Editor Basics

jvim launches directly into an editable buffer — no mode switching, no setup. This page covers the fundamentals: opening files and vaults, reading the status bar, saving, and undo/redo.

▶ Editor basics: open, edit, save

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Opening Files and Vaults

Pass a single file or a directory to jvim from the terminal. Both work:

jvim notes.md          # open one file
jvim ./my-vault/       # open a vault (file tree on the left)

If the path does not exist, jvim creates an empty buffer — the same semantics as vi or Notepad. The file is only written to disk when you explicitly save.

Keys	Action	Notes
Ctrl+S	Save	Atomic write + fsync — prevents partial writes on crash
Ctrl+Shift+S	Save as	Write to a new path; current buffer follows the new file

Status Bar Indicators

The top status bar updates in real time as you edit. The key markers:

• ● — the buffer has unsaved changes.
• EOL — the current line-ending style (LF, CRLF).
• Save state — shows Saved momentarily after a successful write.
• Git diff summary — insertions/deletions relative to the last commit, updated on each save.

Until you save, only the in-memory buffer is modified. The ● dot disappears as soon as Ctrl+S completes.

Undo, Redo, and Select All

jvim keeps a full undo history for the session. There is no undo limit during a single editing session.

Keys	Action	Notes
Ctrl+Z	Undo	Step back one edit
Ctrl+Y	Redo	Re-apply an undone edit
Ctrl+A	Select all	Select the entire buffer contents

EOF Padding

Empty lines at the bottom of the viewport are padded with vim-style ~ markers. These are visual only — they do not appear in the file. The padding makes the viewport boundary obvious so you always know where the document ends.

Related

• File Tree
• Find & Replace
• Keymap — essentials