Mastering Vi and Vim: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Intermediate Users

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Table of contents

Vi and Vim are powerful text editors available on most Unix-like systems. This guide covers essential commands and techniques for effective use, focusing on keyboard navigation, text manipulation, and interactive modes.

Vi vs. Vim

Vi is the original text editor that is standard on Unix systems, while Vim (Vi IMproved) is an extended version of Vi that includes additional features like syntax highlighting, multi-level undo, and a more robust set of commands. Vim also supports plugins and provides better support for modern programming languages, making it a more powerful tool for developers and advanced users.

Getting Started

To open a file in Vim, use the following command in your terminal:

vim filename.txt

If the file does not exist, Vim will create it.

Modes in Vim

Vim has several modes, but the two most important are:

Normal mode: For navigating and manipulating text.
Insert mode: For entering text.

To switch to Insert mode, press i. To return to Normal mode, press Esc.

Moving the Cursor

Navigating text efficiently is crucial in Vi and Vim. Most cursor movements can be performed in Normal mode, which is the default mode when you open a file. Here are some essential commands for moving the cursor:

h: Move left by one character.
j: Move down to the next line.
k: Move up to the previous line.
l: Move right by one character.
0: Jump to the beginning of the current line.
\$: Jump to the end of the current line.
gg: Jump to the top of the file.
G: Jump to the bottom of the file.
w: Move forward to the beginning of the next word.
b: Move backward to the beginning of the previous word.
e: Move to the end of the current word.

These commands allow for quick navigation without needing to use the mouse or arrow keys. To perform these movements, you should always be in Normal mode (not Insert mode). You can switch to Normal mode by pressing Esc.

Scrolling

Ctrl + u: Scroll up half a page
Ctrl + d: Scroll down half a page
Ctrl + b: Scroll up a full page
Ctrl + f: Scroll down a full page

Deleting Text

Deleting Lines

dd: Delete the current line
Ndd: Delete N lines (e.g., 3dd deletes three lines)

Deleting Characters

x: Delete the character under the cursor
dw: Delete from the cursor to the end of the word
d\$: Delete from the cursor to the end of the line

Searching and Replacing Text

Searching

/search_term: Search forward for search_term
?search_term: Search backward for search_term
n: Repeat the last search in the same direction
N: Repeat the last search in the opposite direction

Simple Replacement

To replace a single instance of a word:

r<char>: Replace the character under the cursor with <char> (e.g., rX replaces the character with X).

To replace all instances of a word in the current line:

:s/old/new/: Replace the first occurrence of old with new in the current line.
:s/old/new/g: Replace all occurrences of old with new in the current line.

To replace in the entire file:

:%s/old/new/g: Replace all occurrences of old with new in the entire file.

Copying and Pasting Text

Copying Text

yy: Copy (yank) the current line
Nyy: Copy N lines (e.g., 3yy copies three lines)

Pasting Text

p: Paste after the cursor
P: Paste before the cursor

Interactive Mode

Vim can be operated interactively for commands. You can enter commands directly in Normal mode:

:: Enter command-line mode.
- Example commands:
  - :w: Save the file.
  - :q: Quit Vim.
  - :wq: Save and quit.
  - :q!: Quit without saving.

Additional Tips

Undo and Redo

u: Undo the last action
Ctrl + r: Redo the last undone action

:e filename: Open another file
:split filename: Split the window and open another file

Exiting Vim

To save changes and exit, use :wq.
To exit without saving changes, use :q!.

Created on: Oct 30, 2024

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# Mastering Vi and Vim: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and Intermediate Users