VI editor

Quick reference

• General Startup

  To use vi: vi filename
  To exit vi and save changes: ZZ   or  :wq
  To exit vi without saving changes: :q!
  To enter vi command mode: [esc]

• Counts

  A number preceding any vi command tells vi to repeat that command that many times.

• Cursor Movement

  h       move left (backspace)
  j       move down
  k       move up
  l       move right (spacebar)
  [return]   move to the beginning of the next line
  $       last column on the current line
  0       move cursor to the first column on the current line
  ^       move cursor to first nonblank column on the current line
  w       move to the beginning of the next word or punctuation mark
  W       move past the next space
  b       move to the beginning of the previous word or punctuation mark
  B       move to the beginning of the previous word, ignores punctuation
  e       end of next word or punctuation mark
  E       end of next word, ignoring punctuation
  H       move cursor to the top of the screen 
  M       move cursor to the middle of the screen
  L       move cursor to the bottom of the screen 

• Screen Movement

  G        move to the last line in the file
  xG       move to line x
  z+       move current line to top of screen
  z        move current line to the middle of screen
  z-       move current line to the bottom of screen
  ^F       move forward one screen
  ^B       move backward one line
  ^D       move forward one half screen
  ^U       move backward one half screen
  ^R       redraw screen (does not work with VT100 type terminals)
  ^L       redraw screen (does not work with Televideo terminals)

• Inserting

  r        replace character under cursor with next character typed
  R        keep replacing character until [esc] is hit
  i        insert before cursor
  a        append after cursor
  A        append at end of line
  O        open line above cursor and enter append mode

• Deleting

  x       delete character under cursor
  dd      delete line under cursor
  dw      delete word under cursor
  db      delete word before cursor

• Copying Code

  yy      (yank)'copies' line which may then be put by
       the p(put) command. Precede with a count for
       multiple lines.

• Put Command

       brings back previous deletion or yank of lines, words, or characters
  P       bring back before cursor
  p       bring back after cursor

• Find Commands

  ?       finds a word going backwards
  /       finds a word going forwards
  f       finds a character on the line under the cursor going forward
  F       finds a character on the line under the cursor going backwards
  t       find a character on the current line going forward and stop one character before
  T       find a character on the current line going backward and stop one character before it
  ;	repeat last f, F, t, T

• Miscellaneous Commands

  .	repeat last command
  u	undoes last command issued
  U	undoes all commands on one line
  xp	deletes first character and inserts after second (swap)
  J	join current line with the next line
  ^G	display current line number
  %	if at one parenthesis, will jump to its mate
  mx	mark current line with character x
  'x	find line marked with character x
       NOTE: Marks are internal and not written to the file.

• Line Editor Mode

Any commands form the line editor ex can be issued upon entering line mode.

  To enter: type ':'
  To exit: press[return] or [esc]

• ex Commands

For a complete list consult the UNIX Programmer's Manual

• READING FILES

       copies (reads) filename after cursor in file currently editing
  :r filename

• WRITE FILE

  :w 	saves the current file without quitting

• MOVING

  :#	move to line #
  :$	move to last line of file

• SHELL ESCAPE

       executes 'cmd' as a shell command.
  :!'cmd'