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 it

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'