| Tip 14 | Get Back to Normal Mode |
Insert mode is specialized for one task—entering text—whereas Normal mode is where we spend most of our time (as the name suggests). So it’s important to be able to switch quickly between them. This tip demonstrates a couple of tricks that reduce the friction of mode switching.
The classic way of getting back to Normal mode is with the <Esc> key, but on many keyboards that can seem like a long reach. Alternatively, we can press <C-[>, which has exactly the same effect (see i_CTRL-[ⓘ).
| Keystrokes | Effect |
|---|---|
<Esc> | Switch to Normal mode |
<C-[> | Switch to Normal mode |
<C-o> | Switch to Insert Normal mode |
Vim novices frequently become fatigued by the constant need to switch modes, but with practice it starts to feel more natural. ...
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