VI TEXT EDITOR BASIC COMMANDS

VI Editor:

vi is a screen-oriented text editor originally created for the Unix operating system. The portable subset of the behavior of vi and programs based on it, and the ex editor language supported within these programs, is described by (and thus standardized by) the Single Unix Specification and POSIX.

VI/VIM EDITOR:

vi file.txt(edit file with vi editor)

vi -r file.txt(recover filename that was being edited when system crashed)

1. VI Modes:

Modes key

Command Esc
Insert i, I, a, A
Line :

2. vi Insert Mode:

i - Insert at the curser position
I - Insert at the beginning of the line
a - Append after the curser position
A - Append at the end if the line
o - Open a new line below the current line
O - Open a new line above the current line

3. vi Navigation:

k or up-arrow - Up one line
j or dawn-arrow - Down one line
h or left-arrow - Left one character
l or right-arrow - Right one character
w - Right one word
b - Left one word
^ - Goto the beginning of the line
$ - Goto the end of the line

4. vi Line Mode:

:w - Writes (saves) the file
:w! - Force the file to be saved
:q - Quit
:q! - Quit without saving changes
:wq! - Write and quit
:x - Same as :wq
:n - Position the curser at line n
:set nu - Turn on line numbering
:set nonu - Turn off line numbering
:help [sub command] - Get help

5. vi Repeating Commands:

Repeat a command by preceding it with a number

5k - Move up to line 5 times
80i <text> <esc> - Insert text 80 times

6. vi Delet Text:

x - Delete single character under cursor
nx - Delete n characters, starting with character under cursor
dw - Delete the single word beginning with character under cursor
dnw - Delete N words beginning with character under cursor;e.g.,d5w deletes 5word
dd - Delete entire current line
D - Delete the remainder of the line, starting with current cursor position