vi [ -| -s ] [-l] [-L] [-R] [ -r [ filename ] ] [-S] [-t
tag] [-v] [-V] [-x] [-w] [-n ] [-C] [+command | -c command ] filename
| - | -s |
Suppress all interactive user feedback.
This is useful when processing editor scripts. |
| -l |
Set up for editing LISP programs. |
| -L |
List the name of all files saved as the
result of an editor or system crash. |
| -R |
Readonly mode; the readonly flag is set,
preventing accidental overwriting of the file. |
| -r filename |
Edit filename after an editor or system
crash. (Recovers the version of filename that was in the buffer when
the crash occurred.) |
| -S |
This option is used in conjunction with
the -t tag option to tell vi that the tags file may not be sorted
and that, if the binary search (which relies on a sorted tags file)
for tag fails to
find it, the much slower linear search should also be done. Since
the linear search is slow, users of large tags files should ensure
that the tags files are sorted rather than use this flag. Creation
of tags files normally produces sorted tags files. See ctags
for more information on tags files. |
| -t tag |
Edit the file containing the tag, tag,
and position the editor at its definition. |
| -v |
Start up in display editing state using
vi . You can achieve the same effect by simply typing the vi command
itself. |
| -V |
Verbose. When ex commands are read by
means of standard input, the input will be echoed to standard
error. This may be useful when processing ex commands within shell
scripts. |
| -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.
If an empty encryption key is entered (that is, if the return key
is pressed right after the prompt), the file will not be encrypted.
This is a good way to decrypt a file erroneously encrypted with a
mistyped encryption key, such as a backspace or undo key. |
| -wn |
Set the default window size to n. This
is useful when using the editor over a slow speed line. |
| -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. |
| +command | -c command |
Begin editing by executing the specified
editor
command (usually a search or positioning command). |
| filename |
The file to be edited. |
| Arrow keys |
Move cursor |
| hjkl |
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 |
deletes 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 |
| ESC |
end insert or incomplete command |
| DEL |
(delete or rubout) interrupts |
| :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 |
| 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 { } |
| ^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 one line |
| ^Y |
scroll window up one line |
| `` |
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 |
| H |
top line on screen |
| L |
last line on screen |
| M |
middle line on screen |
| + |
next line, at first non-white space character |
| - |
previous line, at first non-white space
character |
| CR |
return, same as + |
| down-arrow or j |
next line, same column |
| up-arrow or k |
previous line, same column |
| ^ |
first non-white space character |
| 0 |
beginning of line |
| $ |
end of line |
| l or -> |
forward |
| h or <- |
backward |
| ^H |
same as <- (backspace) |
| space |
same as -> (space bar) |
| fx |
find next x |
| Fx |
find next x |
| tx |
move to character following the next x |
| Tx |
move to character following the 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 { } |
| 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 |
| ^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 |
| CTRL-C |
interrupt, suspends 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 |
| 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 line above |
| rx |
replace single character with x |
| RtextESC |
replace characters |
| d |
delete |
| c |
change |
| y |
yank lines to buffer |
| > |
left shift |
| < |
right shift |
| ! |
filter through command |
| C |
change rest of line (c$) |
| D |
delete rest of line (d$) |
| s |
substitute characters (cl) |
| S |
substitute lines (cc) |
| J |
join lines |
| x |
delete characters (dl) |
| X |
delete characters before cursor dh) |
| Y |
yank lines (yy) |
| 3yy |
yank 3 lines |
| 3yl |
yank 3 characters |
| p |
put back text after cursor |
| P |
put back text before cursor " .nr )I xp"n
put from buffer x " .nr )I xy"n
yank to buffer x " .nr )I xd"n
delete into buffer x |
| u |
undo last change |
| U |
restore current line |
| . |
repeat last change " .nr )I dp"n
retrieve d'th last delete |
