1. IT244 - Introduction to Linux / Unix Instructor: Bo Sheng
The vim Editor (ch 6)
IT244 - Introduction to Linux / Unix
Instructor: Bo Sheng

2. What’s vim vi iMproved Text editor Scripts Codes (C, Java, HTML)
Configure files and short notes
No format

3. Get Started
Starting vim
vim practice
Emergency exit
ESC, then “:q!”

4. Command and Input Modes

5. Command and Input Modes
Command mode example
:set number
Enter input mode
i / a : insert / append
Back to command mode (ESC)
Save the file and quit ZZ

6. Moving the Cursor In command mode In input mode Space, enter
Arrow keys
h, j, k, l
In input mode

7. Edit Text Delete text In command mode In input mode
x: delete a character
dw: delete a word
dd: delete a line
In input mode
backspace

8. Edit Text Add text Undo and redo In command mode
i: insert (at the current cursor)
a: append (precede the current cursor)
o/O: open a new line (below/above)
Undo and redo u
:redo

9. Edit Text Work buffer Readonly mode Write to disk Quit (:q)
Your editing is not automatically saved
Readonly mode
view filename
vim -R filename
Write to disk
:w [filename]
Quit (:q)

10. More about Moving the Cursor
Space, Enter, {h,j,k,l}
Search for a character in a line
f/F
fc, fa, Fc
Repeat the last search: ;
Moving by words
w/W, b/B

11. More about Moving the Cursor
Moving by words

12. More about Moving the Cursor
Moving by lines
j/k, up arrow/down arrow
Enter/-

13. More about Moving the Cursor
Moving by sentences/paragraphs
) , ( , } , {
Moving within the screen
H/M/L: top/middle/bottom line

14. More about Moving the Cursor

15. More about Moving the Cursor
Page down/up
CTRL+D / CTRL+U (half screen)
CTRL+F / CTRL+B (full screen)
Line numbers
:set number #G

16. Input Mode
Insert text
i/I , a/A, o/O

17. Delete Text Table 6-1 (Pg 181) dw, d3w d0, d$ d), d(, d4), d{, d}
dd, 5dd, dL
d (enter), D

18. Change Text Table 6-2 (Pg 182) Change case cw, c3w c0, c$
c), c(, c4), c{, c}
cc, 5cc, cL
Change case
~, 5~

19. Search and Replace Search for a character Search for a string
f/F, t/T, ;
2ft
d2ft
Search for a string
/, ?
Search ‘/’ and ‘?’
No string argument, n/N

20. Copy and Move Text Yank (y) Put (p/P) y (enter), Y, yy
Copy text into a General-Purpose buffer
Put (p/P)
Copy text from the General-Purpose buffer
Deleted text is also in the General-Purpose buffer

21. Read and Write Files Exit (zz) Read files Write to files
[address]:r [filename]
:r hello
Write to files
[address]:w [filename]
:1,5w!
:w >> filename

22. Execute Shell Commands in vim
Spawn a new shell
:sh
ps -f
Return to vim: CTRL+D, exit
Directly execute
:!command
:!ls
!!cat hello

23. Execute Shell Commands in vim
Directly execute
Use parts of the file as standard input
vim months
:1,5!sort