Vim mode

If you're used to Vim's keyboard-driven editing, Skriuw has an optional Vim mode that brings familiar modal shortcuts into your notes.

Vim mode in actionA short demo of this feature will land here.

How it works

Turn it on in Settings → Editor → Vim mode. Once enabled, your notes open in normal mode instead of plain typing mode, and the usual Vim rhythm applies: move around and issue commands in normal mode, press i (or a, o, and friends) to start typing, and Escape to drop back to normal mode. A small mode indicator at the bottom of the editor always shows whether you're in normal, insert, or visual mode.

What's supported

• Motions - h j k l, word jumps (w b e), line jumps (0 ^ $), find-on-line (f F t T and repeat with ; ,), and jumping to the start or end of your note (gg G)
• Editing - delete, change, and yank combined with a motion (dw, ce, d$, yy, dd), plus x, r, ~, J, p/P for paste, and undo/redo (u, Ctrl+R)
• Text objects - act on a word or the contents of quotes/brackets, like diw, ci", ya(
• Visual mode - select text with v or whole lines with V, then delete, change, yank, or paste over the selection
• Commands - type :w to save, :q to close the current tab, or :wq to save and close

Tips

• If a keyboard shortcut you normally use "does nothing" while Vim mode is on, check which mode you're in - in normal mode, single keys like $ are treated as cursor motions rather than triggering other editor shortcuts. Switch to insert mode (press i) and those shortcuts work as expected.
• Tab always stays available to move focus out of the editor, even in normal mode.
• Vim mode applies per note, so different open notes or split panes can each show their own mode indicator independently.

Why use Vim mode?

If your fingers already know Vim, this lets you navigate and edit notes without reaching for the mouse or arrow keys. It's entirely optional - turn it off any time and the editor goes back to normal typing.