Ex Quick Reference

Entering/leaving EX

% ex name	edit name, start at end
%ex +n name	... starting at line n
% ex -t tag	start at tag
%ex -r	list saved files
%ex -r name	recover file name
%ex name name ...	edit first; rest via :n
%ex -R name	read-onlymode
:x	exit, saving changes
:q!	exit, discaring changes (quit)

Ex states

Command	Normal and inital state. Input prompted for by :. Your kill character cancels partial command.
Insert	Entered by a, i and c. Arbitary text then terminates with line having only . character on it or abnormally with interrupt.
Open/visual	Entered by open or vi, terminates with Q or ^\.

Ex cammands

abbrev	ab
append	a
args	ar
change	c
copy	co
delete	d
edit	e
file	f
global	g
insert	i
join	j
list	l
map
mark	ma
move	m
next	n
number	nu
open	o
preserve	pre
print	p
put	pu
quit	q
read	re
recover	rec
rewind	rew
set	se
source	so
stop	st
substitute	s
unabbrev	una
undo	u
unmap	unm
version	ve
visual	vi
write	w
xit	x
yank	ya
window	z
escape	!
lshift	<
print next	<CR>
resubst	&
rshift	>
scroll	^D

Ex Command Addresses

n	line n
.	current
$	last
+	next
-	n forward
+n	n forward
/pat	next with pat
?pat	last with pat
x-n	n before x
x,y	x through y
'x	marked with x
''	previous context

Specifying Terminal Type

%setenv TERM type	csh and all version 6
$ TERM=type;export TERM	version 7

See also rset(1)

Some Terminal Types

• 2621
• 2645
• 300s
• 33
• 37
• 4014
• 43
• 733
• 745
• act4
• act5
• adm3
• adm31
• adm3a
• c100
• dm1520
• dm2500
• dm3025
• dw1 dw2
• gt40
• gt42
• h1500
• h1510
• h19
• i100
• mime
• owl
• t1061
• vt52

Initialisation Options

EXINIT	place set's here in environment var.
set x	enable option
set nox	disable option
set x=val	give value val
set	show changed options
set x?	show value of option x

Useful Options

   

autoindent	ai	supply indent
autowrite	aw	write before changing files
ignorecase	ic	in scanning
lisp		() {} are s-exp's
list		print ^I for tab, $ at end
magic		.|* special in patterns
number	nu	number lines
paragraphs	para	macro names which start
redraw		simulate smart terminal
scroll		command mode lines
sections	sect	macro names...
shiftwidth	sw	for < >, and input ^D
showmagic	sm	to ) and } as typed
slowopen	slow	choke updates during insert
window		visual mode lines
wrapscan	ws	around end of buffer?
wrapmargin	wm	automatic line splitting

Scanning Pattern Formation

^	beginning of line
$	end of line
.	any character
\<	beginning of word
\>	end of word
[str]	any char in str
[^str]	any char not in str
[x-y]	any char betwene x and y
*	any number of preceding

VI Quick Reference

Entering/Leaving VI

vi name	edit name at top
vi +n name	... at line n
vi + name	... at end
vi -r	list saved files
vi -r name	recover name
vi name name ...	edit first; rest via :n
vi -t tag	start at tag
vi +/pat name	search for pat
view name	read-only
ZZ	exit from vi, saving changes
^Z	stop vi for later resumption (suspend - use fg)

The display

Last line	error messages, echoing input to : / ?
@ lines	On screen only, not in file
~ lines	lines past end of input
^x	control characters, ^? Is delete
tabs	expand to spaces, cursor at last

VI States

Command	Normal and initial state. Others return here. ESC (escape) cancels partial command
Insert	Entered by a I A I o O c C s S R. Arbitary text then terminates with interrupt.
Last line	Reading input for : / ? or !; terminate with ESC of CR to execute, interrupt to cancel.

Counts Before VI Commands

z G I

line/column number
scroll amount	^D ^U
replicate insert	a I A I
repeat effect	most rest

Simple Commands

dw	delete a word
de	... leaving punctuation
dd	delete a line
3dd	del 3 lines
itextESC	insert text text
cwnewESC	change word to new
easESC	pluralise word
xp	transpose characters

Interrupting/Cancelling

ESC	end insert or incomplete command
^?	(delete or rubout) interrupts
^L	reprint screen if ^? scrambles it

File Manipulation

:w	write back changes
:wq	write and quit
:q	quit
:q!	quit discard changes
:e name	edit file name
:e!	reedit, discard changes
:e + name	edit name from end
:e +n	edit from line n
:e #	edit alternate file
^[	synonym for :e #
:w name	write file name
:w! name	overwrite file name
:sh	run shell, then return
:!cmd	run cmd, then return
:n	edit net file in args
:n args	specify new arg list
:f	show current file and line
^G	synonym for :f
:ta tag	to tag file entry tag
^]	:ta, following word is tag

Positioning within a file

^F	forward screenfull
^B	backward screenfull
^D	scroll down half screen
^U	scroll up half screen
G	goto line (end default)
/pat	next line matching pat
?pat	last line matching pat
n	repeat last / or ?
N	reverse last / or ?
/pat+n	nth line after pat
?pat?-n	nth line before pat
]]	next section/function
[[	previous section/function
%	find matching () { or }

Adjusting the Screen

^L	clear and redraw
^R	retype, eliminate @ lines
zCR	redraw, current at top
z-	... at bottom
z.	at center
/pat/z-	pat line at bottom
zn.	use n line window
^E	scroll window down one line
^Y	scroll window up one line

Marking and Returning

``	previous context
''	... at first non-white in line
mx	mark position with letter x
`x	to mark x
'x	... at first non-white line

Line positioning

H	home window line
L	last window line
M	middle window line
+	next line, at first non-white
-	previous line, at first non-white
CR	return, same as +
down arrow or j	next line, same column
up arrow or k	previous line, same column

Character Positioning

up arrow
0
$
l or right arrow	forwards
h or left arrow	backwards
^H	same as back arrow
space	same as right arrow
fx	find x forwards
Fx	... backwards
tx	upto x forward
Tx	... backwards
;	repeat last f F t T
,	inservse of ;
|	to specified column
%	find matching ( { ) or }

Words, sentences, paragraphs

w	word forward
b	... backweard
e	end of word
)	next sentence
}	next paragraph
(	last sentence
{	last paragraph
W	blank delimited word
B	back W
E	end of W

Commands for LISP

)	Forward s-expression
}	... but don't stop at atoms
(	Back s-expression
{	... but don't stop at atoms

Corrections during insert

^H	erase last character
^W	erase last word
erase	same as ^H
kill	erase input this line
\	escapes ^H, your erase, kill
ESC	ends insertion, back to command
^?	interrupt, terminate insert
^D	backtab over autoindent
^V	quote non-printing character

Inser and replace

a	append after cursor
i	insert before
A	apend at end of line
I	insert before first non-blank
o	open line below
O	open above
rx	replace single char with x
R	replace characters

Operators (double to affect lines)

d	delete
c	change
<	left shift
>	right shift
!	filter through command
=	indent for LISP
y	yank lines to buffer

Miscellaneous Operations

C	change rest of line
D	delete rest of line
s	substitute chars
S	substitute lines
J	join lines
x	delete chars
X	... before cursor
Y	yank lines

Yank and put

p	put back lines
P	put before
"xp	put from buffer x
"xy	yank to buffer x
"xd	delete to buffer x

Undo, redo, retrieve

u	undo last change
U	restore current line
.	repeat last change
"dp	retrieve dth last delete