vi(1)

vi -- screen-oriented (visual) display editor based on ex

Synopsis

vi [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file ...

view [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file ...

vedit [-t tag] [-r file] [-l] [-L] [-wn] [-R] [-x] [-C] [-c command] file ...

Description

vi (visual) is a display-oriented text editor based on an underlying line editor ex. It is possible to use the command mode of ex from within vi and vice-versa. The visual commands are described on this manual page; how to set options (like automatically numbering lines and automatically starting a new output line when you press <Return>) and all ex line editor commands are described on the ex(1) manual page.

When using vi, changes you make to the file are reflected in what you see on your terminal screen. The position of the cursor on the screen indicates the position within the file.

These utilities process and display supplementary code set characters according to the locale specified in the LC_CTYPE environment variable (see LANG on environ(5)), except that the character x given to the r, f, F, m, t, and T commands (see ``Command summary'' below) must be a single-byte character. All processing, including regular expression pattern searching, is performed on characters, not columns or bytes. In command mode, the utilities recognize arguments to indicate the number of characters. Multi-column characters are split over two lines when using the full screen width. The same number of ASCII ``>'' characters are displayed as the split character's display width.

Invocation options

The following invocation options are interpreted by vi (previously documented options are discussed in the ``Notices'' section of this manual page):

-t tag

Edit the file containing the tag and position the editor at its definition.

NOTE: Tags in the tag file must be in increasing order.

-r file

Edit file after an editor or system crash. (Recovers the version of file that was in the buffer when the crash occurred.)

-l

Set up for editing LISP programs.

-L

List the name of all files saved as the result of an editor or system crash.

-wn

Set the default window size to n. This is useful when using the editor over a slow speed line.

-R

``Readonly'' mode; the ``readonly'' flag is set, preventing accidental overwriting of the file.

-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. See crypt(1). Also, see the ``Notices'' section at the end of this manual page.

-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.

-c command

Begin editing by executing the specified editor command (usually a search or positioning command).

The file argument indicates one or more files to be edited.

The view invocation is the same as vi except that the ``readonly'' flag is set.

The vedit invocation is intended for beginners. It is the same as vi except that the ``report'' flag is set to 1, the ``showmode'' and ``novice'' flags are set, and ``magic'' is turned off. These defaults make it easier to learn how to use vi.

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 setting any of the following options: a A i 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 an interrupt.
Last line: Reading input for ``: / ?'' or ``!''; terminate by pressing <Return>; an interrupt cancels termination.

Command summary

In the descriptions, <Return> stands for the return key and <Esc> stands for the escape key.

Sample commands

Left, Right, Up & Down arrow keys: used to move the cursor
h j k l: same as arrow keys
itext<Esc>: insert text
cwnew<Esc>: change word to new
eas<Esc>: pluralize word (end of word; append ``s''; escape from input state)
x: delete a character
dw: delete a word
dd: delete a line
3dd: delete 3 lines
u: undo previous change
ZZ: exit vi, saving changes
:q!<Return>: quit, discarding changes
/text<Return>: search for text
^U ^D: scroll up or down
:cmd<Return>: any ex or ed command

Counts before vi commands

Numbers can be typed as a prefix to some commands. They are interpreted in one of these ways.

z G |: interpret prefixed numbers as line/column numbers
^D ^U: interpret prefixed numbers as the scroll amount
most of the rest: interpret prefixed numbers as repeat effects.

Interrupting, canceling

<Esc>: end insert or incomplete cmd
<Del>: (delete or rubout) interrupts

File manipulation

ZZ: if file modified, write and exit; otherwise, exit
:w<Return>: write back changes
:w!<Return>: forced write, if permission originally not valid
:q<Return>: quit
:q!<Return>: quit, discard changes
:e name<Return>: edit file name
:e!<Return>: reedit, discard changes
:e + name<Return>: edit starting at end
:e +n name<Return>: edit starting at line n
:e #<Return>: edit alternate file
:e! #<Return>: edit alternate file, discard changes
:w name<Return>: write file name
:w! name<Return>: overwrite file name
:sh<Return>: run shell, then return
:!cmd<Return>: run cmd, then return
:n<Return>: edit next file in arglist
:n args<Return>: specify new arglist
^G: show current file and line
:ta tag<Return>: position cursor to tag

In general, any ex or ed command (such as substitute or global) may be typed, preceded by a colon and followed by a <Return>.

Positioning within file

^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 }

Adjusting the screen

^L: clear and redraw window
^R: clear and redraw window if ^L is key
z<Return>: redraw screen with current line at top of window
z-: redraw screen with current line at bottom of window
z.: redraw screen with current line at center of window
/pat/z-<Return>: move pat line to bottom of window
zn.: use n-line window
^E: scroll window down 1 line
^Y: scroll window up 1 line

Marking and returning

``: move cursor to previous context
´´: move cursor to first non-white space in line
mx: mark current position with the single-byte lower-case letter x
`x: move cursor to mark x
´x: move cursor to first non-white space in line marked by x

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
<Return>: return, same as +
Down arrow or j: next line, same column
Up arrow or k: previous line, same column

Character positioning

^: first non white-space character
0: beginning of line
$: end of line
l or: forward
h or: backward
^H: same as <Bksp> (backspace)
space: same as <Space> (space bar)
fx: find next single-byte character x
Fx: find previous single-byte character x
tx: move to character prior to next single-byte character x
Tx: move to character following previous single-byte character 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 ``}''

Words, sentences, paragraphs

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

Corrections during insert

^H: erase last character <Bksp>
^W: erase last word
<erase>: your erase character, same as ^H <Bksp>
<kill>: your kill character, erase this line of input
\: quotes your erase and kill characters
<Esc>: ends insertion, back to command mode
<Del>: interrupt, terminates insert mode
^D: backtab one character; reset left margin of autoindent
^^D: caret (^) followed by <Ctrl>-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

vi uses control notation for ASCII control characters, and uses octal notation for 8-bit bytes that are not printable.

Insert and replace

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 above
rx: replace one character with the single-byte character x
Rtext<Esc>: replace characters
~: change lower case to upper case and vice-versa

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, for example, dd to affect whole lines.

d: delete
c: change
y: yank lines to buffer
<: left shift
>: right shift
!: filter through command

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: delete characters 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 (using the ASCII lower-case letters ``a'' - ``z''), the text in that buffer is put instead.

3yy: yank 3 lines
3yl: yank 3 characters
p: put back text after cursor
P: put back text 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

Files

/var/preserve: default directory where temporary work files are placed; it can be changed using the directory option (see the ex(1) set command)
/usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/: compiled terminal description database
/usr/share/lib/.COREterm/?/: subset of compiled terminal description database
/usr/lib/locale/locale/LC_MESSAGES/uxed.abi: language-specific message file (see LANG on environ(5)).

References

ctags(1), ed(1), edit(1), ex(1)

Notices

Two options, although they continue to be supported, have been replaced in the documentation by options that follow the Command Syntax Standard (see
intro(1)). A -r option that is not followed with an option-argument has been replaced by -L and +command has been replaced by -c command.

The encryption options are provided with the Encryption Utilities package, which is available only in the United States.

Tampering with entries in /usr/share/lib/terminfo/?/ or /usr/share/lib/.COREterm/?/ (for example, changing or removing an entry) can affect programs such as vi that expect the entry to be present and correct. In particular, removing the ``dumb'' terminal may cause unexpected problems.

Software tabs using ``^T'' work only immediately after the autoindent.

Left and right shifts on intelligent terminals do not make use of insert and delete character operations in the terminal.

Author

vi and ex were developed by The University of California, Berkeley California, Computer Science Division, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.