Basic_Vi_command.md

Here’s a list of basic vi (or vim) commands to help you navigate and edit files in the vi text editor, a powerful but sometimes intimidating tool for beginners:

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Starting and Exiting

• Open a file:

  vi filename

• Save and exit:

  :wq  # Write (save) and quit

• Quit without saving:

  :q!  # Force quit (discard changes)

• Save without exiting:

  :w   # Write (save) changes

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Modes in vi

1. Command Mode (default mode when you open vi):

   • Navigate, delete, copy, paste, search, etc.
   • Press Esc to return to Command Mode from other modes.

2. Insert Mode (to edit text):

   • Press i to start inserting text at the cursor.
   • Other insert commands:
     • a – Insert after the cursor.
     • o – Insert a new line below the current line.
     • O – Insert a new line above the current line.

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Navigation (Command Mode)

• Move cursor:

  h (left), j (down), k (up), l (right)  
  # Or use arrow keys

• Jump to line:

  :10  # Jump to line 10

• Move to start/end of line:

  0    # Start of line
  $    # End of line

• Move by words:

  w    # Next word
  b    # Previous word

• Scroll:

  Ctrl + f  # Page down
  Ctrl + b  # Page up

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Editing (Command Mode)

• Delete:

  x     # Delete character under cursor
  dd    # Delete entire line
  dw    # Delete word

• Undo/Redo:

  u     # Undo last change
  Ctrl + r  # Redo

• Copy/Paste:

  yy    # Copy (yank) a line
  p     # Paste after the cursor
  P     # Paste before the cursor

• Replace text:

  r     # Replace character under cursor
  R     # Enter replace mode (overwrite text)

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Search and Replace

• Search forward:

  /pattern  # Search for "pattern" (press `n` for next match)

• Search backward:

  ?pattern  # Search backward

• Replace in entire file:

  :%s/old/new/g  # Replace all "old" with "new" globally

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Visual Mode

• Enter Visual Mode (to select text):

  v     # Character-wise selection
  V     # Line-wise selection

• After selecting, use y to yank (copy) or d to delete.

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Helpful Tips

• Show line numbers:

  :set number  # Hide with `:set nonumber`

• Split screen:

  :split  # Horizontal split
  :vsplit # Vertical split

• Reload a file (discard changes):

  :e!  # Re-open the file

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Practice Tip: Open a test file (e.g., vi test.txt) and experiment with these commands. Remember, vi mastery takes time—start with basic navigation and editing!