Question

In Vim, how do I break a line of text with a newline?

For example, I’m in INSERT mode and I’d like to get from here…

$('#toggle_contact_search_mode').click([CURSOR IS HERE]);

To here…

$('#toggle_contact_search_mode').click(
  [CURSOR IS HERE]
);

The result I’m getting is that when I’m in insert mode and I have the cursor in the first position above and I hit return…

• Vim goes to normal mode.
• The line with the cursor scrolls to the bottom of the screen.
• Code throughout the file is reformatted incorrectly. For example, in another part of the file the code is reformatted like this:

---

$('.edit_phone_number').ajaxForm({
success: function(response) {
$('input, select, textarea', '.edit_phone_number').removeClass('updating');
}   
});

$('input, select, textarea', '.edit_phone_number').focus(function(event) { 
    $(event.target).removeClass('updating').addClass('focussed');
    });

I don’t want any reformatting at all. I just want Vim to just enter a newline and remain in insert mode.

---

UPDATE

When I temporarily remove my .vimrc file, the Vim behaves as expected. My .vimrc:

" ==================================================================================
" Global stuff
" ==================================================================================

" Prevent Vim from emulating vi bugs and limitations
:set nocompatible

" Custom status line based on one from here:
" http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/120126
:set statusline=\ \ %f\ \ [FORMAT=%{&ff}]\ \ [TYPE=%Y]\ \ [POS=%04l,%04v][%p%%]\ \ [LEN=%L]

" Set status line colors
highlight StatusLine term=reverse ctermfg=DarkBlue ctermbg=Grey

" Set status line to be shown above the command buffer.
:set laststatus=2

" Enable syntax highlighting
:syntax on

" Enable line numbering, taking up 6 spaces
:set number

" Allow <BkSpc> to delete line breaks, beyond the start of the current
" insertion, and over indentations
" set backspace=eol,start,indent

" ==================================================================================
" Searching
" ==================================================================================

" Highlight matches as you type in the search string
:set incsearch
:set showmatch

" When searching ignore case (except explicit caps)
:set ignorecase
:set smartcase

" ==================================================================================
" Indenting
" ==================================================================================

" Copy indent from current line when starting a new line
" :set autoindent
"
" :set smartindent

" :filetype plugin on

" indent depends on filetype
" :filetype indent on

:set tabstop=2
:set softtabstop=2
:set shiftwidth=2
:set expandtab

" ==================================================================================
" Mappings
" ==================================================================================

" ESC
imap <C-k> <ESC>

" Go to the next tab
nmap <C-j> gt
imap <C-j> <ESC>gt

" Auto indent entire file.
" Sets a mark ("mt""), moves across the whole file to indent it ("gg=G"), 
" then returns to the mark ("'t").
nmap <C-m> mtgg=G't
imap <C-m> <ESC><C-m>

Answer 1

Your problem is the imap <C-m> mapping — control-M is logically equivalent to enter on the terminal.