vi changes the content of the text file in response to keys that you press. Table 18-2 shows the most useful commands.
Table 18-2. vi Editing Commands
Operation | Command | What It Does |
|---|
Insert | i | Inserts text before the cursor. (Insert mode) |
| | a | Inserts text after the cursor. (Insert mode) |
| | o | Inserts a line after the current line. (Insert mode) |
| | O | Inserts a line before the current line. (Insert mode) |
| | A | Appends text at the end of the line. (Insert mode) |
| | I | Inserts text at the start of the current line. (Insert mode) |
Delete | x | Deletes the character under the cursor. |
| | dd | Deletes the current line. Saves line in a buffer. |
| | dw | Deletes the next word. |
| | D | Deletes from the cursor to the end of the line. |
Replace | rx | Replaces the current character with x. |
| | s | Replaces one character with text. (Insert mode) |
| | cw | Replaces a word with text you type. (Insert mode) |
| | cc | Replaces a line with text you type. (Insert mode) |
| | C | Replaces text from cursor to end of the line with text you type.(Insert mode) |
Copy | YY | Copies a line into the buffer. |
Put | p | Copies text from buffer into file following the current line. |
Undo | u | Undoes the last change to the file. |
| | U | Undoes all changes on the current line. |
Help | :help | Displays a help file. |
Commands that turn on Insert mode are noted in the table. Press <Esc> when finished inserting text to return to Normal mode.