How to go back (ctrl+z) in vi/vim

Question

In normal text editors [with all due respect to Vim] there is a shortcut Ctrl+Z when you have done something nasty and want to return to the previous version of the text. Like BACK button in Word. I wonder how can you achieve this behaviour in Vim.

Unconstitutional

vim.wikia.com/wiki/Undo_and_Redo – Boice

The Vim documentation is also very good - :help undo will find you your answer on this, for example. – Censure

before diving into vim completely, I suggest you go through the (interactive) tutorial – Laband

Thank you all and sorry for this q. Must read more next time. – Unconstitutional

on linux, CTRL-Z in vi/vim/gvim mean escape to the console, or put this in the background. you then do whatever you want on the console and type fg (foreground) to bring you back into vim edit session. – Tannen

Answer 1

You can use the u button to undo the last modification. (And Ctrl+R to redo it).

Read more about it at: http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Undo_and_Redo

Girl

I map U to redo so I can undo / redo quickly, the entire edit history if necessary, in vimrc: nnoremap U <C-R> – Junction

Answer 2

Just in normal mode press:

• u - undo,
• Ctrl + r - redo changes which were undone (undo the undos).

Undo and Redo

Weatherwise

I know that most of my answer is duplicated with those already present, but the value added of my answer is redo as Ctrl + r (lower case r) based on the documentation. Nobody before put it here. In addition, I tried to make the answer as clearly as possible. – Weatherwise

Answer 3

The answer, u, (and many others) is in $ vimtutor.

Nonstop

up vote only because I've never heard of vimtutor before – Hyperbolism

Answer 4

Here is a trick though. You can map the Ctrl+Z keys. This can be achieved by editing the .vimrc file. Add the following lines in the '.vimrc` file.

nnoremap <c-z> :u<CR>      " Avoid using this**
inoremap <c-z> <c-o>:u<CR>

This may not the a preferred way, but can be used.

** Ctrl+Z is used in Linux to suspend the ongoing program/process.

Tullius

Answer 5

On a mac you can also use command Z and that will go undo. I'm not sure why, but sometimes it stops, and if your like me and vimtutor is on the bottom of that long list of things you need to learn, than u can just close the window and reopen it and should work fine.

Ferreous

Answer 6

I had the same problem right now and i solved it. You must not need it anymore so I write for others:

if you use gvim on windows, you just add this in your _vimrc: $VIMRUNTIME/mswin.vim behave mswin

else just use imap...

Zane