Basic visual editor Command

These are the basic of vi editing, you will find quite helpful;

Editing commands

Moving around the file:

h — cursor left

i — cursor right

k — cursor up

j — cursor down

^ & B — Beginning of line

$ — end of line

) — Next sentence

( — Previous sentence

} — Next Paragraph

{ — Previous Paragraph

:$ — end of file

w — one character forward

W — one word forward

:20 — go to Line no 20 or whatever number you give

Displaying file info:

^g — give name of the file, current line and total lines of a file at the bottom.

Inserting and appending text :

i — inserts text to the left of cursor

I — inserts in the beginning of line

a — appends text to right of cursor

A — appends to the end of line

Adding new line:

o — add a new line below the current line

O — adds a new line above the current line.

Deleting the text:

x — deletes text above the cursor

X — deletes text character on the right of cursor

20dd — deletes 20

dd — deletes current line

D — delete till end of current line.

d# — delete to where the # (j,k,l,h) specifies.

d/ — delete till pattern is found (forward).

d? — delete till pattern is found (backward).

d’ — delete till mark ‘char’.

Replacing a character & word:

r — replace the character above the cursor.

R — replces characters until Esc is pressed.

cw — replaces the word from cursor to the end indicated by $ sign.

C — replaces till end of line.

Substitute:

s — subistutes current charcater.

S — substitutes entire line.

Repeating last command:

. — repeats the last text.

Undo the last change:

u — undo last change.
U — undo changes to the current line.

Copy and pasting lines:

yy — copies the current line into buffer.
5yy — copies 5 lines from the current line.
p — pastes the current buffer.

Recovering an unsaved vi file:

vi -r — restores a unsaved / crashed file from buffer.

Searching:

:/name — & return searches for the word name in the file

n — continues search forward.

N — searches backwards.

Substitution:

:s///g

Saving:

:w — saves the text does not quit.

:wq — saves & quit the editor.

ZZ — save & quit the editor.

:q! — Quit without saving.

Miscellaneous:

m — mark this location and name it char.

‘ — (quote character) return to “line” named char.

` — (back-quote character) return to “place” named char.

‘’ or “ — (quote quote) return from last movement.

These commands allow the vi editor screen (or window) to move up or down several lines and to be refreshed.