Using vi to Edit

The vi program is a common UNIX editor. The commands in vi are a bit difficult to get used to at first. When you get used to the commands, it is a powerful tool. Here are some of the basic commands. If you get stuck, try hitting the ESC key until you can type :q! to quit.

Command	Effect
vi filename	open a file in the vi editor
j	Move down a line
k	Move up a line
l	Move right
h	Move left
i	Insert text at the cursor – changes to the edit mode use ESC to exit the edit mode
a	Add text after the cursor
o	Open a blank line below the cursor
ESC	Exit the edit mode
SHFT g	Move to the bottom of the file
-g	Report what line the cursor is line
:1,10d	Delete lines 1-10
x	Delete the character the cursor is on
dd	Delete the line the cursor is on
/test	Search for test
:1	move to line one
:q	Quit vi
:q!	Quit vi without saving changes
:wq	Save file and quit vi
:%s/test/foo/g	Search for test and replace it with foo throughout the file.

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