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Vi Mode

VNote grew out of a Vim-inspired workflow, and it offers a built-in Vi mode for modal, keyboard-driven editing. If you think in terms of motions and operators, Vi mode lets you edit notes without leaving the home row.

Enabling Vi mode

Turn Vi mode on in Settings. Once enabled, the editor starts in normal mode, and the usual modal editing applies across your notes.

The modes

Vi mode brings the familiar states of a modal editor:

  • Normal — keys are commands. Move and manipulate text without inserting it.
  • Insert — type text as usual. Enter with i, a, o, and friends; leave with Esc.
  • Visual — select text by motion, then act on the selection.
  • Command-line — : commands for line-oriented actions.

What's supported

Vi mode implements the motions and operators you reach for most:

  • Motions — h j k l, w b e, 0 ^ $, gg G, paragraph and search motions, and counts like 3w.
  • Operators — d (delete), c (change), y (yank), combined with motions and text objects (diw, ci", dd, yy).
  • Editing — x, r, p/P, u (undo) and redo, . to repeat.
  • Search — / and ? to search, n/N to repeat.
  • Registers and marks for yanking and jumping.

It aims to cover everyday editing rather than every corner of Vim; deeply specialized plugins and Ex features are outside its scope.

Vi mode and VNote shortcuts

Vi mode governs text editing inside a note. VNote's application-level actions — switching notes, opening panels, United Entry, snippets — still use their own keyboard shortcuts, many of which are themselves chord-based (for example Ctrl+G, I). The two work together: Vi for editing, VNote shortcuts for navigating the app.

If you don't use Vi

Vi mode is entirely optional and off unless you enable it. With it disabled, the editor behaves like a conventional text editor. Either way, see Keyboard Shortcuts to customize how you drive VNote.