VI(1) BSD VI(1)
NAME
vi - screen oriented (visual) display editor based on ex
SYNOPSIS
vi [ -t tag ] [ -r file ] [ +command ] [ -l ] [ -wn ] name ...
DESCRIPTION
vi is a display-oriented text editor based on ex(1). Since vi runs the
same code as ex(1), you can get to the command mode of ex(1) from within
vi and vice versa.
When using vi, changes you make to the file are reflected in what appears
on the terminal screen. The position of the cursor on the screen
indicates the position within the file. The UNIX Text Processing manual
provides full details on the use of vi.
OPTIONS
-t tag Edit the file containing the tag and position the editor
at its definition.
-r file Recover file after an editor or system crash. If file is
not specified, a list of all saved files is printed.
Note: /usr/ex?.?preserve -a must be run before vi -r will
list the recoverable files created since the node was last
rebooted. /usr/ex?.?preserve -a is usually run at boot-
time from /etc/rc.
-l Indent appropriately for LISP code, and modify (), {}, [[,
and ]] commands to have meaning for LISP.
-wn Set the default window size to n.
+command Force the editor to begin by executing the specified
command. If you omit command, vi initially positions the
cursor at the last line of the first file.
VI MODES
Command Normal and initial mode. Other modes return to command
mode upon completion. ESC (escape) is used to cancel a
partial command.
Input Entered by the following options a i A I o O c C s S R.
Arbitrary text may then be entered. Input mode is normally
terminated with ESC character, or abnormally with
interrupt.
Last line Reading input for : / ? or !; terminate with a carriage
return to execute, interrupt to cancel.
COMMAND SUMMARY
Sample commands
Arrow keys move the cursor
h j k l Same as arrow keys
itextESC Insert text
cwnewESC Change word to new
easESC Pluralize word
x Delete a character
dw Delete a word
dd Delete a line
3dd ... 3 lines
u Undo previous change
ZZ Exit vi, saving changes
:q!CR Quit, discarding changes
/textCR Search for text
CTRL/U CTRL/D Scroll up or down
:ex cmdCR Any ex or ed command
Counts before vi commands
Numbers may be typed as a prefix to some commands. They are interpreted
in one of these ways:
line/column number z G |
scroll amount CTRL/D CTRL/U
repeat effect Most of the rest
Interrupting, canceling
ESC End insert or incomplete cmd
DEL (Delete or rubout) interrupts
CTRL/L Reprint screen if DEL scrambles it
CTRL/R Reprint screen if CTRL/L is -> key
File manipulation
:wCR Write back changes
: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
CTRL/^ Synonym for :e #
CTRL/~ Synonym for :e # on some terminals
: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
CTRL/G Show current file and line
:ta tagCR To tag file entry tag
CTRL/] :ta, following word is tag
In general, any ex or ed command (such as substitute or global) may be
typed, preceded by a colon and followed by a carriage return.
File Locking
:set al Enable file locking
:set noal Disable file locking
:set ab Enable automatic backup file creation
:set noab Disable automatic backup file creation
:set ro Enable readonly mode
:set noro Disable readonly mode
Positioning within file
CTRL/F Forward screen
CTRL/B Backward screen
CTRL/D Scroll down half screen
CTRL/U Scroll up half screen
G Go to specified line (end default)
/pat Next line matching pat
?pat Prev line matching pat
n Repeat last / or ?
N Reverse last / or ?
/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 }
Adjusting the screen
CTRL/L Clear and redraw
CTRL/R Retype, eliminate @ lines
zCR Redraw, current at window top
z-CR ... at bottom
z.CR ... at center
/pat/z-CR pat line at bottom
zn.CR Use n line window
CTRL/E Scroll window down 1 line
CTRL/Y Scroll window up 1 line
Marking and returning
`` Move cursor to previous context
'' ... at first non-white in line
mx Mark current position with letter x
`x Move cursor to mark x
'x ... at first non-white in line
Line positioning
H Top line on screen
L Last line on screen
M Middle line on screen
+ Next line, at first non-white
- Previous line, at first non-white
CR Return, same as +
down-arrow or j Next line, same column
up-arrow or k Previous line, same column
Character positioning
^ First non white
0 Beginning of line
$ End of line
h or -> Forward
l or <- Backwards
CTRL/H Same as <-
space Same as ->
fx Find x forward
Fx f backward
tx Up to x forward
Tx Back upto x
; Repeat last f F t or T
, Inverse of ;
| To specified column
% Find matching ( { ) or }
Words, sentences, paragraphs
w Word forward
b Back word
e End of word
) To next sentence
} To next paragraph
( Back sentence
{ Back paragraph
W Blank delimited word
B Back W
E To end of W
Corrections during insert
CTRL/H Erase last character
CTRL/W Erase last word
erase Your erase, same as CTRL/H
kill Your kill, erase input this line
\ Quotes CTRL/H, your erase and kill
ESC Ends insertion, back to command
DEL Interrupt, terminates insert
CTRL/D Backtab over autoindent
|CTRL/D Kill autoindent, save for next
0CTRL/D ... but at margin next also
CTRL/V Quote non-printing character
Insert and replace
a Append after cursor
i Insert before cursor
A Append at end of line
I Insert before first non-blank
o Open line below
O Open above
rx Replace single char with x
RtextESC Replace characters
Operators
Operators are followed by a cursor motion, and affect all text that would
have been moved over. For example, since w moves over a word, dw deletes
the word that would be moved over. Double the operator, e.g., dd to
affect whole lines.
d Delete
c Change
y Yank lines to buffer
< Left shift
> Right shift
! Filter through command
= Indent for LISP
Miscellaneous Operations
C Change rest of line (c$)
D Delete rest of line (d$)
s Substitute chars (cl)
S Substitute lines (cc)
J Join lines
x Delete characters (dl)
X ... before cursor (dh)
Y Yank lines (yy)
Yank and Put
Put inserts the text most recently deleted or yanked. However, if a
buffer is named, the text in that buffer is put instead.
p Put back text after cursor
P Put before cursor
"xp Put from buffer x
"xy Yank to buffer x
"xd Delete into buffer x
Undo, Redo, Retrieve
u Undo last change
U Restore current line
. Repeat last change
"dp Retrieve d'th last delete
NOTES
In the Domain/OS BSD implementation of vi, the w (word) and ^] (tag)
commands both recognize a $ as part of a word. The w command also
recognizes a - as part of a word, if LISP mode is on.
BUGS
Software tabs using CTRL/T work only immediately after the autoindent.
Left and right shifts on intelligent terminals don't make use of insert
and delete character operations in the terminal.
The wrapmargin option can be fooled since it looks at output columns when
blanks are typed. If a long word passes through the margin and onto the
next line without a break, then the line won't be broken.
Wrapmargins should be from left, not right, margin.
Insert/delete within a line can be slow if tabs are present on
intelligent terminals, since the terminals need help in doing this
correctly.
Saving text on deletes in the named buffers is somewhat inefficient.
The source command does not work when executed as :source; there is no
way to use the :append, :change, and :insert commands, since it is not
possible to give more than one line of input to a colon (:) escape. To
use these on a :global you must Q to ex command mode, execute them, and
then reenter the screen editor with vi or open.
FILES
/usr/lib/ex?.?strings Error messages
/usr/lib/ex?.?recover Recover command
/usr/lib/ex?.?preserve Preserve command
/etc/termcap Terminal capability descriptions
~/.exrc Editor start-up file
/tmp/Exnnnnn Editor temporary
/tmp/Rxnnnnn Named buffer temporary
/usr/preserve Preservation directory
SEE ALSO
ex(1), edit(1), termcap (5), environ (7),
UNIX Text Processing.