Introduction to vi
Modes of Operation
ESC :
Input Command Last Line
mode mode mode
Insert, Append, Replace … Enter
The Work Buffer
During the editing session, vi make all changes in the
buffer
Basic
(Loading and Saving files)
vi [filename] - start vi ( edit filename)
vi +[number, /string] - begin with start line, first
matching string, relatively
:e filename - edit filename
:q - terminate vi without saving
:q! - terminate vi, leave file unchanged
:w - save edited file, stay in vi
:r filename - read in text in filename
Command mode - Moving the Cursor
l,h,j,k - move right, left, down, up
w,b,e - move right one, left one, to end of word
W,B,E - equivalent above except the space delimited
word
-,Enter - move start of upper line, start of next line
^,$ - move start of line, end of line
<crtl>+u,d,b,f - move screen one half-page up, one half
page down, one page up, one page down in text
H,M,L - move left end of top, middle line, bottom line
G - move to last line
nG - move to nth line
Input Mode
i - insert before the cursor
a - append after the cursor
o - insert the text on a new line after the current line
r - replace the current one character, automatically
return to command mode
I - insert the text at start of line
A - insert the text at end of line
O - insert the text on a new line before the current line
R - overwrite all character until press <ESC>
<ESC> - return to command mode
Command mode - Deleting text
x - delete the character under the cursor
dw - delete to the of word
dW - delete to end of space delimited word
D - delete to end of line
dd - delete the current line
u - undo the last change made
U - restore current line to previous state
Command mode - Changing text
cw - change to end of word
cb - change to begin of word
cW - change to end of space delimited word
cB - change to begin of space delimited word
cc - change the current line
Searching for a String
The Search Commands
/xxx - search forward for text string xxx
?xxx - search backward for text string xxx
/ - repeat search forwards
? - repeat search backwards
n - repeat search in same direction
N - repeat search in opposite direction
Special Characters in Search Strings
^ - the beginning-of-line indicator
$ - the end-of-line indicator
. - the any character indicator
\> - the end-of-word indicator
\< - the beginning-of-word indicator
[ ] - the character class definition
Substituting One String for Another
[address]s/search-string/replace-string[/g]
address
number - line number
77,100 - line 77 through 100
1, . - the beginning of the work buffer through the
current line
.,$ - the current line through the end of work buffer
1,$ - the entire work buffer
% - the entire work buffer
.,.+10 - the current line through the tenth following line
Miscellaneous Commands
J - join command
<ctrl>-g - status command (line number of current
line, total number of line)
End line mode - :f
. - period command (repeat the most recent command
that made a change)
~ - tilde command (change between lowercase and
uppercase)
The Put, Delete and Yank Commands
The General Purpose Buffer
Store the text that you most recently changed, deleted
and yanked.
Undo command uses the general purpose buffer when it
restores text
y - yank command
yy, Y - yank the current line
nyy, nY - yank the n line from current line
p - paste the text on a new line after the current line
P - paste the text on a new line above the current line
Reading and Writing Files
Read Command
:[address]r [filename]
Write Command
:[address]w[!] [filename] - overwrite mode
:[address]w>>filename - append mode
address - the same as substitution command
Setting Parameters
Setting Parameters in a Startup File
Bourne and Korn shell - .profile
EXINIT = ‘set param1 param2 …’
export EXINIT
C shell - .login
setenv EXINIT = ‘set param1 param2 …’
.exrc
set param1 param2 …
Parameters
:set all - show all parameter
number, nonumber - show line number, hide line number
wrapmargin=nn - break the line by inserting <newline>
character at the closest blank delimited word boundary
nn - the number of character from the right side of the screen
Setting Parameters
Parameters (Cont.)
Shell[=pathname]
showmode, noshowmode - give a cue to let you know when vi
is in Input Mode
flash, noflash - beep when give invalid command or press
<ESC> in Command Mode
ignorecase, noignorecase - ignore case in search
magic, nomagic - special characters in search strings have no
special meanings (except ^, $)
list, nolist - show <TAB> -> ^I, end of line -> $
wrapscan, nowrapscan
autoindent, noautoindent
shiftwidth=nn
Units of Measure
Character
Word - <space>, <tab>,<newline>, numeral,
punctuation marks
Line - <newline>
Sentence - period, exclamation point, question mark,
followed by two <space> or a <newline>
Paragraph - blank line
Screen
