Manual pages › General commands (1)
vi(1)
screen-oriented (visual) display editor based on ex
From the original Amiga UNIX 2.1 manual. Some things it mentions may not be in this release.
Also by this name: view(1), General commands
NAME · SYNOPSIS · DESCRIPTION · AUTHOR · FILES · NOTES · SEE ALSO
NAME
vi, view, vedit - screen-oriented (visual) display editor based on ex
SYNOPSIS
vi [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file... view [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file... vedit [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file...
DESCRIPTION
vi (visual) is a display-oriented text editor based on an underlying line editor ex. It is possible to use the command mode of ex from within vi and vice-versa. The visual commands are described on this manual page; how to set options (like automatically numbering lines and automatically starting a new output line when you type carriage return) and all ex line editor commands are described on the ex(1) manual page.
When using vi, changes you make to the file are reflected in what you see on your terminal screen. The position of the cursor on the screen indicates the position within the file.
Invocation Options
The following invocation options are interpreted by vi (previously documented options are discussed in the NOTES section of this manual page):
-t tag Edit the file containing the tag and position the editor at its definition.
-r file Edit file after an editor or system crash. (Recovers the version of file that was in the buffer when the crash occurred.)
-l Set up for editing LISP programs.
-L List the name of all files saved as the result of an editor or system crash.
-wn Set the default window size to n. This is useful when using the editor over a slow speed line.
-R Readonly mode; the readonly flag is set, preventing accidental overwriting of the file.
-x Encryption option; when used, vi simulates the X command of ex and prompts the user for a key. This key is used to encrypt and decrypt text using the algorithm of the crypt command. The X command makes an educated guess to determine whether text read in is encrypted or not. The temporary buffer file is encrypted also, using a transformed version of the key typed in for the -x option. See crypt(1). Also, see the WARNING section at the end of this manual page.
-C Encryption option; same as the -x option, except that vi simulates the C command of ex. The C command is like the X command of ex, except that all text read in is assumed to have been encrypted.
-c command Begin editing by executing the specified editor command (usually a search or positioning command).
The file argument indicates one or more files to be edited.
The view invocation is the same as vi except that the readonly flag is set.
The vedit invocation is intended for beginners. It is the same as vi except that the report flag is set to 1, the showmode and novice flags are set, and magic is turned off. These defaults make it easier to learn how to use vi.
vi Modes
Command Normal and initial mode. Other modes return to command mode upon completion. ESC (escape) is used to cancel a partial command.
Input Entered by setting any of the following options: a A i I o O c C s S R . Arbitrary text may then be entered. Input mode is normally terminated with ESC character, or, abnormally, with an interrupt.
Last line Reading input for : / ? or !; terminate by typing a carriage return; an interrupt cancels termination.
COMMAND SUMMARY
In the descriptions, CR stands for carriage return and ESC stands for the escape key.
Sample commands
<- | | -> arrow keys move the cursor
h j k l same as arrow keys
itextESC insert text
cwnewESC change word to new
easESC pluralize word (end of word; append s;
escape from input state)
x delete a character
dw delete a word
dd delete a line
3dd delete 3 lines
u undo previous change
ZZ exit vi, saving changes
:q!CR quit, discarding changes
/textCR search for text
^U ^D scroll up or down
:cmdCR any ex or ed command
Counts before vi commands
Numbers may be typed as a prefix to some commands. They are interpreted in one of these ways. line/column number z G | scroll amount ^D ^U repeat effect most of the rest
Interrupting, canceling
ESC end insert or incomplete cmd DEL (delete or rubout) interrupts
File manipulation
ZZ if file modified, write and exit; otherwise, exit :wCR write back changes :w!CR forced write, if permission originally not valid :qCR quit :q!CR quit, discard changes :e nameCR edit file name :e!CR reedit, discard changes :e + nameCR edit, starting at end :e +nCR edit starting at line n :e #CR edit alternate file :e! #CR edit alternate file, discard changes :w nameCR write file name :w! nameCR overwrite file name :shCR run shell, then return :!cmdCR run cmd, then return :nCR edit next file in arglist :n argsCR specify new arglist ^G show current file and line :ta tagCR position cursor to tag In general, any ex or ed command (such as substitute or glo- bal) may be typed, preceded by a colon and followed by a carriage return.
Positioning within file
^F forward screen
^B backward screen
^D scroll down half screen
^U scroll up half screen
nG go to the beginning of the specified line
(end default), where n is a line number
/pat next line matching pat
?pat previous line matching pat
n repeat last / or ? command
N reverse last / or ? command
/pat/+n nth line after pat
?pat?-n nth line before pat
]] next section/function
[[ previous section/function
( beginning of sentence
) end of sentence
{ beginning of paragraph
} end of paragraph
% find matching ( ) { or }
Adjusting the screen
^L clear and redraw window ^R clear and redraw window if ^L is -> key zCR redraw screen with current line at top of window z-CR redraw screen with current line at bottom of window z.CR redraw screen with current line at center of window /pat/z-CR move pat line to bottom of window zn.CR use n-line window ^E scroll window down 1 line ^Y scroll window up 1 line
Marking and returning
`` move cursor to previous context '' move cursor to first non-white space in line mx mark current position with the ASCII lower-case letter x `x move cursor to mark x 'x move cursor to first non-white space in line marked by x
Line positioning
H top line on screen L last line on screen M middle line on screen + next line, at first non-white - previous line, at first non-white CR return, same as + | or j next line, same column | or k previous line, same column
Character positioning
^ first non white-space character
0 beginning of line
$ end of line
h or -> forward
l or <- backward
^H same as <- (backspace)
space same as -> (space bar)
fx find next x
Fx find previous x
tx move to character prior to next x
Tx move to character following previous x
; repeat last f F t or T
, repeat inverse of last f F t or T
n| move to column n
% find matching ( { ) or }
Words, sentences, paragraphs
w forward a word
b back a word
e end of word
) to next sentence
} to next paragraph
( back a sentence
{ back a paragraph
W forward a blank-delimited word
B back a blank-delimited word
E end of a blank-delimited word
Corrections during insert
^H erase last character (backspace)
^W erase last word
erase your erase character, same as ^H (backspace)
kill your kill character, erase this line of input
\ quotes your erase and kill characters
ESC ends insertion, back to command mode
DEL interrupt, terminates insert mode
^D backtab one character; reset left margin
of autoindent
^^D caret (^) followed by control-d (^D);
backtab to beginning of line;
do not reset left margin of autoindent
0^D backtab to beginning of line;
reset left margin of autoindent
^V quote non-printable character
Insert and replace
a append after cursor A append at end of line i insert before cursor I insert before first non-blank o open line below O open above rx replace single char with x RtextESC replace characters
Operators
Operators are followed by a cursor motion, and affect all text that would have been moved over. For example, since w moves over a word, dw deletes the word that would be moved over. Double the operator, e.g., dd to affect whole lines. d delete c change y yank lines to buffer < left shift > right shift ! filter through command
Miscellaneous Operations
C change rest of line (c$) D delete rest of line (d$) s substitute chars (cl) S substitute lines (cc) J join lines x delete characters (dl) X delete characters before cursor (dh) Y yank lines (yy)
Yank and Put
Put inserts the text most recently deleted or yanked; how- ever, if a buffer is named (using the ASCII lower-case letters a - z), the text in that buffer is put instead. 3yy yank 3 lines 3yl yank 3 characters p put back text after cursor P put back text before cursor "xp put from buffer x "xy yank to buffer x "xd delete into buffer x
Undo, Redo, Retrieve
u undo last change U restore current line . repeat last change "dp retrieve d'th last delete
AUTHOR
vi and ex were developed by The University of California, Berkeley California, Computer Science Division, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
FILES
/tmp default directory where temporary
work files are placed; it can be
changed using the directory option
[see the ex(1) set command]
/usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/*
compiled terminal description data-
base
/usr/lib/.COREterm/?/* subset of compiled terminal
description database
NOTES
Two options, although they continue to be supported, have been replaced in the documentation by options that follow the Command Syntax Standard [see intro(1)]. A -r option that is not followed with an option-argument has been replaced by -L and +command has been replaced by -c command. The encryption options are provided with the Security Administration Utilities package, which is available only in the United States.
Tampering with entries in /usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/* or /usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/* (for example, changing or removing an entry) can affect programs such as vi that expect the entry to be present and correct. In particular, removing the "dumb" terminal may cause unexpected problems.
Software tabs using ^T work only immediately after the autoindent.
Left and right shifts on intelligent terminals do not make use of insert and delete character operations in the terminal.
SEE ALSO
ed(1), edit(1), ex(1). User's Guide. Editing Guide. curses/terminfo chapter of the Programmer's Guide.