VI REFERENCE SHEET //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// default values : 1 ^X : x [*] : * is optional <*> : * must not be taken literally : space : carriage return : linefeed : horizontal tab : escape : delete : an element in the range N : number (* = allowed, - = not used) CHAR : char unequal to | WORD : word followed by || ///////////////// / move commands / ///////////////// N | Command | Meaning ---+--------------------+------------------------------------------------------ * | h | ^H | <*> chars to the left * | j | | ^N | <*> lines downward * | l | | <*> chars to the right * | k | ^P | <*> lines upward * | $ | to the end of line <*> from the cursor - | ^ | to the first CHAR of the line * | _ | to the first CHAR of line <*> from the cursor * | - | to the first CHAR <*> lines higher * | + | | to the first CHAR <*> lines lower - | 0 | to the first char of the line * | | | to column <*> (: only to the endpoint!) * | f | <*> s to the right (find) * | t | till before <*> s to the right * | F | <*> s to the left * | T | till after <*> s to the left * | ; | repeat latest "f"|"t"|"F"|"T" <*> times * | , | idem in opposite direction * | w | <*> words forward * | W | <*> WORDS forward * | b | <*> words backward * | B | <*> WORDS backward * | e | to the end of word <*> forward * | E | to the end of WORD <*> forward * | G | go to line <*> (default EOF) * | H | to line <*> from top of the screen (home) * | L | to line <*> from bottom of the screen (last) - | M | to the middle line of the screen * | ) | <*> sentences forward * | ( | <*> sentences backward * | } | <*> paragraphs forward * | { | <*> paragraphs backward - | ]] | to the next section (default EOF) - | [[ | to the previous section (default begin of file) - | ` | to the mark - | ' | to the first CHAR of the line with the mark - | `` | to the cursor position before the latest absolute | jump (of which are examples "/" and "G") - | '' | to the first CHAR of the line on which the cursor | was placed before the latest absolute jump - | / | to the next occurrence of - | ? | to the previous occurrence of - | n | repeat latest "/"|"?" (next) - | N | idem in opposite direction - | % | find the next bracket and go to its match | (also { } and [ ]) ///////////////////////// / searching (see above) / ///////////////////////// ^] | search in the tags file where the function under the | cursor is defined (file, line) and go to it :[x,y]g// | search globally [from line x to y] after | and execute the "ex" on each occurrence /////////////////// / undoing changes / /////////////////// u | undo the latest change U | undo all changes on a line, while not having moved | off it (unfortunately) :q! | quit vi without writing /////////////////////////////////// / appending text (end with ) / /////////////////////////////////// * | a | <*> times after the cursor * | A | <*> times at the end of line * | i | <*> times before the cursor (insert) * | I | <*> times before the begin of the line - | o | on a new line below the current (open) - | O | on a new line above the current * | > | shift the lines described by <*> one | shiftwidth to the right (layout) * | >> | shift <*> lines one shiftwidth to the right * | . | repeat latest command <*> times * | ["]p | put the contents of the (default undo) buffer <*> | times after the cursor | a buffer containing lines is put only once, below | the current line * | ["]P | put the contents of the (default undo) buffer <*> | times before the cursor | a buffer containing lines is put only once, above | the current line ///////////////// / deleting text / ///////////////// Everything deleted can be stored into a buffer. This is achieved by putting a " and a letter before the delete command. The deleted text will be in the buffer with the used letter. If is used as buffer name, the adjugate buffer will be augmented instead of overwritten with the text. The undo buffer always contains the latest change. Buffers "<1-9> contain the latest 9 text deletions ("1 is most recent). * | x | delete <*> chars under and after the cursor * | X | <*> chars before the cursor * | d | from begin to endpoint of <*> * | dd | <*> lines - | D | the rest of the line * | < | shift the lines described by <*> one | shiftwidth to the left (layout) * | << | shift <*> lines one shiftwidth to the left * | . | repeat latest command <*> times ///////////////////////////////// / changing text (end with / ///////////////////////////////// * | r | replace <*> chars by - no * | R | overwrite the rest of the line, append <*> - 1 times * | s | substitute <*> chars * | S | <*> lines * | c | change from begin to endpoint of <*> * | cc | <*> lines * | C | the rest of the line and <*> - 1 next lines * | = | if the option 'lisp' is set, this command will | realign the lines described by <*> as though | they had been typed with the option 'ai' set too - | ~ | switch lower and upper cases * | J | join <*> lines (default 2) * | . | repeat latest command <*> times ("J" only once) - | & | repeat latest "ex" substitute command, e.g. | ":s/wrong/good" ////////////////////////////// / remembering text (yanking) / ////////////////////////////// With yank commands you can put " before the command, just as with delete commands. Otherwise you only copy to the undo buffer. * | y | yank from begin to endpoint of <*> * | yy | <*> lines * | Y | idem (should be equivalent to "y$" though) - | m | mark the cursor position with a letter //////////////////////////////////////// / commands while in append|change mode / //////////////////////////////////////// ^@ | if typed as the first character of the insertion, it | is replaced with the previous text inserted (max. 128 | chars), after which the insertion is terminated ^V | deprive the next char of its special meaning | (e.g. ) ^D | one shiftwidth to the left 0^D | remove all indentation on the current line | (there must be no other chars on the line) ^^D | idem, except that it is restored on the next line ^T | one shiftwidth to the right ^H | one char back ^W | one word back ^X | back to the begin of the change on the current line | (generally your kill char) | like /////////////////////////// / writing and quitting vi / /////////////////////////// :q | quit vi after writing :q! | quit vi without writing :wq | write the file and quit vi ZZ | write if the buffer has been changed, and quit vi :x | idem :w | write the file :w name | write to the file "name" :w >> name | append the buffer to the file "name" :w! name | overwrite the file "name" :x,y w name | write lines x to y to the file "name" :e file | edit another file without quitting vi - the buffers | are not changed (except the undo buffer), so text can | be copied from one file to another this way :e# | edit the previous file ^^ | idem :rew | edit the first file (when "vi file1 file2 ...") :rew! | idem, without writing the current buffer :n [file] | edit the next file //////////////////// / display commands / //////////////////// ^G | give current line number and relative position ^L | refresh the screen (sometimes "^P" or "^R") ^R | sometimes vi replaces a deleted line by a '@', to be | deleted by "^R" (also with option 'noredraw') [*]^E | scroll <*> lines downward [*]^Y | scroll <*> lines upward [*]^D | scroll <*> lines downward | (default the number of the previous scroll; | initialization: half a page) [*]^U | scroll <*> lines upward | (default the number of the previous scroll; | initialization: half a page) [*]^F | <*> pages forward ^B | 1 page backward ([*]^B unfortunately does not work) If in the next commands the field is present, the windowsize will change to . The window will always be displayed at the bottom of the screen. [*]z[wi] | put line <*> at the top of the window | (default the current line) [*]z[wi]+ | put line <*> at the top of the window | (default the first line of the next page) [*]z[wi]- | put line <*> at the bottom of the window | (default the current line) [*]z[wi]. | put line <*> in the centre of the window | (default the current line) //////////////////////////// / mapping and abbreviation / //////////////////////////// When mapping turn off the option 'timeout' by ":set noto", and with 'map!' turn on 'remap' by ":set remap". :map | is interpreted as , e.g. | ":map ^C :!cc %^V" to compile from within vi | (vi replaces % by the current file name) :map | show all mappings :unmap | deprive of its mapping | when vi complains about non-mapped macros (whereas | no typos are made), first do something like | ":map Z", followed by ":unmap " | ('Z' must not be a macro itself) :map! | mapping in append mode, e.g. | ":map! \be begin^Vend;^VO" | when is preceded by ^V, no mapping is done :map! | show all append mode mappings :unmap! | deprive of its mapping (see ":unmap") :ab | whenever in append mode is followed by a | breakpoint (e.g. or ','), it is interpreted as | , e.g. ":ab p procedure" | a char preceded by ^V is not considered a breakpoint :ab | show all abbreviations :unab | do not consider an abbreviation anymore | (see ":unmap") @ | consider the contents of the named register a command ///////////////////////////// / switch and shell commands / ///////////////////////////// Q, | switch from vi to "ex" : | an "ex" command can be given :vi | switch from "ex" to vi :sh | execute a subshell, back to vi by ^D :! | execute a shell :!! | repeat the last shell command [*]! | the shell executes , with as standard input the | lines described by <*>, next the standard | output replaces those lines | (think of cb, sort, nroff, etc.) [*]!! | give <*> lines as standard input to the shell , | next let the standard output replace those lines :x,y w ! | let lines x to y be standard input for | (notice the space between 'w' and '!') :r! | put the output of onto a new line :r name | read the file "name" into the buffer ////////////// / vi startup / ////////////// vi [file] : edit the file and display the first page The editor can be initialized by the shell variable EXINIT, which looks like: EXINIT='||...' : set options map ... ab ... export EXINIT (in the Bourne shell) However, the list of initializations can also be put into a file. If this file is located in your home directory, and is named ".exrc" AND the variable EXINIT is NOT set, the list will be automatically excuted at startup time. If the 3 conditions are not met, you have to give the execute command yourself: :source file or :so file On-line initializations can be given with "vi + file", e.g.: vi +x file : the cursor will immediately jump to line x vi +/ file : ~ to the first occurrence of Sometimes (e.g. if the system crashed while you were editing) it is possible to recover files lost in the editor by "vi -r file". The most important options are: ai | autoindent - in append mode after a the cursor | will move directly below the first CHAR on the | previous line. | however, if the option 'lisp' is set, the cursor | will align at the first argument to the last open | list. aw | autowrite - write at every shell escape | (useful when compiling from within vi) dir= | directory - the directory for vi to make temporary | files (default /tmp) eb | errorbells - beeps when you goof | (not on every terminal) ic | ignorecase - no distinction between upper and lower | cases when searching lisp | redefine the following commands: | "(", ")" - move backward (forward) over | S-expressions | "{", "}" - idem, but don't stop at atoms | "[[", "]]" - go to previous (next) line beginning | with a '(' | see option 'ai' list | is shown as '$', as '^I' magic | some metachars can be used when searching: | ^ - must begin the line | $ - must end the line | . - matches any char | [a-z] - matches any char in the range | [^] - matches any char not in | * - 0 or more s | \<\> - must be a word nu | number - numbers before the lines para= | paragraphs - every pair of chars in is | considered a paragraph delimiter nroff macro (for "{" | and "}"). | a preceded by a '\' indicates that the previous | char is a single letter macro. | ":set para=P\ bp" introduces '.P' and '.bp' as | paragraph delimiters. | furthermore completely empty lines and section | boundaries are paragraph boundaries too. redraw | the screen remains up to date report=<*> | vi reports whenever e.g. a delete | or yank command affects <*> or more lines sect= | sections - gives the section delimiters (for "[[" and | "]]"); see option 'para', however a '{' as first | char on a line also starts a section (C functions!) sh= | shell - which program is to be used for shell escapes sw=<*> | shiftwidth - gives the swiftwidth (default sw=8) sm | showmatch - whenever you append a ')', vi tries to | show its match by putting for a moment the cursor | onto it (also with { }) terse | short error messages ts=<*> | tabstop - the length of a ; | warning: this is only IN the editor, outside of it | s have their normal length (default ts=8) wa | writeany - no checks when writing (dangerous) warn | warn you when you try to quit without writing wi=<*> | window - the number of lines vi is to show default wm=<*> | wrapmargin - when in append mode vi automatically | puts a whenever there is a breakpoint (e.g. | or ',') within columns from the right margin ws | wrapscan - when searching, the end is considered | 'stuck' to the begin of the file :set option | turn option on :set no option | turn option off; no between "no" and the option :set option=value | give an option a value :set | show all non-default options and their values :set option? | show an option's value :set all | show all options and their values ################################################################################