Vi Cheat Sheet [Free PDF Download]

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On Unix operating systems, there are numerous ways to edit files. One of the most common methods is to edit files using the screen-oriented text editor vi (visual editor). You can use the vi editor to edit an existing file or to create a new file from scratch. This editor also allows you to read text files. This article, along with a cheat sheet, will provide you with some vi commands to use the vi editor effectively.

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What is Vi in Linux?

Vi is a text editor that lets you create, edit, and manipulate text files. It has a number of editing features, including the ability to navigate through a file, make changes, copy and paste text, search and replace, and more.

The Vi text editor has the following two modes:

  1. Command Mode: When you launch Vi, this is the default mode. When in command mode, you can move around the text file, copy or delete text, look for patterns, and issue a number of commands. In this mode, you are unable to edit the text directly.
  2. Insert Mode: Direct text editing is possible while in insert mode. You can type and insert new text, modify existing text, and edit with all of the standard keyboard keys. To enter insert mode, first exit command mode by pressing the “I” key.

Vi Commands List

In this section, I aim to provide a comprehensive list of essential Vi commands, whether you’re a beginner just getting started with Vi or an experienced user looking to expand your knowledge.

By becoming acquainted with these commands, you will be able to perform a variety of editing tasks, including moving within a file, making changes, searching for patterns, and more. From basic navigation to advanced editing techniques, the Vi commands listed below will provide you with the tools you need to increase your productivity and effectiveness when working with text files.

Launching Vi Editor

Here, you will get to know how to open a file in the vi text editor. The text editor will open in command mode, and to edit, you have to enable insert mode.

Commands Description
vi Opens the editor in default mode
vi Opens the specified file or creates a new file in the vi editor

Switch to Insert Mode

In this section, I have included commands that will help you switch from Command mode to Insert mode and start editing texts.

Commands Description
i Changes to insert mode
I Inserts text at the start of the current line
a Appends after the cursor’s current position
A Appends to the end of the line
o Adds a new line beneath the current one
O Opens a new line above the current line

Jump Lines Commands

Here you will find commands to jump from one line to another.

Commands Description
G This indicates you to the file’s final line
I Takes you to your last position in the file

Delete Commands

In this section, I have listed all the commands which you can use to delete a character, line, or word.

Commands Description
x Removes one character
X Removes the character preceding the cursor
r Replaces character
C Deletes the contents of the line after the cursor and replaces it with new text. To stop insertion, press the ESC key
dd Removes an entire line
Xdd Deletes X number of lines
D Deletes the contents of the line following the cursor
dw Deletes word
Xdw Deletes X number of words
dG Deletes from the current line to the end of the file
d^ Deletes from the current cursor position to the line’s beginning
d$ Deletes from the current cursor position to the end of the line

Undo and Repeat Commands

Here, I have listed all those commands that will help you to Undo or repeat a change in your text file.

Commands Description
u Undo the most recent change
U Reverts all changes made to the entire line
. Repeats the last command

Copy and Paste Commands

Using these listed commands, you can copy and paste any text in your file.

Commands Description
yy Copies (yanks) a line of text
yw Copies the current word from the character with the lowercase w cursor until the word is finished
p Paste a line of yanked text after the current line
P Paste before the current line

Joining Lines Commands

Here you will find commands that you will use to join lines, repeat line, and swap lines.

Commands Description
J Joins two lines
yyp Repeats the current line
ddp Swaps two lines

Navigating Within a File Commands

In this section you will find commands that will help you navigate with in a file without using a mouse.

Commands Description
k Moves up one line
j Moves down one line
h Moves one character to the left
l Moves right one character
G Navigates to the last line of a file
XG Navigates to line X in a file
gg Navigates to the first line of a file

Saving and Closing File Commands

You can follow this list to know how to save and close files using commands in vi editor.

Commands Description
wq or ZZ Saves your work and exits vi editor
w Continues editing after saving
w! Saves (and writes to a non-writable file)
q! Quits vi without saving the changes

Searching String Commands

Suppose you want to search a string. Here are some commands to help you.

Commands Description
/string Forwards lookup for a given string
?string Backwards lookup for a given string
/^string Forwards search string at the start of a line
/string$ Forwards search string at line’s end
n Proceeds to the next occurrence of the searched string
/\ Looks for the word he (rather than there, here, and so on)
/pl[abc]ce Looks up the terms place, plbce, and plcce

Text Buffers Commands

In this section, I have listed some commands that will help you to efficiently work with multiple sections of text, copy and paste content, and organize your editing workflow effectively

Commands Description
“add Deletes the current line and insert text into buffer a
“ap Paste the line from buffer a

Change Commands

To substitute or remove any character or line from a text, you can use the commands listed below.

Commands Description
cc Removes the line’s contents, returning you to insert mode
cw Changes the current word with new text, starting with the character under cursor
R Overwrites characters beginning with the cursor
s Substitutes one character under the cursor and continue to insert
S Substitutes the entire line and begin to insert at the beginning of the line

Set Commands

You can alter the appearance of your Vi screen by using the following list.

Commands Description
set ic Sets case insensitivity while searching
set ai Sets auto indention
set noai Unsets auto indention
set nu Shows lines with line numbers on the left side of the screen
set sw Sets the width of a software tabstop
set ws If wrapscan is enabled and the word is not found at the end of the file, it will look for it at the beginning
set wm If this option is set to a value greater than zero, the editor will “word wrap” automatically
set ro Sets the file type to “read only”
set term Prints the terminal type
set bf Discards control characters from input

Scrolling Commands

You can also scroll your screen using commands or keyboard keys. In this section, I have demonstrated the keys that you can use.

Commands Description
CTRL+D Moves the screen down by half a page
CTRL+F Scrolls the screen down by a full page
CTRL+U Scrolls the screen up by half a page
CTRL+B Scrolls the screen up by a full page
CTRL+E Scrolls the screen up by one line
CTRL+Y Scrolls the screen down by one line
CTRL+I Redraws the screen

Other Vi Shortcuts

Here I have listed more commonly used shortcuts for vi that will enable you to edit files and learn vi in a short amount of time.

Commands Description
b Returns to the word’s beginning
e Goes to the end of the word
Xyy Yanks X number of lines
num Shows the line number of the current line
Esc Switches to Command mode /Terminate insert mode
xp Switches two characters
cw Changes word
~ Changes the case of an individual character

Conclusion

In this article, I presented a comprehensive Vi cheat sheet that can be used as a handy reference guide for both novice and experienced Vi users. You can navigate, edit, and manipulate text files more efficiently and precisely if you are familiar with the commands and shortcuts provided in this cheat sheet. The best way to learn Vi is to create a new file and test it. Please feel free to use the list of common keyboard shortcuts provided in this article and the vi cheat sheet to assist you in learning Vi’s extensive vocabulary.