vim-cheatsheet.md

Neovim: search, navigate, read

Reader's reference for this repo's LazyVim setup. Keys verified against a live instance, not from memory — if this drifts, <leader>sk is the source of truth.

Leader is Space. Press <leader> and wait to see which-key.

Coming from VS Code

VS Code	Here
Ctrl+P fuzzy-open file	Ctrl+P (mapped in lua/config/keymaps.lua), or <leader><space>
Ctrl+Shift+F global search	<leader>/
Sidebar file tree	<leader>e
F12 go to definition	gd
Shift+F12 find references	gr
Ctrl+Shift+O symbol in file	<leader>cs

The fuzzy-open box matches on the whole path, not just the filename, so nvim/plug finds lua/plugins/*. That covers most of what the tree is for when you half-remember a name.

The loop that matters

Grep, collect everything, walk it:

<leader>sw     grep the word under the cursor
<C-q>          send all matches to the quickfix list
]q  [q         walk them

Without the <C-q> step a picker is a one-shot jump. With it you get a worklist, which is what "find every use of this" actually needs.

Finding

Key	Action
Ctrl+P / <leader><space>	Find files (project root)
<leader>fF	Find files (cwd instead of root)
<leader>fg	Find files, git-tracked only
<leader>/ or <leader>sg	Grep the project
<leader>sG	Grep from cwd
<leader>sw	Grep word under cursor (or visual selection)
<leader>sb	Fuzzy-search lines in this file
<leader>sB	Grep across open buffers
<leader>sR	Resume the last picker, query intact
<leader>,	Switch buffer
<leader>e / <leader>E	File tree (root / cwd)
<leader>sk	Search every live keymap

Navigating

Key	Action
gd	Definition
gr	References
gI	Implementations
gy	Type definition
K	Hover docs
<C-o> / <C-i>	Back / forward in the jumplist
<C-^>	Last buffer
H / L	Previous / next buffer
]f [f	Next / previous function
]c [c	Next / previous class
]a [a	Next / previous argument
]d [d	Next / previous diagnostic
]q [q	Next / previous quickfix entry
<leader>cs	Symbol outline (Trouble)
<leader>xx	Diagnostics list (Trouble)
s	Flash: 2 chars + label letter, jump anywhere on screen
zM zR za	Fold all / unfold all / toggle
%	Matching bracket
gx	Open URL or filepath under cursor

gd in, read, <C-o> out. That is the whole reading motion, and it nests.

Reading a diff

Key	Action
]h / [h	Next / previous changed hunk
<leader>ghp	Preview hunk inline
<leader>gb	Blame this line
<leader>gf	Current file's history
<leader>gl	Git log
<leader>gg	Floating Lazygit

Walking ]h through a working tree beats a pager diff: real highlighting, and gd still works so you can jump out for context and <C-o> back.

Editing, when it comes up

Key	Action
Ctrl+/	Toggle comment
cif / daf	Change inside / delete around enclosing function
cia / daa	Change inside / delete around argument
ci" / da(	Change inside quotes / delete around parens
<leader>sr	Project-wide find-and-replace, live buffer (grug-far)
<leader>ca	Code action
<leader>cr	Rename symbol
.	Repeat last change
u / <C-r>	Undo / redo

Note <leader>sr is replace and <leader>sR is resume — easy to transpose.

Completion (blink.cmp, enter preset)

Key	Action
<C-n> / <C-p>	Next / previous item (insert mode)
<C-space>	Open menu, then expand docs
<CR> or <C-y>	Accept
<Tab> / <S-Tab>	Next / previous snippet placeholder
<C-e>	Dismiss

<C-p> is blink's in insert mode, which is why the file-picker mapping is normal-mode only.

Windows and panes

Key	Action
Ctrl+h/j/k/l	Move between splits, then out to the neighbouring Zellij pane
<leader>-	Split below
<leader>|	Split right
<leader>qs	Restore the last session for this directory