title: Did you know VIM could do THIS?!
tags: vim

This is a summary of both the content of the [youtube video by typecraft](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePzAP38NZ1I) and also the various tips and examples in the comments below.

## From The Video
```poem
0:39 - (1)  rot-13
1:46 - (2)  Insert random data
2:38 - (3)  Web browsing using netrw
3:52 - (4)  Convert file to html
5:02 - (5)  Hex-edit files
5:57 - (6)  :Q, old-ex mode as in VI
7:08 - (7)  Filter text through shell commands using !
8:08 - (8)  Do math in insert mode using <c-r>=
8:51 - (9)  Use VIM as a diary using :r!date and :r!whoami
9:36 - (10)  :help 42, easter-egg
```
+ rot-13: `g?` apply rot-13 to alphabetical chars
+ random data: `:r! head -c 128 /dev/urandom`
    * Also `:r! head -c 128 /dev/urandom | xxd -p` to convert to hex
+ web browsing: `:e https://pt2.allsup.co/` (uses curl or libcurl or wget)
+ convert to html: `TOhtml`
+ hex edit files: not actually vim, but a consequence of being able to pipe through a command and replace with the output
    * `:%!xxd` to convert to hex, and `:%!xxd -r` to convert back.
+ ex mode: `Q` though this doesn't work in neovim
+ filter through shell commands: select with `V`, then `:!jq` for example. vim will pipe the selected lines through the command and replace the selection with the output.
    * `v10j:!sort` will sort the 11 lines starting from the cursor (start at cursor line and stop ten lines down from cursor line), or `v10j:!sort -R` to shuffle lines.
    * `v...:!bash` will treat the selected lines as a bash script, execute it and replace with the result.
+ math in insert mode: `<C-r>=` and type some expression
+ use vim as a diary: `:r! date`
+ help 42: `:help 42` is an easter egg. Try it.

## From The Comments
+ bang bang: `!!` is shorthand for `:.!`. So e.g. select lines with some JSON and then `!!jq` will pretty print int.
    * `!!bc` will treat the line as a math expression and evaluate it.
+ visual insert: go into visual mode with `v`, then `:r!ls` will insert the output. So essentially `v!ls`.
+ open named file: `gf` opens in editor, including downloading web links; `gx` opens using `xdg-open`.
+ C-[: `<C-[>` is an alternative to escape. possibly easier to type since esc is a longer distance from home position.
+ increment/decrement: `C-a` to increment first number on the line at or after the cursor; `C-x` to decrement.
+ smile: `:smile` is an easter egg in neovim.