Vi introduction

[tcs%usna.uucp at BRL-BMD.ARPA]

We have a "Quick Introduction to VI" which we give to the novice users
here.  It includes the most useful (most used?) commands of vi.
It's much less intimidating than the pocket reference that is included
with the standard documentation.  As users gain experience, they migrate
to the full documentation.

	-tcs
	Terry Slattery	  U.S. Naval Academy	301-267-4413
	ARPA: tcs at brl-bmd     UUCP: decvax!brl-bmd!usna!tcs
================ vi.n === (first page of quick intro) =========
	QUICK INTRODUCTION TO THE vi VIDEO EDITOR

ENTERING vi

	vi name		start vi editor with file   name   .
			The file is created if it doesn't exist.

LEAVING vi

	ZZ		exit from vi, saving changes.
	:q!		exit from vi, discarding changes.

CURSOR POSITIONING

	h		moves left one character position.
	j		moves down one line.
	k		moves up one line.
	l		moves right one character position.
			 NOTE: On the adm3a video terminal keyboard, these
			  letters have arrows above them which correspond
			  to the direction of the cursor movement.
	0	(zero)	moves to the beginning of a line.
	w		moves right one word.
	b		moves left one word.
	CTRL-u		moves up 1/2 screen full.
	CTRL-d		moves down 1/2 screen full.
	G		moves to the bottom of the file.
	nG		moves to line number   n   .
	CTRL-l		clear screen and re-draw.

TEXT MODIFICATION

	itextESC	inserts   text   to the left of the cursor.
			 Insert doesn't cause the cursor to move;  text
			 appears as it is typed, terminate with ESC.
	atextESC	appends  (inserts)   text   to the right of the
			 cursor, terminate with ESC.
	RtextESC	Replaces (overprints) characters at the cursor
			 position, terminate with ESC.
	dd		deletes the line the cursor is on.
	ndd		deletes   n   lines from the cursor position.
			 NOTE: Deleted lines are replaced with the character
			   @   which is removed when the page is re-drawn.
	D		deletes characters from the cursor position to the
			 end of the line.
	x		deletes the character at the cursor.
	nx		deletes   n   characters to the right of the
			 cursor.
	u		undo the last change.

PATTERN SEARCHING

	/pat/		positions the cursor at the next occurrence
			 of the string   pat   .

NOTES:
	ESC	represents the ESC key.  Press the ESC key when it is
		called for in the above commands.
	CTRL-	represents the CTRL key.  Hold the CTRL key and press the
		following key simultaneously.

================ via.n ==== (second page of vi quick intro) ==========
	SECOND LEVEL vi EDITING COMMANDS

CURSOR POSITIONING

	}		move down one paragraph.
	{		move up one paragraph.
	mx		save the current cursor position and label it
			with the letter x. (x is any letter)
	'x		return to the cursor position labeled x.

TEXT MODIFICATION

	dw		delete the next word.
	.      (period) repeat last change.
	A		append at the end of the current line.
	P		put back deleted line(s).  Text deleted with D
			and dd commands may be pasted back with the P
			command.  Text is pasted in before the cursor
			position.
	:a,bs/old/new/	From line number 'a' to line number 'b', substitute
			the pattern 'old' with the pattern 'new'.  You
			may use any text string which doesn't contain a
			carriage return in place of the 'old' and 'new' 
			strings.  Use CTRL-G to tell what line the cursor is
			on.
PATTERN SEARCHING

	//		search for the next occurrence of a previously
			specified search string.  

MISCELLANEOUS

	:w		write out current changes.  The vi editor works
			on a copy of your file.  The :w command causes
			the editor to write its copy over the original
			which is on the disk.
	:w name		write out changes to the file  name  .  This is
			like the :w command but the changes are written
			into the file you specify.  (good for making
			intermediate copies)
Cut and Paste		Move to the begining of the text to cut.  Use dd
			to delete (cut) several lines.  Use D to cut only
			the end of one line.  Move to the place where you
			wish to paste the text.  Use P to put back the text.
			You may need to clean up the spacing after pasting.