Daily 1 Blog

Written by: developervsandhu

Technology and Gadgets

Mastering Vim Inside VSCode – The Best of Both Worlds

If you're a developer looking to speed up your workflow and minimize your mouse use, Vim is a powerful tool. But jumping straight into the terminal Vim or Neovim can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there's a smoother path — using Vim inside Visual Studio Code.

🚀 Why Use Vim in VSCode?

By enabling Vim keybindings in VSCode, you get:

Blazing-fast editing with minimal mouse interaction
Better focus and flow
The power of Vim without leaving your favorite IDE
A perfect stepping stone to full Vim/Neovim later on

🔧 How to Set It Up

Open VSCode
Go to the Extensions tab (Cmd + Shift + X)
Search for: Vim
Install the official extension: Vim by vscodevim
Reload VSCode if needed

Now your editor behaves like Vim!

🎯 Understanding Vim Modes

Normal Mode: Navigate, delete, copy, etc. (Press Esc)
Insert Mode: Type text normally (Press i, a, etc.)
Visual Mode: Select text (Press v, V)
Command Line Mode: Run commands like :w, :q (Press : in Normal mode)

🧠 Essential Vim Shortcuts in VSCode

h / l: Move left / right
k / j: Move up / down
w / b: Move by word forward / backward
0 / $: Move to start / end of line
i / a: Insert before / after cursor
A: Append at end of line
dw: Delete word
dd: Delete line
yy: Copy (yank) line
p: Paste
u: Undo
Ctrl + r: Redo
:w: Save file
:q: Quit file
:wq: Save and quit

✨ Bonus Tips

You can check your mode in the bottom-left corner of VSCode.
Customize keybindings via .vscode/settings.json.
To use your system clipboard:
```
"vim.useSystemClipboard": true
```

💡 Final Thoughts

Using Vim inside VSCode is a low-risk, high-reward path to mastering one of the most efficient editing styles out there. You don’t have to switch overnight — just start with basic movements and expand over time.

Once you're comfortable, you might even find yourself reaching for Neovim and writing your own .vimrc.

📌 Ready to Level Up?

Start by mastering just 5 shortcuts today:

h, l, j, k for movement
i for insert
:w and :q for save/quit

Let your hands stay on the keyboard — and watch your productivity grow.

Happy Vimming inside VSCode!

Mastering Vim Inside VSCode – The Best of Both Worlds