VimWiki: Writing a Personal Wiki Journal in Vim / Software Tutorial

Before diving into the centerpiece of this article, “VimWiki”, you might first want to check out “The Legendary History of the VI/VIM Text Editor” to get acquainted with the legendary history behind VI and Vim.

So, what exactly is VimWiki?

As the name implies, VimWiki leverages Vi/Vim to deliver personal Wiki capabilities. While the term “Wiki” is widely recognized today—most famously through Wikipedia—bringing that concept into a local workstation opens up a broad range of personal applications, such as daily journaling, knowledge management, or expense tracking.

Some might ask: wouldn’t Microsoft Word or OpenOffice accomplish the exact same goal?

To that question, my answer is simple: they are absolutely right (laughs).

Software choice is ultimately a matter of personal preference. What is functionally powerful and what one is accustomed to using are not necessarily the same thing. Yet for anyone who works extensively on a computer, becoming proficient with at least one text editor beyond MS Word is worthwhile—whether you choose Vim, Emacs, or another editor is entirely up to you.

Furthermore, we often do not need heavyweight behemoths like MS Word, while basic tools like WordPad fall short of serious writing needs. That alone is reason enough to find a lightweight, dependable text editor that treats you well.

Getting back to the topic: since the official website already provides comprehensive documentation, this guide focuses on a practical, goal-oriented walkthrough.

Assuming you have already installed and familiarized yourself with Vim, start by downloading the plugin package from the official download repository.

Modern versions of Vim feature a straightforward package management mechanism. After downloading the update package, simply open the .vba file in Vim, and in Normal mode, type :so % to automatically install the plugin.

How do you start using it?

It is straightforward: in Normal mode, type ww to open the default index file in your designated VimWiki workspace.

Additionally, depending on your needs—such as novel writing or industry research—you might want multiple distinct Wiki environments. This can be easily configured using custom subdirectories and file extensions.

Because VimWiki uses .wiki as its standard document file extension, configuring distinct Wiki root directories allows you to organize structured notes, indices, and creative projects independently.

VimWiki Key Mappings & Usage

Here are several commonly used keys and shortcut combinations. For advanced features, enter :h vimwiki-mappings in Normal mode to access the complete documentation:

• ww: Opens the default index file (or default homepage).
• NewPage: Typing a CamelCase word like this in a document highlights it; VimWiki automatically interprets it as a link to a new page and creates a corresponding file when opened.
• [[ Page Name ]]: Functions similarly to the above, with extended support for piped aliases: by placing a | symbol inside, the preceding part serves as the target filename and the trailing part serves as the display text.
• In Normal mode, double-clicking a link with the mouse navigates directly to that page; if the file does not yet exist, VimWiki generates it automatically. Pressing Enter accomplishes the same action (pressing Shift + Enter opens the link in a vertical split, while Ctrl + Enter opens it in a horizontal split).
• After navigating to a new page, pressing Backspace returns to the previous parent page.
• In Normal mode, running :Vimwiki2HTML or :VimwikiAll2HTML converts your Wiki pages into HTML web format.
• In Normal mode, pressing = on any line formats that line as a heading.
• Pressing Tab or Shift + Tab jumps between WikiWords within the current document.

Official documentation: Key mappings

VimWiki Basic Syntax

1. *Bold*
2. _Italic_
3. ~~Strikeout Text~~
4. A^Super Script^
5. A,,Sub Script,,
6. [[Complex Wiki Word]]
7. *, -: Unordered List
8. #: Ordered List
9. = Header1 =, == Header2 ==, …, ======= Header 7 =======
10. {{{ Preformatted }}}