Mastering the 'vimtutor' Command (with examples)

The vimtutor command is a helpful resource designed to teach users the essential commands and usage of the Vim text editor. It provides an interactive tutorial that guides you through fundamental operations, allowing you to become proficient with this powerful, yet often intimidating, text editor. The vimtutor tutorial supports multiple languages and is a valuable starting point for anyone looking to enhance their Vim skills.

Use case 1: Launch the vim tutor using the given language

Code:

vimtutor en

Motivation:

You might be learning or practicing Vim for the first time and want to ensure that the tutorial is in a language you are most comfortable with. The vimtutor command allows you to specify the language of the lesson, which makes it accessible for non-native English speakers or anyone who prefers instructions in a different language.

Explanation:

• vimtutor: This is the command that launches the Vim tutor, an interactive guide to learning Vim’s basic commands and operations.
• en: This argument specifies the language in which the tutorial should be displayed. In this case, ’en’ stands for English. The Vim tutor supports various languages, such as French (fr), German (de), and others, enabling users to learn in their preferred language.

Example output:

Upon executing the command, the terminal window will display the Vim tutor’s welcome screen in the selected language, beginning with basic instructions and exercises to help you familiarize yourself with Vim’s features. It might look something like this:

VIM - Vi IMproved
~
~ Tutorials.
~
~ Vimtutor is an interactive tutorial that teaches you how to use Vim.
~ The command above opens the English version. 
~
~ Note: To exit, first press `<Esc>` to enter command mode before quitting.
~
Press PAGE-DOWN to scroll down and start the lesson.

Use case 2: Exit the tutor

Code:

<Esc> :q <Enter>

Motivation:

After completing your tutor session or when you need to exit the tutorial for any reason, it’s important to know how to close Vim correctly. This ensures that you do not lose your place in the tutorial or leave any sessions improperly closed.

Explanation:

• <Esc>: Pressing the Escape key switches Vim to command mode. In this mode, you can enter various commands for file navigation and manipulation, including quitting the editor.
• :q: This command sequence tells Vim to quit. The colon : enters the command-line mode in Vim, where you can type various commands.
• <Enter>: Pressing the Enter key executes the command you’ve typed in command-line mode.

Example output:

There isn’t a visible output in the terminal, but after pressing these keys, the Vim tutor will close. If executed correctly, you will return to the terminal prompt, indicating that you have successfully exited the tutorial session.

Conclusion:

The vimtutor command is an excellent tool for learning the ins and outs of the Vim text editor in a structured and interactive way. It simplifies the learning process by providing lessons in multiple languages and gives users the confidence to navigate Vim efficiently. Knowing how to launch and exit vimtutor sessions means you can practice and improve your Vim skills anytime, thus preparing you for efficient text editing tasks.