http://invisible-island.net/
Copyright © 1996-2017,2018 by Thomas E. Dickey
Copyright © 1996-2017,2018 by Thomas E. Dickey
Vim text editor. Vim is a programmable text editor for the terminal. Because of its small size, fast startup time and portability, it has become a de facto standard terminal text editor for many Linux distributions as well as macOS. A command line version of Vim for mac OS is builtin into the OS distribution. Vim vim is a vi-compatible text editor.It has many powerful enhancements for moving around, searching, and editing documents. Basic editing is simple to learn, and there’s additional functionality to explore.
Mac Vi Editor Commands
- Quick Links
- Help
- Other Resources
Synopsis
vile retains the 'finger-feel', if you will, of vi, while adding the multiple buffer and multiple window features of emacs and other editors. It is definitely not a vi clone, in that some substantial stuff is missing, and the screen doesn't look quite the same. The things that you tend to type over and over probably work. Things done less frequently, like configuring a startup file, are somewhat (or very, depending on how ambitious you are) different. But what matters most is that one's 'muscle memory' does the right thing to the text in front of you, and that is what vile tries to do for vi users.
Quick Links
- Help (documentation)
- Frames (documentation in frameset)
- No Frames (documentation overview)
- FAQ (frequently asked questions)
- Icons (history and design)
History
This is a never-ending project. I originally began in late 1992, after deciding that I was dissatisfied with the original vi limitation of 2 buffers. Looking around, I found only a few vi clones that addressed this limitation (the other was xvi, which wasn't sufficiently portable).
Paul Fox's vile was just what I wanted to use. However, there were a few minor problems with the display of lines shifted left/right. One thing led to another, and I found myself working on vile. Well, it's still what I want to use. Moreover, it's more portable (and reliable) than ever.
See the changelog for details:
- Changes since release 9.0 html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 8.x html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 7.x html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 6.x html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 5.x html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 4.x html (gzip'd plain text)
- Release 3.x html (gzip'd plain text)
There is a project mailing list. You can subscribe to it here:
To submit bug reports, either subscribe to the list (since non-subscribers aren't allowed to post) or use the bug system at that same URL.
Download
Vi Editor Mac
These are links to the stable release version of vile:
There are also installers for the Windows executables:
Some files are available via http:
Other Resources
Additional files are available via ftp. The archives directory in vile's directory contains binaries for VMS and OS/2 EMX in addition to the more commonly requested ones:
Ftp sites:
- ftp://ftp.invisible-island.net/vile/
- https://invisible-mirror.net/archives/vile (mirror)
Packages
Packages for vile may combine
vile
and xvile
or they may be separate. The two programs share files (such as the initialization scripts), which may be provided in a separate package. The syntax filters likewise may be in a separate package, either as executable programs, or as dynamically loaded shared objects.- OSWatershed.org: vile xvile vile-common vile-filters (archived 2014)
- RPM finder: vilexvile vile-common
- Debian: vilexvilevile-commonvile-filters
- FreeBSD Ports: vilexvile
- Gentoo: vile xvile
- NetBSD Packages Collection: vile xvile
- SlackBuilds.org: vilexvile
- UNIX Packages (subscription service related to Sunfreeware, look around page 14 in the package matrix)
Related webpages:
*Copyright 1991 by Simon Fraser University. Reprinted with permission.
The vi editor is available on almost all Unix systems. vi can be used from any type of terminal because it does not depend on arrow keys and function keys--it uses the standard alphabetic keys for commands.
vi (pronounced 'vee-eye') is short for 'vi'sual editor. It displays a window into the file being edited that shows 24 lines of text. vi is a text editor, not a 'what you see is what you get' word processor. vi lets you add, change, and delete text, but does not provide such formatting capabilities as centering lines or indenting paragraphs.
This help note explains the basics of vi:
- opening and closing a file
- moving around in a file
- elementary editing
vi has many other commands and options not described here. The following resources can help you get started using the vi editor, and are available at the UW University Book Store:
- 'vi Tutorial.' Specialized Systems Consultants (SSC).
- 'vi Reference.' Specialized Systems Consultants (SSC).
- 'Learning the vi Editor.' Linda Lamb, 1990.
Starting vi
You may use vi to open an already existing file by typing
where 'filename' is the name of the existing file. If the file is not in your current directory, you must use the full pathname.
Or you may create a new file by typing
where 'newname' is the name you wish to give the new file.
To open a new file called 'testvi,' enter
On-screen, you will see blank lines, each with a tilde (~) at the left, and a line at the bottom giving the name and status of the new file:
~
vi Modes
vi has two modes:
- command mode
- insert mode
In command mode, the letters of the keyboard perform editing functions (like moving the cursor, deleting text, etc.). To enter command mode, press the escape <Esc> key.
In insert mode, the letters you type form words and sentences. Unlike many word processors, vi starts up in command mode.
Entering Text
In order to begin entering text in this empty file, you must change from command mode to insert mode. To do this, type
Nothing appears to change, but you are now in insert mode and can begin typing text. In general, vi's commands do not display on the screen and do not require the Return key to be pressed.
Type a few short lines and press <Return> at the end of each line. If you type a long line, you will notice the vi does not word wrap, it merely breaks the line unceremoniously at the edge of the screen.
If you make a mistake, pressing <Backspace> or <Delete> may remove the error, depending on your terminal type.
Moving the Cursor
To move the cursor to another position, you must be in command mode. If you have just finished typing text, you are still in insert mode. Go back to command mode by pressing <Esc>. If you are not sure which mode you are in, press <Esc> once or twice until you hear a beep. When you hear the beep, you are in command mode.
The cursor is controlled with four keys: h, j, k, l.
When you have gone as far as possible in one direction, the cursor stops moving and you hear a beep. For example, you cannot use l to move right and wrap around to the next line, you must use j to move down a line. See the section entitled 'Moving Around in a File' for ways to move more quickly through a file.
Basic Editing
Editing commands require that you be command mode. Many of the editing commands have a different function depending on whether they are typed as upper- or lowercase. Often, editing commands can be preceded by a number to indicate a repetition of the command.
Deleting Characters
To delete a character from a file, move the cursor until it is on the incorrect letter, then type
The character under the cursor disappears. To remove four characters (the one under the cursor and the next three) type
To delete the character before the cursor, type
Deleting Words
To delete a word, move the cursor to the first letter of the word, and type
This command deletes the word and the space following it.
Vi Editor Mcq Questions
To delete three words type
Deleting Lines
To delete a whole line, type
The cursor does not have to be at the beginning of the line. Typing dd deletes the entire line containing the cursor and places the cursor at the start of the next line. To delete two lines, type
To delete from the cursor position to the end of the line, type
Replacing Characters
To replace one character with another:
- Move the cursor to the character to be replaced.
- Type r
- Type the replacement character.
The new character will appear, and you will still be in command mode.
Replacing Words
To replace one word with another, move to the start of the incorrect word and type
The last letter of the word to be replaced will turn into a $. You are now in insert mode and may type the replacement. The new text does not need to be the same length as the original. Press <Esc> to get back to command mode. To replace three words, type
Replacing Lines
To change text from the cursor position to the end of the line:
- Type C (uppercase).
- Type the replacement text.
- Press <Esc>.
Inserting Text
To insert text in a line:
- Position the cursor where the new text should go.
- Type i
- Enter the new text.
The text is inserted BEFORE the cursor.
4. Press <Esc> to get back to command mode.
Appending Text
To add text to the end of a line:
- Position the cursor on the last letter of the line.
- Type a
- Enter the new text.
This adds text AFTER the cursor.
4. Press <Esc> to get back to command mode.
Opening a Blank Line
To insert a blank line below the current line, type
To insert a blank line above the current line, type
Joining Lines
To join two lines together:
- Put the cursor on the first line to be joined.
- Type J
To join three lines together:
- Put the cursor on the first line to be joined.
- Type 3J
Undoing
To undo your most recent edit, type
To undo all the edits on a single line, type
Undoing all edits on a single line only works as long as the cursor stays on that line. Once you move the cursor off a line, you cannot use U to restore the line.
Moving Around in a File
There are shortcuts to move more quickly though a file. All these work in command mode.
Moving by Searching
To move quickly by searching for text, while in command mode:
- Type / (slash).
- Enter the text to search for.
- Press <Return>.
Vi Editor Macro
The cursor moves to the first occurrence of that text.
To repeat the search in a forward direction, type
To repeat the search in a backward direction, type
Closing and Saving a File
With vi, you edit a copy of the file, rather than the original file. Changes are made to the original only when you save your edits.
To save the file and quit vi, type
The vi editor editor is built on an earler Unix text editor called ex. ex commands can be used within vi. ex commands begin with a : (colon) and end with a <Return>. The command is displayed on the status line as you type. Some ex commands are useful when saving and closing files.
To save the edits you have made, but leave vi running and your file open:
- Press <Esc>.
- Type :w
- Press <Return>.
To quit vi, and discard any changes your have made since last saving:
- Press <Esc>.
- Type :q!
- Press <Return>.
Command Summary
STARTING vi
ENTERING TEXT
MOVING THE CURSOR
BASIC EDITING
MOVING AROUND IN A FILE
CLOSING AND SAVING A FILE