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On Unix operating systems, there are numerous ways to edit files. One of the most common methods is to edit files using the screen-oriented text editor vi (visual editor). You can use the vi editor to edit an existing file or to create a new file from scratch. This editor also allows you to read text files. This article, along with a cheat sheet, will provide you with some vi commands to use the vi editor effectively.
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Vi is a text editor that lets you create, edit, and manipulate text files. It has a number of editing features, including the ability to navigate through a file, make changes, copy and paste text, search and replace, and more.
The Vi text editor has the following two modes:
In this section, I aim to provide a comprehensive list of essential Vi commands, whether you’re a beginner just getting started with Vi or an experienced user looking to expand your knowledge.
By becoming acquainted with these commands, you will be able to perform a variety of editing tasks, including moving within a file, making changes, searching for patterns, and more. From basic navigation to advanced editing techniques, the Vi commands listed below will provide you with the tools you need to increase your productivity and effectiveness when working with text files.
Here, you will get to know how to open a file in the vi text editor. The text editor will open in command mode, and to edit, you have to enable insert mode.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| vi | Opens the editor in default mode |
| vi | Opens the specified file or creates a new file in the vi editor |
In this section, I have included commands that will help you switch from Command mode to Insert mode and start editing texts.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| i | Changes to insert mode |
| I | Inserts text at the start of the current line |
| a | Appends after the cursor’s current position |
| A | Appends to the end of the line |
| o | Adds a new line beneath the current one |
| O | Opens a new line above the current line |
Here you will find commands to jump from one line to another.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| G | This indicates you to the file’s final line |
| I | Takes you to your last position in the file |
In this section, I have listed all the commands which you can use to delete a character, line, or word.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| x | Removes one character |
| X | Removes the character preceding the cursor |
| r | Replaces character |
| C | Deletes the contents of the line after the cursor and replaces it with new text. To stop insertion, press the ESC key |
| dd | Removes an entire line |
| Xdd | Deletes X number of lines |
| D | Deletes the contents of the line following the cursor |
| dw | Deletes word |
| Xdw | Deletes X number of words |
| dG | Deletes from the current line to the end of the file |
| d^ | Deletes from the current cursor position to the line’s beginning |
| d$ | Deletes from the current cursor position to the end of the line |
Here, I have listed all those commands that will help you to Undo or repeat a change in your text file.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| u | Undo the most recent change |
| U | Reverts all changes made to the entire line |
| . | Repeats the last command |
Using these listed commands, you can copy and paste any text in your file.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| yy | Copies (yanks) a line of text |
| yw | Copies the current word from the character with the lowercase w cursor until the word is finished |
| p | Paste a line of yanked text after the current line |
| P | Paste before the current line |
Here you will find commands that you will use to join lines, repeat line, and swap lines.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| J | Joins two lines |
| yyp | Repeats the current line |
| ddp | Swaps two lines |
In this section you will find commands that will help you navigate with in a file without using a mouse.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| k | Moves up one line |
| j | Moves down one line |
| h | Moves one character to the left |
| l | Moves right one character |
| G | Navigates to the last line of a file |
| XG | Navigates to line X in a file |
| gg | Navigates to the first line of a file |
You can follow this list to know how to save and close files using commands in vi editor.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| wq or ZZ | Saves your work and exits vi editor |
| w | Continues editing after saving |
| w! | Saves (and writes to a non-writable file) |
| q! | Quits vi without saving the changes |
Suppose you want to search a string. Here are some commands to help you.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| /string | Forwards lookup for a given string |
| ?string | Backwards lookup for a given string |
| /^string | Forwards search string at the start of a line |
| /string$ | Forwards search string at line’s end |
| n | Proceeds to the next occurrence of the searched string |
| /\ | Looks for the word he (rather than there, here, and so on) |
| /pl[abc]ce | Looks up the terms place, plbce, and plcce |
In this section, I have listed some commands that will help you to efficiently work with multiple sections of text, copy and paste content, and organize your editing workflow effectively
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| “add | Deletes the current line and insert text into buffer a |
| “ap | Paste the line from buffer a |
To substitute or remove any character or line from a text, you can use the commands listed below.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| cc | Removes the line’s contents, returning you to insert mode |
| cw | Changes the current word with new text, starting with the character under cursor |
| R | Overwrites characters beginning with the cursor |
| s | Substitutes one character under the cursor and continue to insert |
| S | Substitutes the entire line and begin to insert at the beginning of the line |
You can alter the appearance of your Vi screen by using the following list.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| set ic | Sets case insensitivity while searching |
| set ai | Sets auto indention |
| set noai | Unsets auto indention |
| set nu | Shows lines with line numbers on the left side of the screen |
| set sw | Sets the width of a software tabstop |
| set ws | If wrapscan is enabled and the word is not found at the end of the file, it will look for it at the beginning |
| set wm | If this option is set to a value greater than zero, the editor will “word wrap” automatically |
| set ro | Sets the file type to “read only” |
| set term | Prints the terminal type |
| set bf | Discards control characters from input |
You can also scroll your screen using commands or keyboard keys. In this section, I have demonstrated the keys that you can use.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| CTRL+D | Moves the screen down by half a page |
| CTRL+F | Scrolls the screen down by a full page |
| CTRL+U | Scrolls the screen up by half a page |
| CTRL+B | Scrolls the screen up by a full page |
| CTRL+E | Scrolls the screen up by one line |
| CTRL+Y | Scrolls the screen down by one line |
| CTRL+I | Redraws the screen |
Here I have listed more commonly used shortcuts for vi that will enable you to edit files and learn vi in a short amount of time.
| Commands | Description |
|---|---|
| b | Returns to the word’s beginning |
| e | Goes to the end of the word |
| Xyy | Yanks X number of lines |
| num | Shows the line number of the current line |
| Esc | Switches to Command mode /Terminate insert mode |
| xp | Switches two characters |
| cw | Changes word |
| ~ | Changes the case of an individual character |
In this article, I presented a comprehensive Vi cheat sheet that can be used as a handy reference guide for both novice and experienced Vi users. You can navigate, edit, and manipulate text files more efficiently and precisely if you are familiar with the commands and shortcuts provided in this cheat sheet. The best way to learn Vi is to create a new file and test it. Please feel free to use the list of common keyboard shortcuts provided in this article and the vi cheat sheet to assist you in learning Vi’s extensive vocabulary.
