How do I quit Vim with a non-zero exit code?

Explanation

The :cq command quits Vim and returns a non-zero exit code to the calling process. This is invaluable when Vim is launched as a subprocess by another tool, such as git commit or git rebase -i.

Why it matters

When Git opens Vim for a commit message or interactive rebase, it checks Vim's exit code. If Vim exits normally (:q), Git proceeds. If Vim exits with an error (:cq), Git aborts the operation.

Common use cases

• Abort a git commit after Vim opens for the message
• Cancel an interactive rebase mid-edit
• Bail out of crontab -e without saving changes
• Exit any tool that uses $EDITOR and checks the exit code

Example

" Git opens Vim for commit message
" You realize you're not ready to commit
:cq

Git sees the non-zero exit and prints:

Aborting commit due to empty commit message.

Tips

• :cq takes an optional exit code: :cq 2 exits with code 2
• Unlike :q!, which discards changes but exits successfully, :cq signals failure to the parent process
• This works even if you have unsaved changes — no need to add !