Note: vim is a vi clone. When you launch vi, you are launching vim.

1. Enter vi (from Command Line): 	$ vi filename(s)
	$ view filename(s)	# read only
	$ vi + filename		# open at last line
	$ vi +n filename	# open at line n
	$ vi +/pat filename	# open at 1st line with pat
	$ vi -r filename	# recover crashed edit

2. Leave vi (get $ prompt):	ZZ		(saves)
				:wq  or  :x     (saves)
				:q	      (no save)
				:q!           (no save)

3. Enter Input mode   (from command mode):	
	o	open line below cursor, ready to insert
	O	open line above cursor, ready to insert
	i	insert before cursor
	I	insert before 1st non-blank character on line
	a	append after cursor
	A	append at end of line

4. Enter Command mode (from input mode): 
	The normal and initial state
	ESC key (also cancels a partial command)

5. enter Last line mode (ex editor)	:  [single command]
	(from command mode)		Q  [to ex editor]

6. leave Last line mode (ex editor)	Return () or ESC
	(to command mode)		or	vi [to vi editor]

7. Editing commands: 	(can use number n as prefix)
deleting:	dd		delete 1 line at cursor
		x		delete 1 character
Undoing	   	u		undo last change
Repeating	.		repeat last command
Joining	   	J		join current, next line
Replacing	rchar		replace 1 character 
	        Rtext ESC	overwrite text starting at cursor
Change		cw		change word
Change case  	~		change to opposite case
Transpose	xp		interchange two adjacent letters
		ddp		interchange two adjacent lines
Copy		nyy		yank n line(s) into buffer at cursor, 
				move cursor to destination,  then
		p		put line after cursor
Move		ndd		delete n line(s) into buffer at
 				cursor, move to destination,  then
		p		put line after cursor

8. Cursor Movement:
	Return (), Enter, +	move to beginning of next line
	       -		move to start of previous line
	Space bar, l		move to right 1 character
	Backspace, h		move to left 1 character
	j                       move down one line, same column, if possible
	k                       move up one line, same column, if possible
	0			move to beginning of current line
	$			move to end of current line
	[n]G			Go to line n  or last line [no n]
	/pattern		move forward to pattern 
	?pattern		move backward to pattern 
	<^F> or <^B>	 	scroll Forward/Back
	<^L> or <^R> 		redraw screen
	<^G>			display status data
	<^V>character		insert character literally

9. ex commands
go to line n    :n
go to last line :$
search          :g/searchstring/[p]
substitute	:[addressrange]s/searchstring/newstring/[gc]
import		:[oneaddress]r oldfilename   or   
		:[oneaddress]r !cmd
export		:[addressrange]w[!] [newfilename]    or 
		:[addressrange]w >> file
options		:set all   
		:set option[=value]   
		:set nooption

Questions? Robert Katz: arkay@arkaye.org
Last Update July 6, 2015