Vim Text Editor
Basics:
Vi is the
default and most commonly used text editor in Linux/Unix operating systems. Vim
is an enhanced version of vi which is original Linux/Unix text editor.
Most of
the Linux administrator prefer vim, for its bundled of features and ease of
use. It can be used to edit all kind of text files e.g. plane text files, Linux
configuration files.
Vi is the
default text editor in Linux, to get the more advanced editor vim you need to
install it using the following command
:
# yum
install vim -y
Vim Mode:
Before
using you should know that it can operate in two modes one is command mode and
other is insert mode.
Once you
will start vim editor it will always start in command mode. In this mode you
can search, replace, copy, paste and other editing task.
The other
mode is the editor mode where you can actually modify text into the editor.
Start with Vim:
We start
vim with the command vim then specify the desire text file name.
# vim /filename
To open a
file in vim text editor, run the vim command with filename as an argument.
If the
file is already exist on the specified path, it will open the existing file
else the edit will create and open new file with same file name which is
mentioned in above command.
Change Mode:
The editor
will open the file in command mode, where you can perform some editing task and
move the cursor by using arrow keys on your keyboard.
But you
cannot edit the text until you press I button. Pressing I will activate the
insert mode.
i - insert
before the cursor
I -
insert at the beginning of the line
a -
insert (append) after the cursor
A -
insert (append) at the end of the line
o -
append (open) a new line below the current line
O -
append (open) a new line above the current line
ea -
insert (append) at the end of the word
Esc -
exit insert mode
Cut, Copy, Paste and
delete:
Open file
in vim editor move cursor on desire line and use options below mentioned.
yy - yank
(copy) a line
2yy -
yank (copy) 2 lines
yw - yank
(copy) word
y$ - yank
(copy) to end of line
p - put
(paste) the clipboard after cursor
P - put
(paste) before cursor
dd -
delete (cut) a line
2dd -
delete (cut) 2 lines
dw -
delete (cut) word
D -
delete (cut) to the end of the line
d$ -
delete (cut) to the end of the line
x - delete
(cut) character
Search and replace:
/pattern
- search for pattern
?pattern
- search backward for pattern
n -
repeat search in same direction
N -
repeat search in opposite direction
:%s/old/new/g
- replace all old with new throughout file
:%s/old/new/gc
- replace all old with new throughout file with confirmations
Exiting:
Once you
are done your editing you have to come back in command mode to be able save
changes, you have to press Esc key to change mode from insert to command mode
and use below options.
:w -
write (save) the file, but don't exit
:wq or :x
or ZZ - write (save) and quit
:q - quit
(fails if there are unsaved changes)
:q! or ZQ
- quit and throw away unsaved changes
:Some
Additional Features:[Command Mode]
:set list
Show invisible characters
:set
nolist
Don’t show invisible
characters
:set number
Show line numbers
:set nonumber
Don’t show line
numbers
:set autoindent
Indent after
carriage return
:set
noautoindent
Turn
off autoindent
:set all
Show values of all possible
parameters
