The vi editor is a UNIX text editing
application which is started from the command line. Whenever you start
vi, you are opening a file. You can specify the file you want to create
or edit when you start vi or you can open a new file to be named
later. The most basic steps in using vi are:
- open a new file,
- input some text,
- save it to disk, and
- exit vi.
| Command Format:
|
| vi [option(s)]
[filename] |
Methods of Invoking vi
- vi filename - This specifies
the file name at the time vi is started. If the file exists, it is
opened for editing. If the file does not exist, it is created. When
you issue the write command in last-line mode, this file is
updated.
- vedit -
Starts the vi editor with showmode turned on. Showmode
displays the entry or input mode you are currently in (Insert,
Append or Open) at the lower right corner of the screen. If you
are in command mode, nothing is displayed. If you are in last-line
mode, your cursor will usually be in the lower left corner with a
colon displayed. You may also enable showmode after you
have started vi by entering
set showmode
at the colon in last-line mode. Use vedit when possible so
you will know what mode you are in.
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