Linux: vi quick reference

Last Line Mode

Command Mode

Input Mode

Search Functions:

Screen/Line Movement:

Add/Append Text:

/exp                        Go forward to exp

0              Goto line start

a              Append after cursor

?exp                       Go backward to exp

$              Goto line end

A            Append at line end

:5                            Goto line 5

%            Goto matching

I              Insert before cursor

Move and Insert Text:

G             Goto last line

5i             Insert text 5 times

:3,8 d                      Delete line 3-8

:4,9m 12                  Move line 4-9 to 12

Word Movement:

Add New Lines:

:2,5 t 13                  Copy lines 2-5 to 13

W           Go forward one word

o             Open a line below cursor

:5,9w file                Write line 5-9 to file

3W         Go forward three words

O             Open a line above cursor

B             Go back one word

Save Files and Exit:

3B           Go back three words

Change Text:

:w                            Write buffer to disk

cw           Change a word

:w newfile              Write buffer to newfile

Search Functions:

3cw         Change 3 words

:w! file                    Write absolutely

n             Repeat previous search

C             Change a line

:wq                         Write buffer and quit

N             Reverse previous search

r              Replace one character

:q                            Quit editor

R             Replace/Type-over a line

:q!                           Quit, discard buffer

Delete Text:

:e!                           Reedit, discard change

x              Delete one character

Screen Movement:

dw          Delete one word

^d           Scroll down one half screen

Control Edit Session:

dd           Delete one line

^u           Scroll up one half screen

:set nu                    Display line numbers

D/d$       Delete to end of line

^f            Page forward one page

:set nonu               Turn off line numbers

d0           Delete to begin of line

^b           Page backward one page

:set all                    Show all settings

dG           Delete to end of file

H             Home, top of screen

:set list                   display invisible chars

4dd         Delete 4 lines

M            Middle of screen

L             Last line of screen

Global Replacement:

Cancel Edit Functions:

: %s/string_1/string_2/gc

u             Undo last change

:1,$ s/string_1/string_2/g

.               Do last change again

Global Delete

:g/pattern/d

Copy and Insert Text:

Read in A File:

Y             Yank a copy of a line

:r file_name

5Y           Yank a copy of 5 lines

P             Put below cursor

p             Put above cursor

Word Processing Functions:

J              Join next line to current

4J            Join 4 lines to current

xp            Transposes 2 characters