| Now that you have completed this
chapter, you should have a firm understanding of the following:
The vi editor is a simple but powerful
text editor that can be used to create system and script files. It is
an integral part of all UNIX operating systems. There will be times
when a graphical text editor is not available and vi may be your only
available tool to perform administrative tasks and troubleshoot
problems.
The vi editor has three main modes of
operation:
- Command mode,
- Entry mode, and
- Last-line mode.
Command mode is the starting
point for the other modes and is used to edit existing text. All
commands are entered from command mode. Pressing Escape will always
return you to command mode. Entry mode is used for
entering new text. Last-line mode is primarily used to save
files and exit vi. Understanding the purpose of these modes and
knowing how to switch between them is key to working with the vi
editor. There are also numerous positioning, editing and other
commands available.
The CDE Text editor is a graphical
editor that performs a similar function to vi. As with vi, you can
create text files that do not have any formatting in them. These can
be user environment configuration files, script files, program files
or notes. The CDE editor provides mouse support making it easier to
work with existing text. |