Ex Quick Reference

Entering ex

% ex name	edit name, start at end
% ex +n name	... at line n
% ex -t tag	start at tag
% ex -r	list saved files
% ex -r name	recover file name
% ex name ...	edit first; rest via :n

Ex states

Command	Normal and initial state. Input prompted for by :. Your kill character cancels partial command.
Insert	Entered by a i and c. Arbitrary text then terminates with line having only . character on it or abnormally with interrupt.
Open/visual	Entered by o or v, terminates with q or two successive interrupts.

Ex commands

append	a	next	n	substitute	s
args	ar	number	nu	undo	u
change	c	open	o	version	ve
copy	co	preserve	pre	visual	vi
delete	d	print	p	write	w
edit	e	put	pu	yank	ya
file	f	quit	q	window	z
global	g	read	re	escape	!
insert	i	recover	rec	lshift	<
join	j	rewind	rew	print next	CR
list	l	set	se	resubst	&
mark	ma	shell	sh	rshift	>
move	m	source	so	scroll	^D

Ex command addresses

n	line n	/pat	next with pat
.	current	?pat	previous with pat
$	last	x-n	n before x
+	next	x,y	x through y
-	previous	´x	marked with x
+n	n forward	´´	previous context

Specifying terminal type

% setenv TERM type	csh and all version 6
$ TERM=type	sh in Version 7

Some terminal types

2621	43	adm31	dw1	i100
2645	733	adm3a	dw2	mime
300s	745	c100	gt40	owl
33	act4	dm1520	gt42	t1061
37	act5	dm2500	h1500	vt52
4014	adm3	dm3025	h1510

Initializing options

.exrc	place set's here in HOME directory
set x	enable option
set nox	disable option
set x=val	give value val
set	show changed options
set x?	show value of option x

Useful options

autoindent	ai	supply indent
beautify	bf	discard nonprinting chars
ignorecase	ic	in scanning
lisp		( ) { } are s-exp's
list		print ^I for tab, $ at end
magic		. [ * special in patterns
number	nu	number lines
paragraphs	para	macro names which start ...
redraw		simulate smart terminal
sections	sect	macro names ...
shiftwidth	sw	for < >, and input ^D ^T
showmatch	sm	to ) and } as typed
slowopen	slow	choke updates during insert
wrapscan	ws	around end of buffer?
wrapmargin	wm	automatic line splitting

Scanning pattern formation

↑	beginning of line
$	end of line
.	any character
\<	beginning of word
\>	end of word
[str]	any char in str
[↑str]	... not in str
[x-y]	... between x and y
*	any number of preceding

Vi Quick Reference

Starting vi

% vi name	edit name at top
% vi +n name	... at line n
% vi + name	... at end
% vi -r	list saved files
% vi -r name	recover file name
% vi name ...	edit first; rest via :n
% vi -t tag	start at tag

The display

Last line	Error messages, echoing input to : / ? and !, feedback about i/o and large changes.
@ lines	On screen only, not in file.
~ lines	Lines past end of file.
^x	Control characters, ^? is delete.
tabs	Expand to spaces, cursor at last.

Vi states

Command	Normal and initial state. Others return here. ESC (escape) cancels partial command.
Insert	Entered by a i A I o O c C s S R. Arbitrary text then terminates with ESC character, or abnormally with interrupt.
Last line	Reading input for : / ? or !; terminate with ESC or CR to execute, interrupt to cancel.

Counts before vi commands

new window size	: / ? [[ ]] ^F ^B ` ´
line/column number	z G |
scroll amount	^D ^U
replicate insert	a i A I
repeat effect	most rest

Simple commands

dw	delete a word
de	... leaving punctuation
dd	delete a line
3dd	... 3 lines
itextESC	insert text abc
cwnewESC	change word to new
easESC	pluralize word
xp	transpose characters

Interrupting, cancelling

ESC	end insert or incomplete cmd
^?	(delete or rubout) interrupts
^L	reprint screen if ^? scrambles it

File manipulation

:w	write back changes
:wq	write and quit
:q	quit
:q!	quit, discard changes
:e name	edit file name
:e!	reedit, discard changes
:e + name	edit, starting at end
:e +n	edit starting at line n
:e #	edit alternate file
^↑	synonym for :e #
:w name	write file name
:w! name	overwrite file name
:sh	run shell, then return
:!cmd	run cmd, then return
:n	edit next file in arglist
:n args	specify new arglist
:f	show current file and line
^G	synonym for :f
:ta tag	to tag file entry tag
^]	:ta, following word is tag

Positioning within file

^F	forward screenful
^B	backward screenful
^D	scroll down half screen
^U	scroll up half screen
G	goto line (end default)
/pat	next line matching pat
?pat	prev line matching pat
n	repeat last / or ?
N	reverse last / or ?
/pat/+n	n'th line after pat
?pat?-n	n'th line before pat
]]	next section/function
[[	previous section/function
%	find matching ( ) { or }

Adjusting the screen

^L	clear and redraw
^R	retype, eliminate @ lines
zCR	redraw, current at window top
z-	... at bottom
z.	... at center
/pat/z-	pat line at bottom
zn.	use n line window

Marking and returning

``	previous context
´´	... at first non-white in line
mx	mark position with letter x
`x	to mark x
´x	... at first non-white in line

Line positioning

H	home window line
L	last window line
M	middle window line
+	next line, at first non-white
-	previous line, at first non-white
CR	return, same as +
^N	next line, same column
^P	previous line, same column
LF	linefeed, same as ^N

Character positioning

↑	first non white
0	beginning of line
$	end of line
space	forward
^H	backwards
h	same as ^H
fx	find x forward
Fx	f backward
tx	upto x forward
Tx	back upto x
;	repeat last f F t or T
,	inverse of ;
|	to specified column
%	find matching ( { ) or }

Words, sentences, paragraphs

w	word forward
b	back word
e	end of word
)	to next sentence
}	to next paragraph
(	back sentence
{	back paragraph
W	blank delimited word
B	back W
E	to end of W

Commands for LISP

)	Forward s-expression
}	... but don't stop at atoms
(	Back s-expression
{	... but don't stop at atoms

Corrections during insert

^H	erase last character
^W	erases last word
erase	your erase, same as ^H
kill	your kill, erase input this line
\	escapes ^H, your erase and kill
ESC	ends insertion, back to command
^?	interrupt, terminates insert
^D	backtab over autoindent
↑^D	kill autoindent, save for next
0^D	... but at margin next also
^Q	quote non-printing character
^T	shiftwidth forward tab

Insert and replace

a	append after cursor
i	insert before
A	append at end of line
I	insert before first non-blank
o	open line below
O	open above
rx	replace single char with x
R	replace characters

Operators (double to affect lines)

d	delete
c	change
<	left shift
>	right shift
!	filter through command
=	indent for LISP
y	yank lines to buffer

Miscellaneous operations

C	change rest of line
D	delete rest of line
s	substitute chars
S	substitute lines
J	join lines
x	delete characters
X	... before cursor
Y	yank lines

Yank and put

p	put back lines
P	put before
"xp	put from buffer x
"xy	yank to buffer x
"xd	delete into buffer x

Undo, redo, retrieve

u	undo last change
U	restore current line
.	repeat last change
"dp	retrieve d'th last delete