From Vim Tips Wiki

Tip 1007 Previous Next Created: October 1, 2005 Complexity: basic Author: Max Ischenko Version: 5.7

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It can be really annoying when you keep hitting the F1 key accidentally, and the Help screen pops up. Here is a solution:

:nmap <F1> :echo<CR>
:imap <F1> <C-o>:echo<CR>

You can't just ":unmap <F1>" because Vim would complain that no such mapping exists.

You could still access the help system via :help command or the gvim menu.

[edit] Comments

This maps F1 to 'no operation' (do nothing):

:nmap <F1> nop

and this maps F1 to Escape:

map <F1> <Esc>
imap <F1> <Esc>

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I use the following. Now both F1 and Esc get me out of insert mode, but I can still use F1 to start (and quit) help in other modes.

inoremap <F1> <Esc>
noremap <F1> :call MapF1()<CR>

function! MapF1()
  if &buftype == "help"
    exec 'quit'
  else
    exec 'help'
  endif
endfunction

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Excellent idea. As I mostly call help on a specific topic, I propose a definition going even further:

function SophHelp()
  if &buftype=="help" && match( strpart( getline("."), col(".")-1,1), "\\S")<0
    bw
  else
    try
      exec "help ".expand("<cWORD>")
    catch /:E149:/
      exec "help ".expand("<cword>")
    endtry
  endif
endfunc
nnoremap <silent> <F1> :call SophHelp()<CR>
imap <F1> <Esc><F1>

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