# Vi editor and its shortcuts

Vi editor stands out from other text editors due to its unique approach to text manipulation. It operates in different modes, each serving a specific purpose:

1. **Normal Mode:** This is the default mode where you can navigate, manipulate text, and execute commands. Here, single keystrokes perform actions like moving the cursor or deleting characters.
    
2. **Insert Mode:** In this mode, you can type and edit text just like in any other text editor. To enter Insert Mode from Normal Mode, press "i".
    
3. **Visual Mode:** This mode enables text selection for operations like copying, cutting, and pasting. It comes in handy when you want to manipulate a block of text.
    
4. **Command-Line Mode:** This mode is used to execute commands like saving files, searching, and replacing text. To access it, press ":" in Normal Mode.
    

## **Basic Vi commands**

`:`  -To get into command mode

`Esc` -To get into normal mode

`i` - To get into insert mode

`v or V` - To get into visual mode

`: help`  -  Using the help command you can read the documentation of any command

`:w` - Save the file you are working on

`:wq` - Save the file and close Vim.

`:q!` - Quit without saving the file you were working on.

`: set number` -  To enable line numbers

`: Set number!` -  To disable line numbers

## **Vi commands for navigation**

### **Basic navigation**

To navigate left, right, up, and down in the file

`h` – Move the cursor left by one position

`l` – Move the cursor right by one position

`k` – Move the cursor in an upward direction by one line

`j` – Move the cursor in a downward direction by one line

To jump to a particular line, use numbers along with **k/j**.For example to jump to line number 5 below from the current line, use `5j`

`0` – Jump to the start of the current line

`$` – Jump to the end of the current  line

`Ctrl + f` – Scroll down an entire page

`Ctrl + b` – Scroll up an entire page

NOTE - For this, you have to be in normal mode.

### **Navigate to lines**

`:n` – Jump to the nth line

`:0` – Jump to the start of the file

`:$` – Jump to the end of the file

NOTE - For this, you have to be in command mode.

### **Word navigation**

`w` – Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word

`e` – Move the cursor to the end of the current word

`b` – Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word

## **Vi commands for editing**

Like any other text editor, different editing actions like cut, copy, and paste can be performed in Vi. **In vi, Copy is called yank (y), Paste as put (p), and cut is delete(d).**

### **Copy (yank) related commands**

`y` – Copy(yank) a single character from the cursor position

`yy` –  copy (yank) a line

`2yy` – Copy (yank) 2 lines, You can copy as many lines as you want but add the number of lines you want.

`yw` – Copy (yank) characters of the word from the cursor position to the start of the next word

`y$` – Copy (yank) to the end of the line

### **Paste (put) related commands**

`p` – Paste the character after the cursor position

`P` – Paste the character before the cursor position

### **Delete (cut) related commands**

`x`– Delete the character from the cursor position

`X`– Delete the previous character from the cursor position

`dd` – Delete (cut) a line

`2dd` – delete (cut) 2 lines

`dw` – Delete word from cursor position

`D` – Delete the entire line from the cursor position

### **Undo related commands**

`u`– Undo single-action

`3u`– To perform multiple undo operations. Here **3u** will undo the last 3 actions.

This was a small description of the basic commands of Vi. Vi is more than just a text editor; it's a skill that, once acquired, can revolutionize the text editing experience.

Happy Learning!