Mastering the VI Editor: A Comprehensive Usage Guide for Linux Enthusiasts

VI Editor: Usage Guide

Aim:

Learn how to use the VI editor for various text editing tasks.

VI Editor: Usage Guide

Guidance on How to Use VI Editor:

i. Edit the File:

To open a file in VI for editing, use the following command:

vi filename.txt

Once in VI:

• To enter edit mode, press 'i'.
• To save changes, press 'Esc', then type ':w' and press 'Enter'.
• To exit VI, press 'Esc', then type ':q' and press 'Enter'.
• If changes are made and you want to save and exit, type ':wq' and press 'Enter'.

ii. Search Specific Content:

While in command mode (press 'Esc'), use the following command to search for specific content:

:/search_text

To navigate through search results, press 'n' for the next occurrence.

iii. Replace Specific Content:

To replace specific content, use the following command in command mode:

:%s/old_text/new_text/g

This replaces all occurrences of old_text with new_text in the entire file.

iv. Search Content with Special Characters:

To search for content containing special characters, use the following command:

:/@gmail\|\/hms\/logs\|"4

This searches for lines containing @gmail, /hms/logs, or "4.

v. Delete Multiple Lines:

To delete multiple lines, use the following command in command mode:

:1,5d

This deletes lines 1 to 5. Adjust the line numbers as needed.

vi. Select Multiple Lines in Separate File:

To select and copy multiple lines to a separate file, use the following steps:

• Move the cursor to the starting line.
• Press 'v' to enter visual mode.
• Move the cursor to select lines.
• Press 'y' to copy the selected lines.
• Open a new file using 'vi newfile.txt'.
• Press 'p' to paste the copied lines.
• Save and exit as mentioned in the editing steps.

Verification:

Verify your changes and save the file:

:wq

Written by: A.M.Rinas

Contact: mohomadrinas00@gmail.com