Normal Mode Command: Writing and Quitting

Writing and Quitting

Note

When entering commands like :w and :q into vim through normal mode you are technically in Command Line Mode. The only way to access Command Line Mode is through Normal mode which is what allows you to enter commands via the Command Line.

vim commands can be sent while in normal mode. This article will cover the write and quit commands.

Write Command

To write a file type :w:

vim :w picture vim :w picture

Note

While in command mode any typing will be displayed at the bottom of the terminal window. The above picture shows :w.

After typing :w simply hit enter to submit the command to vim:

vim :w enter picture vim :w enter picture

The text at the bottom of the terminal window changed after submitting the write command.

It reads:

"temp-file.txt" [New] 0L, 0C written

This is a notification from vim saying the file was successfully written with so many lines and characters, in this case zero as no content has been added yet.

Quit Command

To exit a file enter the :q command:

vim :q picture vim :q picture

After executing the command your terminal window will return back to the bash shell:

vim :q enter picture vim :q enter picture

Written File Validation

Check that the file was written by looking for the file name after executing the ls command:

ls output ls output

Combining Commands

Bonus

In vim commands can be combined.

The write and quit commands can be combined by typing and entering :wq.