> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://borosan.gitbook.io/lpic1-exam-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://borosan.gitbook.io/lpic1-exam-guide/1038-perform-basic-file-editing-operations-using-vi.md). # 103.8. Perform basic file editing operations using vi **Weight:** 3 **Description:** Candidates should be able to edit text files using vi. This objective includes vi navigation, basic vi modes, inserting, editing, deleting, copying and finding text. **Key Knowledge Areas:** * Navigate a document using vi * Use basic vi modes * Insert, edit, delete, copy and find text **Terms and Utilities:** * vi * /, ? * h,j,k,l * i, o, a * c, d, p, y, dd, yy * ZZ, :w!, :q!, :e! The need to learn how to use text editors in Linux is indisputable. Every system administrator and engineer deal with configuration (plain text) files on a daily basis, and most times this is done purely using one or more tools from a command-line interface (such as **nano**, **vi**, or **emacs**). ### vi The vi editor (visual editor) is almost certainly on every Linux and UNIX system. In fact, if a system has just one editor, it’s probably vi, so it’s worth knowing your way around in vi. Using vi editor, we can edit an existing file or create a new file from scratch. we can also use this editor to just read a text file. > vi editor is great even trough ssh sessions! #### vi or vim ? Most Linux distributions now ship with the vim (for **V**i **IM**proved) editor rather than classic vi. Vim is upward compatible with vi and has a graphical mode available (gvim) as well as the standard vi text mode interface. The `vi` command is usually an alias or symbolic link to the vim program. There are several versions of vim: tiny, small, normal, big, and huge. We can find out what version of vim we are running and what features are included by using the command(ubuntu 16.04 here ): ``` root@ubuntu16-1:~# vi --version VIM - Vi IMproved 7.4 (2013 Aug 10, compiled Nov 24 2016 16:44:48) Included patches: 1-1689 Extra patches: 8.0.0056 Modified by pkg-vim-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org Compiled by pkg-vim-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org Huge version without GUI. Features included (+) or not (-): +acl +farsi +mouse_netterm +tag_binary +arabic +file_in_path +mouse_sgr +tag_old_static +autocmd +find_in_path -mouse_sysmouse -tag_any_white -balloon_eval +float +mouse_urxvt -tcl -browse +folding +mouse_xterm +terminfo ++builtin_terms -footer +multi_byte +termresponse +byte_offset +fork() +multi_lang +textobjects +channel +gettext -mzscheme +timers ... ``` Inorder to read, create or modify a file with vi, give the file name to it: ``` vi filename ``` {% hint style="info" %} **if you just type vi(m) and hit enter, the vi(m) version will be displayed:** ``` VIM - Vi IMproved ~ ~ version 7.4.1689 ~ by Bram Moolenaar et al. ~ Modified by pkg-vim-maintainers@lists.alioth.debian.org ~ Vim is open source and freely distributable ~ ~ Help poor children in Uganda! ~ type :help iccf for information ~ ~ type :q to exit ~ type :help or for on-line help ~ type :help version7 for version info ``` {% endhint %} Okey lets start learning vi(m): ### vi modes Vim actually has three modes: **insert mode**, **command mode**, and **escape** **(last-line) mode**. Let’s start with the default mode you’ll see when you start up Vim–command mode. * **command mode** : When you run vim filename to edit a file, Vim starts out in command mode. This means that all the alphanumeric keys are bound to commands, rather than inserting those characters.(save, quit, search/replace, navigate around, execute macros,...) * **insert mode** : *To enter the insert mode, type i (for “insert”)* and now the keys will behave as you’d expect. You can type normally until you want to make a correction, save the file, or perform another operation that’s reserved for command mode or escape (last-line) mode. *To get out of insert mode, hit the Escape key.* * **escape (last-line) mode** : Once you press Escape, you’re in command mode again. What if you’d like to save your file or search through your document? No problem, *press : and Vim will switch to escape (last-line) mode*. Vim is now waiting for you to enter a command like :w to write the file or :q to exit the editor. ![](/files/-LsvFsL2vsccLOMbdqJd) If that all sounds complicated, it’s really not. It does take a few days to start training your brain to move between the modes and memorizing the most important keys for movement, commands, and so on. #### Moving the cursor The first thing you’ll want to learn is how to move around a file. When you’re in command mode, you’ll want to remember the following keys and what they do: | Key | function | | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | h | Move left one character on the current line | | j | Move down to the next line | | k | Move up to the previous line | | l | Move right one character on the current line | | w | Move to the next word on the current line | | e | Move to the next end of word on the current line | | b | Move to the previous beginning of the word on the current line | | Crtl-f | Scroll forward one page | | Ctrl-b | Scroll backward one page | > If you type a number before any of these commands, then the command will be executed that many times. This number is called a *repetition count* or simply *count*. For example, 5h will move left five characters. You can use repetition counts with many vi commands. #### Jumping | key | function | | --- | ------------------------ | | H | move to top of screen | | M | move to middle of screen | | L | move to bottom of screen | | key | function | | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | | W | jump forwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation) | | E | jump forwards to the end of a word (words can contain punctuation) | | B | jump backwards to the start of a word (words can contain punctuation) | | key | function | | --- | ------------------------------------------------- | | 0 | jump backwards to the start of line | | ^ | jump to the first non-blank character of the line | | $ | jump to the end of the line | | g\_ | jump to the last non-blank character of the line | | gg | go to the first line of the document | | G | go to the last line of the document | ### Editing text Now that you can open a file in vi, move around it and get out, it’s time to learn how to edit the text in the file | key( for inserting) | function | | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | i | insert text before cursor, until hit | | I | insert text at beginning of current line, until hit | | a | append text after cursor, until hit | | A | append text to end of current line, until hit | | o | open and put text in a new line below current line, until hit | | O | open and put text in a new line above current line, until hit | | key(for changing) | function | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | r | replace single character under cursor (no needed) | | R | replace characters, starting with current cursor position, until hit | | cw | change the current word with new text, starting with the character under cursor, until hit | | cNw | change N words beginning with character under cursor, until hit; e.g., c5w changes 5 words | | C | change (replace) the characters in the current line, until hit | | cc | change (replace) the entire current line, stopping when is hit | | Ncc or cNc | change (replace) the next N lines, starting with the current line, stopping when is hit | | key (for deleting) | function | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | x | delete single character under cursor | | Nx | delete N characters, starting with character under cursor | | dw | delete the single word beginning with character under cursor | | dNw | delete N words beginning with character under cursor; e.g., d5w deletes 5 words | | d^ | delete start of line till the cursor | | d$ and D | delete the remainder of the line, starting with current cursor position | | dd | delete entire current line | | Ndd or dNd | delete N lines, beginning with the current line; e.g., 5dd deletes 5 lines | | key(for cutting and pasting) | function | | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | yy | copy (yank, cut) the current line into the buffer | | Nyy or yNy | copy (yank, cut) the next N lines, including the current line, into the buffer | | p | put (paste) the line(s) in the buffer into the text after the current line | | P | put (paste) the line(s) in the buffer into the text before the current line | ### searching | key | function | | -------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | | /string | search forward for occurrence of string in text | | ? string | search backward for occurrence of string in text | | n | move to next occurrence of search string | | N | move to next occurrence of search string in opposite direction | ### replacing | key | function | | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | | :s/old/new/ | replace first old with new in just that line | | :s/old/new/g | replace all old with new in just that line | | :%s/old/new/g | replace all old with new throughout file | | :%s/old/new/gc | replace all old with new throughout file with confirmations | | :%s/old/new/gic | same as above but case insensitive | | :noh | remove highlighting of search matches | ### Exiting If you’re in insert mode, hit Escape. Then enter : and you’ll see a line at the bottom of the screen with a cursor ready to take input. | key | function | | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | :w | That will write the file to the existing filename,but don't exit. | | :w *file* | If you don’t have a filename or want to write out to a different *file name* | | :q | quit (fails if there are unsaved changes) | | :q! | Quit editing without saving. | | :wq | write (save) and quit (throw and error if file is not writable) | | :wq! | try to write and quit (if it is not writable, quit without saving! ) | | ZZ and :x | Exit and save the file if modified | | q! or ZQ | quit and throw away unsaved changes | Press ESC to return back to the normal command mode! > When you want to write and exit from a file consider you permissions, the bellow command write out the current file using sudo: > > :w !sudo tee % > > * :w – Write a file (actually buffer). > * !sudo – Call shell with sudo command. > * tee – The output of write (vim :w) command redirected using tee. > * % – The % is nothing but current file name. ### reloading | key | function | | --- | ------------------------------------------------- | | :e | (short for `:edit`) reload the file from the disk | | :e! | it will discard local changes and reload. | {% hint style="success" %} ### VIM Tip : running external commands in a shell It usuaslly happens that we need to run a command in shell to see the result of file which we are edditing. It could be happened in two ways: 1.We could suspend your session (ctrl-Z), and then run the command in your shell.That’s a lot of keystrokes, though ! 2.So, instead, you could use vim’s built-in “run a shell command”: > :!cmd Run a shell command, shows you the output and prompts you before returning to your current buffer. > {% endhint %} ### help Need help? you can use `:help` or `:help keyword` and vim will open help for keyword. . . . .