17/5/2014 Linux Tutorial For Beginners..: Basic Vi Commands...

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Basic Vi Commands...
To Start vi :
1. vi filename Create or Edit filename starting at line 1
2. vi -r filename Recover filename that was being edited
when system crashed
To Exit vi :
1. :x<return> Quit vi, writing out modified file to file
named in original invocation
2. :wq<return> Quit vi, writing out modified file to file
named in original invocation
3. :q<return> Quit or exit vi
4. :q!<return> Quit vi even though latest changes have not
been saved for this vi call
Moving the cursor :
1. j or <return> Move cursor down one line
[or down-arrow]
2. k[or up-arrow] Move cursor up one line
3. h or<backspace> Move cursor left one line
[or left-arrow]
l or<space>[or right-arrow] Move cursor right one line
4. 0(zero) Move cursor to start of current line(the one with the arrow)

5. $ Move cursor to end of the current line
6. w Move cursor to beginning of next word
7. b Move cursor back to beginning of preceding word
8. :0<return> or 1G Move cursor to first line in file
9. :n<return>or nG Move cursor to line n in file
10. :$<return>or G Move cursor to last line in file
Screen Manipulation :
1. ^f Move forward one screen
2. ^b Move backward one screen
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3. ^d Move down(forward) one half screen
4. ^u Move up(back)one half screen
5. ^l Redraws the screen
6. ^r Redraws the screen, removing the deleted lines
Adding, Changing, Deleting the text :
1. u Undo whatever you just did(a simple toggle)
Inserting or Adding text :
1. i Insert text before cursor, until<esc>hit
2. I Insert text at beginning of current line, until<esc>hit
3. a Append text after cursor, until<esc>hit
4. A Append text to end of current line, until<esc>hit
5. o Open and put text in a new line below current line, until<esc>hit
6. O Open and put text in a new line above current line, until<esc>hit
Changing the text :
1. r Replace single character under cursor(no <esc>needed)
2. R Replace characters, starting with current cursor position, until<esc>hit
3. cw Change the current word with new text, starting with the character under
cursor,until<esc>hit
4. cNw Change N words beginning with the character under cursor, until<esc>hit
5. c Change(replace)the characters in the current line,until<esc>hit
6. cc Change(replace)the characters in the current line,stopping when <esc>hit
7. Ncc or cNc Change(replace)the next N lines, starting with the current line, stopping
when <esc>hit
Deleting the text :
1. x Delete single character under cursor
2. Nx Delete N characters, starting with character under cursor
3. dw Delete the single word beginning with character under cursor
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4. dNw Delete N words beginning with character under cursor
5. D Delete the remainder of the line, starting with current cursor position
6. dd Delete entire current line
7. Ndd or dNd Delete N lines beginning with the current line
Cutting and pasting the text :
1. yy Copy (yank,cut) the current line into buffer
2. Nyy or yNy Copy(yank, cut) the next N lines, including the current line, into the
buffer
3. p Put(paste) the lines in the buffer into the text after the current line
Searching the text :
1. /string Search forward for occurence of string in text
2. ?string Search backward for occurence of string in text
3. n Move to next occurence of search string
4. N Move to next occurence of search string in opposite direction
Determining line numbers :
1. :.= Returns line number of current line at bottom of screen
2. := Returns the total number of lines at bottom of the screen
3. ^g Provides the current line number, along with the total number of lines, in
the file at the bottom of the screen
Saving and reading files :
1. :r filename<return> Read file named filename and insert after current line(the line with
arrow)
2. :w<return> Write current contents to a file named in original vi call
3. :w newfile<return> Write current contents to a new file named newfile
4. :12,35w smallfile<return> Write the contents of the line numbered 12 through 35 to a new
file named smallfile
5. :w! prevfile<return> Write current contents over a pre-existing file named prevfile