vi Editor Commands
Editing and Saving Files
To create a new file: vi filename
To exit vi and save changes: [esc][colon] ZZ or wq like Press esc then :wq
To exit vi without saving changes: :q!
To saves the current file without quitting: :w
To enter vi command mode: [esc]
To enter vi insert mode: Press i
Moving Cursor Within a file
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
Finding Patterns in a File
? 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
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 )
:# move to line #
:$ move to last line of file
Inserting character in a File
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 words and characters within a file
x delete character under cursor
dd delete line under cursor
dw delete word under cursor
db delete word before cursor
Useful 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.
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
Reading Files
copies (reads) filename after cursor in file
currently editing
:r filename
Shell Escape
executes ‘cmd’ as a shell command.
:!’cmd’