Vi

If started as ´view´ the file is opened read-only, you can however write using :!w if you have write permissions on file-system level.

Always leave the file using :q or :n, vi will warn you if you have made unsaved changes. Don't exit using :!wq by default as I did, sometime you will save something you really don't want.

I found some good advise in this Cheat Sheet. A nice tutorial can be found on http://www.truth.sk/.

Selections

:.

Current line

:3

Line number 3

:3,5

Line 3 up to 5

:%

The whole file

:+4

4 lines below current line

:-5

5 lines above current line

:$

Last line in the file

You can combine these selections with most command-line (:) commands

Commandmode:

:%s/<oldstring>/<newstring>/g

Replace <oldstring> with <newstring> in current document (g makes sure mulitple occurences on one line are replaced).

:%s/,/\r/g

Replace all comma's with a newline

:%s/^M$//

do dos2unix (put in ^M using CTRL-V CTRL-M)

:1,2t3

Copy line 1 and 2 under line 3

:1,3m6

Move line 1 up to 3 to linel 6

:set number

Display line numbers

:set ts=3

Set tabstop to 3

:.=

Current linenumber

:$=

Last linenumber

:n

Goto next file (if editing multiple files)

:se ic

Search Case insensitive

:%v/./d

Delete all empty lines.

Execute d (delete) for all lines not matching . (any character).

Screen edit mode

/<string>

Search forward for <string>

?<string>

Search backward for <string>

n

Find next occurrence of <string>

^L

Refresh screen.

J

Replace newline with space on the current line. Join current and next line with a space in between.

O

Go to input mode above current line.

o

Go to input mode under the current line.

i

Go to input mode (insert) on current position.

a

Go to input mode (add) after current position.

%

Jump to matching {, [ or (

.

Repeat last action