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--- vim:abbreviations [2022/07/19 15:34] – 85.203.36.253
+++ vim:abbreviations [2022/07/19 17:22] (current) – [Escaping insert mode] 185.192.69.72
@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 VIM allows abbreviations to be set.
+This can support:
+  * To automate things in insert mode.
+  * To make it quicker to type a long word or sentence with just a few characters.
+  * Correcting Typos.
+----
+===== The Basics =====
+Abbreviations can be assigned with the command **:ab[breviate]**.
+To have abbreviations only work whilst in insert mode use **:iabbrev**:
+<code bash>
+:iabbrev [<expr>] [<buffer>] {abbreviation} {expansion}
+</code>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**
+  * Anything inside a **[]** is optional.
+  * **<expr>** means that you could use a vimscript expression to create the expansion.
+  * **<buffer>** means that it only applies to the current buffer.
+  * **abbreviation** is the thing you type and that will be replaced by the **expansion**.
+</WRAP>
+----
+===== Examples =====
 <code vim>
-:abbr Lunix Linux
+:ab Lunix Linux
-:abbr hapy happy
+:ab hapy happy
-:abbr hte the
+:ab hte the
-:abbr BTC The Big Cat
+:ab BTC The Big Cat
+:ab myemail someemail@somewhere.com
+:iabbrev Lunix Linux
 </code>
@@ Line 21: / Line 56: @@
   * To avoid expansion in insert mode, type **CTRL-V** after the last character of the abbreviation (on Windows, type **CTRL-Q** instead of **CTRL-V**).
+</WRAP>
+----
+===== Advanced Usage =====
+Abbreviations can use special sequences like **<CR>** (the enter key), **<Up>**, **<Tab>** and many more.
+  * This gives us the power to move around the cursor and create more elaborate snippets.
+<code vim>
+:iabbrev <buffer> con console.log();<Left><Left>
+</code>
+...converts to:
+<code bash>
+console.log( );
+</code>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  The **<buffer>** is used to prevent this being available in every buffer, just the ones where I can use valid javascript syntax.
+  * There is a space between the parenthesis in the log function, because we chose to "expand it" with the space key.
+    * Vim will replace the abbreviation after we press a "non-keyword character" and that character will be inserted after the expansion is done.
+    * Basically all the letters and a few special characters are considered "keyword characters" and anything that is not in that set will begin the expansion.
+    * Might want to check **:help 'iskeyword'** for more details.
+    * If that extra space is not wanted then you can begin the expansion with the sequence **<C-]>**, that is CTRL + closing bracket.
+</WRAP>
+----
+===== Advanced Usage 2 =====
+<code vim>
+:iabbrev <buffer> iife@ (async function() {})();<Left><Left><Left><Left><Left><CR><CR><Up>
+</code>
+...converts to:
+<code bash>
+(async function() {
+})();
+</code>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  When the **iife@** is typed it will do the conversion.
+  * The **@** sign in this case is not important.  It is just a silly convention that is followed to make it clear this will be expanded into something else.
+</WRAP>
+----
+==== Escaping insert mode ====
+All those **<Left>**s can quickly become very complex.  A better way is to escape insert mode and go into normal mode.
+We can "press" **<Esc>** to go to normal mode and take advantage of all the vim goodness we can do in that mode. So, we could rewrite it like this.
+<code vim>
+:iabbrev <buffer> iife@ (async function() {})();<Esc>4hi<CR><CR><Up>
+</code>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  The same snippet is now a bit less awful.
+  * We replaced the five **<Left>**s with **<Esc>4hi**, a bit more cryptic but shorter.
+    * In VIM, you would press that **4hi** yourself.
+    * In fact, since we are just entering in insert mode to make one command (4h) and then going back we could simplify it a little bit.
+</WRAP>
+<code vim>
+:iabbrev <buffer> iife@ (async function() {})();<C-o>4h<CR><CR><Up>
+</code>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  Now we use **<C-o>** (control + o) to go to normal mode, make one command and immediately go back to insert mode.
+</WRAP>
+----
+===== File Specific Abbreviations =====
+Abbreviations can also be set in autocommands to make file specific abbreviations automatically.
+If you put something like this in your .vimrc.
+<file bash .vimrc>
+:autocmd FileType html,javascript,typescript,vue
+  \ :iabbrev <buffer> some-abbreviation some-expansion
+</file>
+<WRAP info>
+**NOTE:**  It would make **some-abbreviation** available to you in html, javascript, typescript and vue files.
 </WRAP>