Guide to VI and EX editors
Revised Version

M.L. Luvisetto E. Ugolini

INFN - Sezione di Bologna

Abstract:

The following document is a comprehensive description of vi commands with ex extensions to introduce UNIX visual text editing for generic users and expecially for system administrators who are forced to use vi during system setup and emergency recovery. The commands described in the report have been tested on different UNIX platforms and advise is given about platform dependent behaviour where appropriate.

 

• Foreword
• Introduction to vi
• Basic Concepts and Terminology
• Starting and Ending a Session
• Cursor and Display Control
• Text Scrolling Commands
• Positioning Cursor Line in Display Window
• Searching for Text
• Searching one character in line
• Word Commands
• Sentence - Paragraph - Section
• Recovering Mistakes or Deleted Text
• Adding and Moving Text
  • Command Mnemonics
• Insert ASCII Control Characters in Text
• Deleting Characters, Lines and Words
• Deleting Sentence, Paragraph and Section
• Deleting to a Text Location in Line or File
• Replace and Change Text
• Repeating a Text Change Operation
• Shifting Lines Horizontally Left or Right
• Automatic Indenting
• Using Buffers
• Execute a Buffer
• Using Markers
• Global/Limited Search/Replace
• Editing Multiple Files
• Merging files
• Write Command
• Escaping to UNIX Shell
• Tag Files for Multiple Programs
  • Example of Fortran tag File
  • Example of C tag File
• Most Frequently Used Commands
• Editing with ex
  • Abbreviations as Typing Aids - ex
  • Append or Change Line of Text - ex
  • Insert text - ex
  • Join Lines on Single Line - ex
  • Yank Text for Copy Operation - ex
  • Map a Macro to a Key - ex
  • Move or Copy Lines to a New Location - ex
  • Delete Lines - ex
  • Edit Different File - ex
  • Print Lines Numbers - ex
  • Restore Yanked/Deleted Line Back in File - ex
  • Set/List Editor Option - ex
  • Input ex Command from File - ex
  • Undo Changes - ex
  • Editor Version Number - ex
• Configuring vi/ex Editor
  • Option Descriptions
• Regular Expressions
  • BOL and EOL in Regular Expression
  • Arbitrary Characters
  • Metacharacters Summary
• Shell Commands Used in Editing
• Advanced Editing and eve Comparison
  • Basic vi Commands
  • Advanced vi Applications
    • Changing Case
    • Moving and Duplicating Text
    • Box Editing
    • Learning Sequences
    • Formatting text
• APPENDIX: Quick reference.
• APPENDIX: Abbreviations used in the report
• Bibliography
• Contents
• About this document ...