Sometimes you visit a client and you have got only access to the vi editor. While this editor can be frustrating to learn especially for Windows and Mac users I believe that learning or referring to the below commands might become handy to any IT professional.
Starting/Saving | |
vi [+n] <file_name> | Open filename positioning the cursor at line number n |
:wq | Save the file to disk and quit |
:q! | Quit without saving any changes |
Moving Cursor | |
h (or Left arrow key) | Left |
l (or Right arrow key) | Right |
k (or Up arrow key) | Up |
j (or Down arrow key) | Down |
G | End of file |
^ | Beginning of current line |
$ | End of current line |
Searching Text | |
/string | Search down for string |
?string | Search up for string |
n | Repeat last search |
:%s/old-string/new-string/g | Search and replace old-string with new-string |
Copying and Pasting Text | |
[n]yy | Copying n lines into buffer |
p | Paste the buffer after the current line |
Inserting and Deleting Text | |
i | Insert starting left of cursor |
x | Delete single character |
[n]dd | Delete n lines |
u | Undo last change |
Directives | |
:set nu / :set nonu | Turn on line numbering / Turn off line numbering |
:set ic / :set noic | Ignore case when searching / Ignore case off |
