'vi' Commands to Insert and Change Text

Computer History Notes - Herong's Tutorial Notes

∟1976 - vi Text Editor Developed by Bill Joy

∟'vi' Commands to Insert and Change Text

This section provides a list of commands to insert, delete, replace and move text.

Here is a list of 'vi' commands to insert new text into the text file:

   a{text}<Esc>
     Insert text after the cursor

   A{text}<Esc>
     Insert text after the end of the line

   i{text}<Esc>
     Insert text at the cursor

   I{text}<Esc>
     Insert text at the beginning of the line

   o{text}<Esc>
     Insert a new line after the current line

   O{text}<Esc>
     Insert a new line before the current line

Here is a list of 'vi' commands to delete text from the text file:

   [n]x
      Delete the character at cursor position n times

   [n]X
      Delete the character before the cursor position n times

   D
      Delete the rest of the line

   [n]d{motion}
      Delete text from the cursor position to where the motion ends
      For example 'd$' deletes text from the cursor position to the
      end of current line.

   [n]dd
      Delete the current line n times

Here is a list of 'vi' commands to replace text with new text:

   r<char>
      Replace one character

   R{text}<Esc>
      Replace text

   [n]s{text}<Esc>
      Substitute text for at least n characters

   [n]S{text}<Esc>
      Substitute text for at least n lines

Here is a list of 'vi' commands to move text:

   [n]y{motion}
      Yank text from the cursor position to where motion ends
      for n times. The text will save in undo or named buffer.

   [n]yy
      Yank the current line n times

   p
      Put undo or named buffer after the cursor

   P
      Put undo or named buffer before the cursor

   [n]>{motion}
      Shift left from the current line to the line where motion ends

   [n]<{motion}
      Shift right from the current line to the line where motion ends

   [n]>>
      Shift left the current line n times

   [n]<<
      Shift right the current line n times