技巧1 结识.命令
技巧2 不要自我重复
技巧3 以退为进
技巧4 执行、重复、回退
技巧5 查找并手动替换
技巧6 结识.范式
第一部分模式
第2章普通模式
第3章插入模式
第4章可视模式
第5章命令行模式
第二部分文件
第6章管理多个文件
第7章打开及保存文件
第三部分更快地移动及跳转
第8章用动作命令在文档中移动
第9章在文件间跳转
第四部分寄存器
第10章复制与粘贴
第11章宏
第五部分模式
第12章按模式匹配及按原义匹配
第13章查找
第14章替换
第15章 global命令
第六部分工具
第16章通过ctags建立索引，并用其浏览源代码
第17章编译代码，并通过Quickfix列表浏览错误信息
第18章通过grep、vimgrep以及其他工具对整个工程进行查找
第19章自动补全
第20章利用Vim的拼写检查器，查找并更正拼写错误
第21章接下来干什么
附录根据个人喜好定制Vim

FAQ

Is this book suitable for complete beginners who have never touched Vim?

The book is aimed at readers with some Vim foundation (familiarity with basic modes and movement). Pure beginners are advised to first learn the basics of starting, saving, and switching modes, which will make the book more rewarding.

Do the tips in the book apply to Neovim?

The vast majority of tips apply fully. Neovim is highly compatible with Vim in core editing features, and the book teaches general Vim editing philosophy and core operations.

What is the main difference between this book and free Vim tutorials online?

The book offers a structured, systematic learning path, placing tips in a complete editing context and explaining the design logic in depth. This is systematic knowledge that fragmented tutorials cannot replace.

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About the author

Drew Neil Author

Drew Neil is an author focused on writing about software tools and technical practice. Publicly available information about him is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly documented. In the Chinese book database, only one of his works, Practical Vim, is included, categorized under software learning. The book centers on tips for using Vim, the classic text editor, and is aimed at developers who want to improve their editing efficiency. It emphasizes hands-on practice and problem-solving in concrete scenarios rather than broad conceptual discussion. This work suggests that the author writes in a pragmatic, clearly organized style, good at turning scattered operational experience into items that can be practiced step by step, making it easy for readers to consult as needed and apply to daily coding work. For Chinese readers, the book offers an entry point for systematically learning how to work with Vim and has to some extent shaped the reference path for domestic developers studying this editor. Because verifiable public information is scarce, any introduction to the author's personal history and full body of work must stop here; readers must learn more about his writing orientation and areas of interest through the work itself.