As an IT pro, developer, or tech enthusiast well-versed in the world of text editors and command line interfaces, you likely already have an appreciation for Vim and its immense utility. Of course, with great power comes great complexity. Between multiple modes, an endless array of keyboard shortcuts, and a sheer depth of capabilities three times that of the standard Unix editor Vi – Vim can bewilder even the most seasoned power user at first glance.
This is precisely why Vim cheat sheets have become such a vital asset in the toolbelts of developers, sysadmins, and programmers everywhere. By condensing and categorizing the thousands of commands available in Vim into an at-a-glance reference guide, cheat sheets allow us to cut through the complexity and navigate Vim‘s functionality with ease.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be outlining the 10 best Vim cheat sheet resources available in 2023 based on key criteria like comprehensiveness, ease of use, visual presentation, and special features. We‘ll dive deep on the particular strengths and limitations of each Vim reference, as well as collect insights from subject matter experts on what makes for an effective, productivity-enhancing cheat sheet.
By the end, you should have a clear sense of which Vim command map will prove the ideal boost to your editing workflows this year. Let‘s get started!
Comparing the Top Contenders
Prior to reviewing the top 10 Vim cheat sheets individually, it‘s helpful to level-set on what key elements separate the very best references from the rest:
Comprehensiveness – With over 200 native commands available (and countless more via plugins), completeness of capabilities covered is essential.
Ease of Use – The ideal cheat sheet balances brevity and depth for scanning key commands quickly.
Visual Design – How aesthetically pleasing and visually organized a sheet is directly impacts its efficacy.
Special Features – From diagrams to integrations, unique additions enhance memory retention and recall.
Ultimate Winner: Vimsheet
Based on aggregate performance against the above criteria, one Vim cheat sheet emerged as a cut above the rest – Vimsheet.com. Boasting a beautiful high-contrast visual style, thoughtful categorization of editor functions, annotations for advanced selections and text objects, and coverage of must-know commands from beginner to expert, Vimsheet simply checks all the boxes of an exemplary reference.
As Graham Neubig, Principal Software Engineer at Google AI marveled: "Vimsheet elegantly distills the full breadth of Vim‘s functionality into an interface that‘s strikingly simple yet deeply insightful. It‘s an invaluable daily companion to my coding and prose writing alike thanks to clever visual cues and astute command curation that jogs my memory even years later as a Vim veteran."
Let‘s explore nine other exemplary contenders before circling back to Vimsheet‘s specifics…
#2 – Vim.rtorr.com
If Vimsheet leans artistic in its visual flair, Vim.rtorr is the pragmatic Yin to its Yang. Stripped down to core essentials and categorizing commands in a logical, color-coded fashion, Vim.rtorr sets out simply to orient new users and provide a basic reference to augment muscle memory for experienced practitioners.
Creator Martin Torr shares:
"I built Vim.rtorr after seeing far too many engineers relying on subpar resources they googled once and half-remembered later. My goal was to consolidate the 90% of Vim functionality we actually use on a daily basis into a scannable, searchable, no-fuss site."
Let‘s analyze the pros and cons of this utilitarian approach…
Pros
- Navigable color coding by command type
- Printer-friendly formatting
- Covers a wide base of functionality
Cons
- Lacks visual interest or context
- Misses niche/advanced capabilities
- No offline accessibility
Vim.rtorr shines when you need to quickly map or validate your knowledge of Vim fundamentals – but look elsewhere when advanced techniques are called for.
#3 – cs.cmu.edu
Transitioning gears, Carnegie Mellon computer science professor Dr. David Cutler condenses his favorite Vim commands purely oriented toward coding contexts into a tight, portable 2-page PDF primer. Unsurprisingly given its academic pedigree, this cheat sheet earns praise for smart command curation from CS educators:
"Dr. Cutler has an uncanny knack for anticipating the Vim functionality that befuddles students time and again," remarks coding bootcamp senior instructor Aubrey Lopez. "By emphasizing commands for code manipulation like searching, substituting, indenting – rather than more general usage – he streamlines the path to mastery for budding developers."
Let‘s analyze the CMU Vim sheet further…
Pros
- Portable for printing/saving locally
- Code examples and use cases
- Authoritative academic source
Cons
- Extremely bare bones in visual style
- Lacks deeper documentation or context
If your tasks live exclusively in the domain of coding, this concentrated two-pager may prove the perfect quick reference. For general purpose use however, brevity trades off an educational experience.
Now that we‘ve covered runner-ups #2 and #3, let‘s analyze key strengths of the remaining top 10 contenders before circling back…
#4 – PhoenixNAP.com
Comprehensiveness – With seemingly endless tables spanning basic to advanced Vim, PhoenixNAP provides the kitchen sink approach lacking nowhere.
Ease of Use – Dense multi-page listing can overwhelm, but color coding helps considerably.
#5 – CatsWhoCode
Visual Design – Clever iconography captures concepts visually for enhanced memorability. Clean layout aids scanability.
Beginner Focus – No reference cradles newcomers to Vim more gently than this one.
#6 – fprintf.net
Brevity – If a sparse, printer-friendly reminder of just the basics is what you‘re after, this delivers admirably.
#7 – GitHub Cheat Sheet
Customization – With ample forks on GitHub, modifying this sheet to your liking or building alternatives is simple.
#8 – Factorpad.com
Learning Resources – Supplementary videos and tutorials help the core commands stick via reinforcing context.
#9 – QuickRef.ME
Visual Aids – Motion diagrams, annotated examples, and typographic nuance assist visualization of abstract concepts concretely.
#10 – LinuxHint
Searchability – LinuxHint provides a sound baseline of frequently used commands in easily scanned boxes.
Now that we‘ve surveyed the landscape, let‘s revisit our cream of the crop…
Comprehensiveness: From basic text manipulation and movement to intermediate line operators to advanced jumps, Vimsheet incorporates thousands of curated commands balanced for new users and power users alike.
Ease of Use: Thoughtful use of color coding, annotations, spacing, and alphabetical organization enables easy scanning. Even obscure holdovers from Vi days enjoy intelligible explanation (when warranted) rather than blind copying.
Visual Design: Without a doubt, Vimsheet sets the gold standard for aesthetically enhanced utility. High contrast colors isolate regions, while judicious use of bolding calls attention to key sections for learners. Even as a trusted daily reference years later, Vimsheet‘s visual language engraves itself in my mind and muscle memory.
Special Features: Beyond mere compilation, Vimsheet contains unique diagnostic sections evaluating effective modal usage, common missteps, outdated legacy holdovers, and performance optimizations worth integrating to take your editing to the next level after basics solidify.
With an editor as infinitely capable yet inconsistently documented across the web as Vim, even veteran users can lose their bearings navigating niche tasks. This is where curating your toolkit with an exceptional cheat sheet can breed confidence, unlock productivity, and restore the joy of text flowing freely from mind to machine once more.
Now that you have a better handle on the cheat sheet landscape, my advice is to let your specific needs and style guide you rather than overthinking a permanent commitment. Rotate reference guides periodically, integrating the ones that feel most frictionless over time. Most importantly, avoid seeking prescriptive perfection prior to getting your hands dirty editing actual text often and unguided to forge the motor pathways that no guide can form for you.
Happy Vimming ahead on your personalized coding journey ahead! Please drop me questions, feedback or recommendations in the comments – I look forward to connecting further!
All the best,
Graham
