General VI Editor use

VI filename to initiate the editor

[esc] to enter VI command mode

:w to save current file without quitting

ZZ or :wq to exit VI editor AND SAVE changes

:q! to exit VI editor WITHOUT SAVING changes

 

Cursor Movement

h  move left (backspace)  (or LEFT arrow)

j  move down   (or DOWN arrow)

k move up (or UP arrow)

l move right (spacebar) (or RIGHT arrow)

[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

:1 move to fist line of file

:$ move to last line of file

ctrl+F move forward one screen

ctrl+B move backward one screen

^ 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

The put command brings back the previous deletion or yank of lines.

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 the mode: type ':'

To exit the mode: press [return] or [esc]

 

Resources:

http://www.cs.rit.edu/~cslab/vi.html

http://www.cs.colostate.edu/helpdocs/vi.html

 

More commands:

BEST: http://www.ss64.com/bashsyntax/vi.html

http://www.lowfatlinux.com/linux-editor-vi.html

Large list of VI commands

http://www.drexel.edu/IRT/services/workshops/unix/unixviref.html