Executing Programs in the Shell

:!ls (:!{cmd})

call ls in the current directory. This is one-off command

:ls

call Vim's built-in command, shows the contents of the buffer list.

% (Command-Line)

this % symbol is shorthand for the current file name.

:!ruby %

if we're working on a Ruby file, we can execute it by this.

:shell

start an interactive shell session. you can execute several commands.

<C-z>

suspend the process that's running Vim and return control to bash.

($) jobs

list the jobs.

($) fg

resume a suspended job, bringing it back into the foreground.

Using the Contents of a Buffer for Standard Input or Output

:read !{cmd}

put the output from the {cmd} into our current buffer.

:write !{cmd}

use the contents of the buffer as standard input for the specified {cmd}

:write !sh, :write ! sh: pass the contents of the buffer as standard input to the sh command. :write! sh: write the contents of the buffer to a file called sh.

Filtering the Contents of a Buffer Through an External Command

:[range]!{cmd/filter}

[range]: The lines specified by [range] are passed as standard input for the {comd}, and then the output from {cmd} overwrites the original contents of [range]. or to put it another way.

:2,$!sort -t',' -k2

-t',': tell the sort command that fields are separated with commas. -k2: to indicate that the second field is to be used for the sort.

!{motion}

drop us into Command-Line mode and prepopulates the [range] with the liens covered by the specified {motion}.

!G (:.,$!)

place cursor on line 2 and invoke !G, vim opens a prompt with the :.,$! range set up for us.

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