Vim command for inserting a character

Question

I'm looking for the opposite of x. I want to insert just one character and stay in command mode.

Answer 1

You could map a key(-sequence) to a command sequence, f.e.:

:map <C-i> i_<Esc>r

Ctrl-i takes one character and returns afterwards.

To make it persistent, add the same line to the local or global vimrc file:

~/.vimrc
/etc/vim/vimrc

Answer 2

In some situations you can just use r. From :help r:

Replace the character under the cursor with {char}.

If you want more than one char, use R. (When used it enters in Replace mode. As usual, for more info, :help Replace).

Remember to run vimtutor at least once to learn some commands. The r command is used in Lesson 3.2.