closevim.info — How to Exit Vim

⬤ howtoexit.vim [Training] 9.1 · +syntax · utf-8

VIM - Vi IMproved

version 9.1.0413 · compiled with +closure
by the Internet, who all owe you an apology
type :q<Enter> to exit — taught patiently below
type :help to realize this entire page is the help

The Sacred Sequence═══════════════════════════════════

" These four keystrokes have ended careers, marriages-less,

" and at least one spaceship's config session.

Press Esc. Yes, even if you're pretty sure you're not in insert mode. Double-tapping causes no harm — call it an Esc sun salutation. This page boots in -- INSERT -- out of respect for tradition, which also means: good luck reading statuslines.
Type :. Your cursor drops to the bottom edge. That's command-line territory, where instructions are whispered directly to the machine.
Type q. One letter. It has carried millions home. If the file was touched, vim objects with E37 and refuses like a bouncer.
Press Enter. Enter executes. Old news on every other program, still vital here at hour three of your first emergency.

:q! exists because vim believes any change is worth keeping, including the time you fat-fingered your name into README.md. The ! means "I know what I'm doing," historically the least true character ever typed.

Field Reference═══════════════════════════════════

`:q`	Quit. Polite. Only works when you've behaved.
`:q!`	Quit hard. Abandon all edits, ye who type here.
`:wq`	Save & quit. Leave with something to show for it.
`:x`	Identical to `:wq`, but smugger.
`ZZ`	No colon. The cool kids' way. Saves and quits.
`:qa!`	Quit ALL windows/tabs. Multi-tragedy fire exit.
`Ctrl`+`Z`	This suspends vim. It is still behind you. Find it later with `fg`, or end it humanely: `kill %1`.

The Training Ground═══════════════════════════════════

" Use your real keyboard anywhere on this page,

" or tap keys below. Nothing here can hurt you. Unlike production.

scratch — Untitled Buffer 1

i opened vim to see what it was.
it saw me first.

Live Global Metrics═══════════════════════════════════

Counted for real, server-side. Science demands receipts.

visitors_arrived_lost	404,809
shells_returned_to_wild	100,513
esc_presses_in_desperation	1,240,577
commands_that_were_not	68,291

Correlation note: vim predates Google by roughly four years. Researchers agree this correlation is causal.