VI Text Editor

Using the vi Text Editor

vi <filename> Or vim <filename>

**vi uses five different operating modes **

• Command mode

  Pressing the ESC key once places you in command mode. The command mode allows you to issue local editing commands. Local commands would be used to add or modify a character, word, single line, or multiple lines.

• Command-line mode

  Pressing ESC : places you in command-line mode. Commands issued in command-line mode are global commands; they affect the entire document. Examples of global commands are write, search, and search and replace.

• Insert

  Insert mode inserts text to the left of the cursor. ESC i (lowercase i) inserts text immediately to the left of the cursor, and ESC I (uppercase I) inserts text at the left margin.

• Append

  Append mode adds text to the right of the cursor. ESC a (lowercase a) appends text immediately after the cursor, and ESC A (uppercase A) appends text at the end of the current line.

• Open

  The open mode is used to open a line above or below the current cursor position and places the editor in insert mode and the cursor at the left margin. ESC o (lowercase o) opens a line below the current cursor position, and ESC O (uppercase O) opens a line above the current cursor position.

Shortcuts

Command	Action
ESC-dw	Deletes the word that comes immediately after the cursor, including the space following the word.
ESC-d$	Deletes from the insertion point to the end of the line.
ESC-dd	Deletes the entire current line.
ESC-p	Inserts deleted text before or below the current cursor location.
ESC-P	Inserts deleted text after or above the current cursor location.
ESC-u	Undoes the last action.
ESC-U	Undoes all changes made on the current line.
ESC-D	Deletes the rest of the current line from the cursor position.
ESC-yy	Copies the line in which the cursor is located to the buffer.
ESC-a	Appends after cursor.
ESC-A	Appends after line.
ESC-C	Changes to the end of the line.
ESC-cc	Changes the whole line.
ESC-ZZ	Saves the current file and ends vi.
ESC-h	Moves the cursor left one character.
ESC-j	Moves the cursor down one line.
ESC-k	Moves the cursor up one line.
ESC-l	Moves the cursor right one character.
ESC-0	Moves the cursor to the start of the current line.
ESC-:w	Writes the current file to disk.
ESC-:exit	Writes the current file to disk and then closes vi.
ESC-:wq	Also writes the current file to disk and closes vi.
ESC -:q	Closes vi without saving the current file.
ESC-:q!	Closes vi without saving the current file, even if the file has been modified.
ESC-:w!	Overwrites the current file.
ESC-:e!	Forgets changes since the last write.
CTRL-G	displays a status line at the bottom of the interface.
/search [string]	searches from the current cursor position to the bottom of the document for the specified string.
?search [string]	searches from the current cursor position to the top of the document for the specified string.

From within command mode, you can enter a colon (:) to switch to command-line mode.