List Of vi Commands

Editing Commands
Command Action
 
Insert
i, a   Insert text before, after cursor
I, A   Insert text before beginning, after end of line
o, O   Open new line for text below, above cursor


Change  
r   Replace character
cw   Change word
cc   Change current line
cmotion   Change text between the cursor and the target of motion
C   Change to end of line
R   Type over (overwrite) characters
s   Substitute: delete character and insert new text
S   Substitute: delete current line and insert new text



Delete, move  
x   Delete character under cursor
X   Delete character before cursor
dw   Delete word
dd   Delete current line
dmotion   Delete text between the cursor and the target of motion
D   Delete to end of line
p, P   Put deleted text after, before cursor
"np   Put text from delete buffer number n after cursor (for last nine deletions)


Exit Commands
Command Meaning
ZZ   Write (save) and quit file
:x   Write (save) and quit file
:wq   Write (save) and quit file
:w   Write (save) file
:w!   Write (save) file, overriding protection
:30,60w newfile   Write from line 30 through line 60 as newfile
:30,60w>> file   Write from line 30 through line 60 and append to file
:w %.new   Write current buffer named file as file.new
:q   Quit file
:q!   Quit file, overriding protection
Q   Quit vi and invoke ex
:e file2   Edit file2 without leaving vi
:n   Edit next file
:e!   Return to version of current file at time of last write (save)
:e #   Edit alternate file
:vi   Invoke vi from ex
:   Invoke one ex command from vi editor
%   Current filename (substitutes into ex command line)
#   Alternate filename (substitutes into ex command line)





RETURN   First nonblank character of next line
0, $   First, last position of current line
^   First nonblank character of current line
+, -   First nonblank character of next, previous line
n|   Column n of current line
H   Top line of screen
M   Middle line of screen
L   Last line of screen
nH   n (number) of lines after top line
nL   n (number) of lines before last line
 
Scrolling
CTRL-F, CTRL-B   Scroll forward, backward one screen
CTRL-D, CTRL-U   Scroll down, up one-half screen
CTRL-E, CTRL-Y   Show one more line at bottom, top of window
zRETURN   Reposition line with cursor to top of screen
z.   Reposition line with cursor to middle of screen
z-   Reposition line with cursor to bottom of screen
CTRL-L   Redraw screen (without scrolling)
 
Searches
/pattern   Search forward for pattern
?pattern   Search backward for pattern
n, N   Repeat last search in the same, opposite direction
/, ?   Repeat previous search forward, backward
fx   Search forward for character x in current line
Fx   Search backward for character x in current line
tx   Search forward to character before x in current line
Tx   Search backward to character after x in current line
;   Repeat previous current line search
,   Repeat previous current line search in opposite direction
 
Line Number
CTRL-G Display current line number
nG   Move to line number n
G   Move to last line in file
:n   Move to line n in file
 
Marking position
mx   Mark current position as x
``x   Move cursor to mark x
``   Return to previous mark or context
'x   Move to the beginning of line containing mark x
''   Return to beginning of line containing previous mark