Vim (text editor)

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{short description | Improved version of the vi text editor}} {{Infobox software | name = Vim | logo = Vimlogo.svg | screenshot = Vim-(logiciel)-console.png | caption = Vim running in a terminal emulator | author = Bram Moolenaar | developer = <!-- --> | released = January 1992 (public release of 1.14 in Fish Disk #591) | latest release version = {{wikidata|property|edit|reference|P348|P548=Q2804309}} | latest release date = {{start date and age|{{wikidata|qualifier|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}}} | programming language = C, Vim script | operating system = Unix, Linux, Windows NT, MS-DOS, macOS, iOS, Android, Haiku, AmigaOS, MorphOS | genre = Text editor | license = Vim<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/LICENSE|title=vim/LICENSE|website=github.com|date=20 October 2021|access-date=5 July 2021|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816052103/https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/master/LICENSE|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://spdx.org/licenses/Vim.html|title=Vim License|website=spdx.org|access-date=5 July 2021|archive-date=29 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729175125/https://spdx.org/licenses/Vim.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="uganda.txt">{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/uganda.txt.html#license|title=Vim: uganda.txt|website=vimhelp.org|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232236/https://vimhelp.org/uganda.txt.html#license|url-status=live}}</ref> | website = <!-- Imported from Wikidata --> }}{{for|the original vi editor|vi (text editor)|}}

'''Vim''' ({{IPAc-en|v|ɪ|m|audio=en-us-vim.oga}};<ref name="pronounc">[https://vimhelp.org/intro.txt.html Vim documentation: intro] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232259/https://vimhelp.org/intro.txt.html |date=13 January 2019 }}: "Vim is pronounced as one word, like Jim, not vi-ai-em. It's written with a capital, since it's a name, again like Jim."</ref> short for '''v'''i '''im'''proved) is a free and open-source text editor. Vim provides both a terminal screen user interface as well as a graphical user interface (called gvim).

Vim's documentation describes it as an improved form of the older vi text editor (though it is built from a distinct codebase). In release information, the author originally implied that Vim was an abbreviation for "Vi IMitation", but later, the expansion was changed to "Vi IMproved" because, as described by the author, the functionality had increased beyond that of a clone of vi. Some sources indicate the change happened with v2.0, but conflicting information (including from author) suggests the change happened as early as v2.0{{dubious |Author says v1.22|date=December 2025}} and as late as v3.0.<ref name="vile-FAQ">{{cite web |url=https://invisible-island.net/vile/vile.faq.html#clone_began |title=VILE (Vi Like Emacs) – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |access-date=7 September 2019 |archive-date=31 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831142828/https://invisible-island.net/vile/vile.faq.html#clone_began |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since its original release for the Amiga, Vim has been ported to many environments including Atari MiNT, BeOS, MS-DOS, Windows starting from Windows NT 3.1, OS/2, OS/390, MorphOS, OpenVMS, QNX, RISC OS, Linux, BSD, and Classic Mac OS.<ref>"<code>[https://vimhelp.org/#sys-file-list :help sys-file-list]</code>"<br />{{cite web |url=http://www.vim.org/download.php |title=Vim Online: Downloads |access-date=2007-01-07 |archive-date=8 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070108142446/http://www.vim.org/download.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Vim is also shipped with Apple macOS.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mac OS X Manual Page For vim(1) |work=developer.apple.com |publisher=Apple Inc. |url=https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#DOCUMENTATION/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/vim.1.html |access-date=2010-01-12 |archive-date=9 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609170929/http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#DOCUMENTATION/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/vim.1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Independent ports of Vim are available for Android<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/momodalo/vimtouch|access-date=2015-08-09|title=VimTouch, the development has stalled on this app|website=GitHub|archive-date=29 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229012338/https://github.com/momodalo/vimtouch|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/shiftrot/droidvim|access-date=2017-03-05|title=DroidVim, under active development|website=GitHub|archive-date=27 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627111225/https://github.com/shiftrot/droidvim|url-status=live}}</ref> and iOS.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://applidium.com/en/applications/vim/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120032008/http://applidium.com/en/applications/vim/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-01-20|access-date=2015-08-11|title=Vim – Applidium, mobile agency in Paris}}</ref>

Vim has been and continues to be popular for software development. In 2018, it was voted the most popular editor amongst ''Linux Journal'' readers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Editor {{!}} Linux Journal |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/content/best-editor-0 |access-date=2023-04-20 |website=www.linuxjournal.com}}</ref> In 2015, the Stack Overflow developer survey found it to be the third most popular text editor,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2015#tech-editor |title=Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2015 § IV. Text Editor |publisher=Stack Overflow |access-date=25 July 2016 |archive-date=4 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504144447/https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2015#tech-editor |url-status=live }}</ref> and, in 2019, the fifth most popular development environment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#development-environments-and-tools |title=Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2019 Results |publisher=Stack Overflow § VII. Development Environments |access-date=20 July 2019 |archive-date=7 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307082721/https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#development-environments-and-tools |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History == In 1988, Bram Moolenaar began work on what would become Vim. He used the codebase for the Stevie editor ported to Amiga (by Tony Andrews et al.) as a starting point.<ref name=91vs92/><ref>{{multiref |The original interview: {{cite interview |language=cs |last=Moolenaar |first=Bram |interviewer-last=Zapletal |interviewer-first=Lukáš |date=18 April 2005 |title=Rozhovor: Bram Moolenaar |trans-title=Interview: Bram Moolenaar |magazine=LinuxEXPRES |url=http://www.linuxexpres.cz/rozhovor/rozhovor-bram-moolenaar |access-date=3 January 2024 |at=question 2 |archive-date=28 December 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231228143808/https://www.linuxexpres.cz/rozhovor/rozhovor-bram-moolenaar |url-status = live}} | Translation: {{cite web| url=https://moolenaar.net/interv_czech_en.html| author=Bram Moolenaar <!--Author from page source--> |date=n.d. |title=Interview with Bram Moolenaar, as published in the Czech magazine LinuxEXPRES, English version. |website=Bram Moolenaar's website |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160107114945/http://www.moolenaar.net/interv_czech_en.html |archive-date=7 January 2016}} }}</ref> Version 1.14 (completed 2 November 1991) became the first public release. It was distributed via Fish Disk #591 in January 1992.<ref name=91vs92>{{cite book | last1=Robbins | first1=Arnold | last2=Hannah | first2=Elbert | title=Learning the Vi and Vim Editors | publisher=O'Reilly Media | date=2021-11-17 | isbn=978-1-4920-7877-7 | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Learning_the_Vi_and_Vim_Editors/MDpPEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=vim+1.14+bram&pg=PA159&printsec=frontcover | access-date=2025-11-30 | page = 159}}</ref><ref name=vim25>{{cite web |last1=Moolenaar |first1=Bram | date = December 13, 2016 | title=Vim 25 presentation by Bram Moolenaar on 2016 November 2 | access-date = November 30, 2025 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayc_qpB-93o | quote = Moolenaar: Fred Fish Disk 591 was published in '92, actually, January '92, so why November 2? Well, that's because if you look at the binary, when it was built (and it's like the birth certificate of Vim), and you can see that it's actually November 2. So that's where it comes from.}}</ref><ref name="history">{{cite web |first=Bram |last=Moolenaar |date=2002-01-15 |url=http://www.free-soft.org/FSM/english/issue01/vim.html |title=Vim, an open-source text editor |access-date=2005-10-24 |archive-date=7 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807042854/http://www.free-soft.org/FSM/english/issue01/vim.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cd.textfiles.com/fredfish/v1.6/FF_Disks/571-600/FF_591/Contents|title=Textfiles.com|access-date=2 October 2009|archive-date=16 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716093932/http://cd.textfiles.com/fredfish/v1.6/FF_Disks/571-600/FF_591/Contents|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=vimstory>{{cite web |last=Moolenaar |first=Bram |date=10 October 2000 |title=The continuing story of Vim |url=http://moolenaar.net/vimstory.pdf |url-status=live |website=moolenaar.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418061526/http://moolenaar.net/vimstory.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2012 |access-date=19 September 2011}}</ref>

== License == Vim is released under the Vim license, which includes some charityware clauses that encourage users who enjoy the software to consider donating to children in Uganda.<ref name="uganda.txt"/> The Vim license is compatible with the GNU General Public License through a special clause allowing distribution of modified copies under the GNU GPL version 2.0 or later.<ref name="uganda.txt" />

== User experience == thumb|gVim 7.3

===Text user interface=== Building upon the core vi functionality, Vim provides a user experience that integrates keyboard-entered command input with a full-screen editing experience. Vim allows a user with a typical keyboard to keep their fingers on the home row, which can be an advantage for touch typing.<ref name=Lamb1998>{{cite book|last1=Lamb|first1=Linda|last2=Robbins|first2=Arnold|title=Learning the Vi Editor|date=1998|publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc.|isbn=9781565924260|page=[https://archive.org/details/learningvieditor00lamb/page/305 305]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/learningvieditor00lamb/page/305}}</ref>

===Graphical user interface=== Via its GUI mode (called gVim), it presents an interface with a more modern experience including aspects such as menus, toolbars and icons. The full functionality is still expressed through its command line mode.

=== Help === Vim has a built-in help facility accessible via the <code>:help</code> command.

The Vim tutorial for beginners, called vimtutor, is usually installed alongside Vim, but is a separate executable and can be run separately.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_01.html#tutor|title=Vim documentation: usr_01|last=Moolenaar|first=Bram|date=3 November 2010|access-date=28 August 2019|archive-date=29 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729064500/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_01.html#tutor|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Vim Users' Manual details Vim's features and can be read from within Vim, or found online.<ref>[https://vimhelp.org/ Vim help files] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232300/https://vimhelp.org/ |date=13 January 2019 }} at vimhelp.org</ref><ref name="vimbook">{{Cite book|title=Vi IMproved (VIM)|isbn=0-7357-1001-5|first=Steve|last=Oualline|publisher=New Riders Publishers|date=April 2001|url=http://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/doc/book/vimbook-OPL.pdf|access-date=11 October 2021|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119082135/http://ftp.vim.org/pub/vim/doc/book/vimbook-OPL.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Registers === Vim features various special memory entries called registers (not to be confused with hardware or processor registers). When cutting, deleting, copying, or pasting text the user can choose to store the manipulated text in a register. There are 36 general-purpose registers associated with letters and numbers ([a-z0-9]) and a range of special ones that either contain special values (current filename, last command, etc.) or serve a special purpose.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=McDonnell |first=Mark |title=Pro vim |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4842-0250-0 |publisher=Apress |location=[Berkeley] |oclc=897466496 | page = 85}}</ref>

=== Modes === thumb|Vim modes

Like vi, Vim supports multiple editing modes. Depending on the mode, entered characters are either processed as command input or inserted as text. Vim has 14 modes (7 basic modes and 7 variants):<ref>{{cite web |last1=Moolenaar |first1=Bram |title=Vim: intro.txt |url=https://vimhelp.org/intro.txt.html |website=vimhelp.org |access-date=1 September 2023}}</ref> * '''Normal''': For editor commands. Generally, this is the default mode and {{key press|ESC}} enters this mode. * '''Insert''': For editing content like in a modern editor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=CS107 The Vim Editor |url=https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs107/resources/vim.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127153621/https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs107/resources/vim.html |archive-date=27 January 2023 |access-date=2023-01-27 |website=web.stanford.edu}}</ref>{{r|Lamb1998|pp=12}} * '''Visual''': For selecting areas of text. Commands can be run on the selected area – moving, editing, filtering via built-in or external command, etc. ** '''Visual linewise''': Selects one or more whole lines. ** '''Visual blockwise''': Selects a rectangular block of text across one or more lines. * '''Select''': Similar to visual, but commands are not interpreted. Instead, highlighted text is directly replaced by input from the keyboard. This behavior mimics the selection mode in editors on Windows platforms. * '''Command-line (Cmdline)''': Provides a single line input at the bottom of the terminal. Commands (beginning with {{key press|:}}) and some other keys for specific actions (including pattern search and the filter command) activate this mode. On completion of the command, Vim reverts to the previous mode.<ref name=":1" />{{r|Lamb1998|pp=12}} * '''Ex''': Accepts a sequence of commands. * '''Terminal-Job''': Interacting with a job in a terminal window.

== Customization == Vim is customizable and extensible, making it attractive to those who want control and flexibility in a text editing environment.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3037629/why-vim-an-80s-text-editor-is-still-the-ui-of-choice-for-power-users|website=FastCompany|last=Melendez|first=Steven|title=Why Vim, An '80s Text Editor, Is Still The UI Of Choice For Power Users|date=28 October 2014|access-date=5 May 2019|archive-date=6 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506013107/https://www.fastcompany.com/3037629/why-vim-an-80s-text-editor-is-still-the-ui-of-choice-for-power-users|url-status=live}}</ref> Users can execute complex commands with ''key bindings'', which can be customized and extended. The ''recording'' feature allows for the creation of macros to automate sequences of keystrokes and call internal or user-defined functions and mappings. Abbreviations, similar to macros and key mappings, facilitate the expansion of short strings of text into longer ones and can also be used to correct mistakes. Vim also features an ''easy'' mode for users wanting a simpler user experience.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tips: Making Vim easy |url=https://www.linux.com/news/tips-making-vim-easy |website=Linux.com |access-date=6 May 2019 |date=2007-04-10 |archive-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506013124/https://www.linux.com/news/tips-making-vim-easy |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are many plugins available that extend or add new functionality to Vim. These plugins are usually written in Vim's internal scripting language, vimscript (also known as VimL),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html#vim-script-intro|title=Vim documentation: usr_41|website=vimhelp.org|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232237/https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html#vim-script-intro|url-status=live}}</ref> but can be written in other languages as well.

There are projects bundling together complex scripts and customizations and aimed at turning Vim into a tool for a specific task or adding a major flavour to its behaviour. Examples include Cream, which makes Vim behave like a click-and-type editor, or VimOutliner, which provides a comfortable outliner for users of Unix-like systems.

== Improvements == Vim provides many features beyond what vi provides.<ref name="vimhelp">Vim help system (type "<code>[https://vimhelp.org/ :help]</code>" within Vim)</ref> Some of Vim's enhancements include completion functions, comparison and merging of files (known as vimdiff), a comprehensive integrated help system, extended regular expressions, scripting languages (both native and through alternative scripting interpreters such as Perl, Python, Ruby, Tcl, etc.) including support for plugins, a graphical user interface (gvim), limited integrated development environment-like features, mouse interaction (both with and without the GUI), folding, editing of compressed or archived files in gzip, bzip2, bzip3<ref>{{cite web |first1=Vim |title=vim/runtime/autoload/tar.vim |url=https://github.com/vim/vim/blob/f0cae9d5abba1ad97f8c78c8d3cbb0d1c46d5aff/runtime/autoload/tar.vim#L12 |access-date=31 May 2026}}</ref>, zip, and tar format and files over network protocols such as SSH, FTP, and HTTP, session state preservation, spell checking, split (horizontal and vertical) and tabbed windows, Unicode and other multi-language support, syntax highlighting, trans-session command, search and cursor position histories, multiple level and branching undo/redo history which can persist across editing sessions, and visual mode.{{fact|date=March 2024}}

Vim continually saves information to a file{{efn| The crash recovery file is called a ''swapfile'' even though the name implies memory paging which is different technology.}} that allows for recovering from a crash. Generally, the file extension is ".swp", but if the user tries to open a file when the recovery file already exists, then Vim notifies the user of the condition. If the user confirms to proceed, Vim uses a different extension to form a name for a file that does not exist. The extensions are along the progression: ".swo", ".swn", ".swm", etc.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vim documentation: recover |url=https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/recover.html |website=vimdoc.sourceforge.net |access-date=17 December 2020 |archive-date=13 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213232131/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/recover.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=How to handle swapfiles in Vim |url=https://cs.longwood.edu/VimSwap.html |website=cs.longwood.edu |access-date=17 December 2020 |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507102651/https://cs.longwood.edu/VimSwap.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The feature can be disabled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vimhelp.org/options.txt.html#'swapfile' |title='swapfile' option |date=10 October 2020 |website=vimhelp.org |access-date=18 December 2020 |archive-date=14 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214004148/https://vimhelp.org/options.txt.html#'swapfile' |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Compatibility == Vim provides a vi-compatibility mode that limits its functionality to be similar to that of vi. However, even in compatibility mode, Vim is not entirely compatible with vi as specified by POSIX.<ref>{{citation | url = http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/vi.html | title = "vi&nbsp;— screen-oriented (visual) display editor", Single Unix Specification, Version 4 (IEEE Std 1003.1–2008) | author = The Open Group | access-date = 2010-12-27 | year = 2008 | archive-date = 22 January 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110122015032/http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/utilities/vi.html | url-status = live }}</ref> For example, Vim does not support vi's open mode. Vim's developers state that it is "very much compatible with Vi".<ref name=vimfaq>{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/vim_faq.txt.html#faq-1.3|title=Vim FAQ|author1=Peppe|author2=Benji|first3=Charles|last3=Campbell|date=2004-01-02|access-date=2010-12-27|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232234/https://vimhelp.org/vim_faq.txt.html#faq-1.3|url-status=live}} (question 1.3)</ref>

== Vim script == '''Vim script''' (also called '''Vimscript''' or '''VimL''')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pragprog.com/book/bkviml/the-viml-primer|access-date=25 January 2020|title=The VimL Primer: Edit Like a Pro with Vim Plugins and Scripts by Benjamin Klein &#124; The Pragmatic Bookshelf|last=Klein|first=Benjamin|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125123547/https://pragprog.com/book/bkviml/the-viml-primer|archive-date=25 January 2020}}</ref> is the scripting language built into Vim.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html|title=Vim documentation: usr_41|website=vimhelp.org|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232237/https://vimhelp.org/usr_41.txt.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Based on the ex editor language of the original vi editor, early versions of Vim added commands for control flow and function definitions. Since version 7, Vim script also supports more advanced data types such as lists and dictionaries and a simple form of object-oriented programming. Built-in functions such as <code>map()</code> and <code>filter()</code> allow a basic form of functional programming, and Vim script has lambda since version 8.0. Vim script is mostly written in an imperative programming style.

Version 9.0 added '''{{Visible anchor|Vim9 script}}''', a new script language closer to commonly used languages.<ref name="vim90"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vimhelp.org/vim9.txt.html|title=Vim: vim9.txt|website=vimhelp.org}}</ref>

Vim macros can contain a sequence of ''normal-mode'' commands, but can also invoke ex commands or functions written in Vim script for more complex tasks. Almost all extensions (called plugins or more commonly scripts) of the core Vim functionality are written in Vim script, but plugins can also utilize other languages like Perl,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_perl.html | title = Vim documentation: if_perl | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last1 = Verdoolaege | first1 = Sven | last2 = Gerassimof | first2 = Matt | archive-date = 8 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120208154924/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_perl.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Python,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_pyth.html | title = Vim documentation: if_pyth | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Moore | first = Paul | archive-date = 22 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120822072929/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_pyth.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Lua,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_lua.html | title = Vim documentation: if_lua | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Carvalho | first = Luis | archive-date = 30 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120330221044/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_lua.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Ruby,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_ruby.html | title = Vim documentation: if_ruby | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Maeda | first = Shugo | archive-date = 14 February 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120214174436/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_ruby.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Tcl,<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_tcl.html | title = Vim documentation: if_tcl | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Wilken | first = Ingo | archive-date = 24 August 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120824172051/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_tcl.html | url-status = live }}</ref> or Racket.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_mzsch.html | title = Vim documentation: if_mzsch | access-date = 2019-08-27 | last = Khorev | first = Sergey | archive-date = 14 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120414232343/http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/if_mzsch.html | url-status = live }}</ref> These plugins can be installed manually, or through a plugin manager such as Vundle, Pathogen, or Vim-Plug.

Vim script files are stored as plain text, similarly to other code, and the filename extension is usually <code>.vim</code>. One notable exception to that is Vim's config file, <code>.vimrc</code>.

=== Examples === <syntaxhighlight lang="vim"> " This is the Hello World program in Vim script. echo "Hello, world!"

" This is a simple while loop in Vim script. let i = 1 while i < 5 echo "count is" i let i += 1 endwhile unlet i </syntaxhighlight>

== Versions == {| class="wikitable" style="width:60%;" ! style="width:20%;" | When ! Version ! Changes |- | 1988 | 1.0 | Bram Moolenaar starts development; never publicly released |- | 2 Nov 1991 | 1.14 | The date Moolenaar ascribed to Vim's public release, based on the build date of version 1.14<ref name=vim25/><ref name=history/><ref name=vimstory/> |- | Jan 1992 | 1.14 | First public distribution; on Fish Disk #591<ref name=vim25/><ref name=91vs92/> |- | 1992 | 1.22<ref name="history"/> | Port to Unix; never publicly released<ref name="vile-FAQ"/> |- | 14 Dec 1993 | 2.0<ref name="filewatcher">{{cite web |title=Filewatcher |url=http://www.filewatcher.com/b/ftp/ftp.twaren.net/pub/Unix/Editors/Vim/old.0.0.html |access-date=26 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711001335/http://www.filewatcher.com/b/ftp/ftp.twaren.net/pub/Unix/Editors/Vim/old.0.0.html |archive-date=11 July 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | First release using the abbreviation expansion "Vi IMproved"<ref name="vile-FAQ"/>{{dubious |source is ambiguous about when the expansion changed|date=December 2025}} |- | 12 Aug 1994 | 3.0<ref name="history"/> | Support for multiple windows |- | 29 May 1996 | 4.0<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite web |date=2004-03-12 |url=http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version4.html |title=Official Vim Manual, Version 4 summary |access-date=2008-08-06 |archive-date=18 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080818035456/http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | Graphical user interface |- | 19 Feb 1998 | 5.0<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite web |date=2004-01-17 |url=http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version5.html |title=Official Vim Manual, Version 5 summary |access-date=2008-08-06 |archive-date=21 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821072351/http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version5.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|| Syntax highlighting, basic scripting (user defined functions, commands, etc.) |- | 6 Apr 1998 | 5.1 | Bug fixes, various improvements |- | 27 Apr 1998 | 5.2 | Long line support, file browser, dialogs, popup menu, select mode, session files, user defined functions and commands, Tcl interface, etc. |- | 31 Aug 1998 | 5.3 | Bug fixes, etc. |- | 25 Jul 1999 | 5.4 | Basic file encryption, various improvements |- | 19 Sep 1999 | 5.5 | Bug fixes, various improvements |- | 16 Jan 2000 | 5.6 | New syntax files, bug fixes, etc. |- | 24 Jun 2000 | 5.7 | New syntax files, bug fixes, etc. |- | 31 May 2001 | 5.8 | New syntax files, bug fixes, etc. |- | 26 Sep 2001 | 6.0<ref name="history"/><ref>{{cite web |date=2004-03-12 |url=http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version6.html |title=Official Vim Manual, Version 6 summary |access-date=2008-08-06 |archive-date=11 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611081758/http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/version6.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|| Folding, plugins, multi-language, etc. |- | 24 Mar 2002 | 6.1 | Bug fixes |- | 1 Jun 2003 | 6.2 | GTK2 and libgnome2 support, Arabic language support, :try command, minor features, bug fixes |- | 7 Jun 2004 | 6.3 | Bug fixes, translation updates, mark improvements |- | 15 Oct 2005 | 6.4 | Bug fixes, updates to Perl, Python, and Ruby support |- | 7 May 2006 | 7.0<ref>{{cite web |date=2016-07-17 |url=https://vimhelp.org/version7.txt.html |title=Vim Reference Manual, Version 7 |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-date=13 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113232305/https://vimhelp.org/version7.txt.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|| Spell checking, code completion, tab pages (multiple viewports/window layouts), current line and column highlighting, undo branches, and more |- | 12 May 2007 | 7.1 | Bug fixes, new syntax and runtime files, etc. |- | 9 Aug 2008 | 7.2<ref>{{cite web|url=http://groups.google.com/group/vim_announce/browse_thread/thread/2c89671dd928812f|title=Google Groups|website=groups.google.com|access-date=11 August 2008|archive-date=6 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106114342/http://groups.google.com/group/vim_announce/browse_thread/thread/2c89671dd928812f|url-status=live}}</ref>|| Floating point support in scripts, refactored screen drawing code, bug fixes, new syntax files, etc. |- | 15 Aug 2010 | 7.3 | Lua support, Python3 support, Blowfish encryption, persistent undo/redo |- | 10 Aug 2013 | 7.4<ref>[https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vim_announce/knOQ_t_H5to Google Discussiegroepen] {{Webarchive|url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20110122130054/https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vim_announce/knOQ_t_H5to |date=22 January 2011 }}. Groups.google.com. Retrieved on 2013-12-09.</ref> | A new, faster regular expression engine. |- | 12 Sep 2016 | 8.0<ref>{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vim_announce/EKTuhjF3ET0 |title=Vim 8.0 released! |access-date=12 September 2016 |author=Bram Moolenaar |archive-date=22 January 2011 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20110122130054/https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/vim_announce/EKTuhjF3ET0 |url-status=live }}</ref> | Asynchronous I/O support, jobs, lambdas, etc. |- | 18 May 2018 | 8.1<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vim.org/vim-8.1-released.php |title=Vim 8.1 is released! |access-date=18 May 2018 |author=Bram Moolenaar |archive-date=17 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517191637/https://www.vim.org/vim-8.1-released.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | Terminal window support and terminal gdb plugin. |- | 13 Dec 2019 | 8.2<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vim.org/vim-8.2-released.php |title=Vim 8.2 is released! |access-date=13 December 2019 |author=Bram Moolenaar |archive-date=12 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212152052/https://www.vim.org/vim-8.2-released.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | Popup windows, text properties. |- | 28 Jun 2022 | 9.0<ref name="vim90">{{cite web |url=https://www.vim.org/vim90.php |title=Vim 9.0 is released! |access-date=30 June 2022 |author=Bram Moolenaar |archive-date=2 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702120512/https://www.vim.org/vim90.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | Vim9 script |- | 2 Jan 2024 | 9.1<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vim.org/vim-9.1-released.php |title=Vim 9.1 is released! |access-date=4 January 2024 |author=Christian Brabandt |archive-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102235711/https://www.vim.org/vim-9.1-released.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | Classes and objects support for Vim9 script, smooth scrolling, virtual text |- | 14 Feb 2026 | 9.2<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vim.org/vim-9.2-released.php |title=Vim 9.2 has been released! |access-date=16 February 2026 |author=Christian Brabandt |archive-date=14 February 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260214162347/https://www.vim.org/vim-9.2-released.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | Enums, Generic functions, and Tuples support for Vim9 script, improved diff mode, new completion features |}

== See also == {{Portal|Free and open-source software|Computer programming}} * ''{{Annotated link |Learning the vi and Vim Editors}}'' * {{Annotated link |Editor war}} * {{Annotated link |List of text editors}} * {{Annotated link |Comparison of text editors}} * {{Annotated link |Vimperator}} * {{Annotated link |Neovim}}

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Wikibooks|Learning the vi Editor|Vim}} {{Commons category|Vim}} * {{Official website}} * {{YouTube|ayc_qpB-93o|TechTalk by Bram Moolenaar held on 25th Anniversary of first vim release}}

{{FLOSS}} {{HTML editors}} {{Integrated development environments}}

{{Authority control}}

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