Updated VI Keyboard Shortcuts - Make Your Command Line Super Friendly [PDF Cheatsheet]

In this tutorial, I am going to share some of the most important VI Keyboard Shortcuts, that make your command line tasks super easier. I also included VI Cheatsheet PDF to download.

What is a VI editor?

VI Keyboard Shortcuts: The most practical and commonly used terminal-based editor is VI. As a visual editor, the vi editor has been enhanced and in 2022 Vi Shortcuts and Vi Commands are so much useful to work in VI using the terminal. Every Unix system has it.

In other words, it is accessible in all Linux distributions. It is simple to use and runs on a variety of operating systems and platforms. It is a highly strong program. But now Vim is the enhanced version of the vi editor.

Modes of VI Editor

VI Editor has three modes

Command Mode: When the vi editor starts up in the terminal, it is in Command Mode as default. In command mode Vi interprets any characters we type as commands and thus does not display them in the terminal. This mode allows us to move through a file, and delete, copy, or paste a piece of text. To enter into this Mode from any other mode you have to press the [Esc] key. If you press [Esc] when you are in Command Mode, then vi will beep or flash the screen and change to that required mode using vi keyboard commands and vi shortcuts.
Insert Mode: This mode allows you to input text into the terminal. Everything written in this mode is evaluated as input and thereafter saved to a file. The vi always opens in command mode as default. The Insert mode is required to enter text. Simply type I to enter insert mode. To exit insert mode, use the Esc key, which returns you to command mode.
Last Line Mode: While in Command Mode, type a colon [:] to enter Line Mode. The cursor will go to the final line of the terminal while vi waits for a command. This mode allows you to do things like save files and run commands.

Vi Commands and their Description

Vi Editor and the vi shortcut and vi commands are different from other editors and they used different functions to execute.

The commands used in the vi editor are case-sensitive.

Command	Description
vi filename	Creates a new file if it does not exist, otherwise opens the existing file.
vi -R filename	Opens an existing file in read-only mode. view filename: Opens an existing file in read-only mode.

To switch from command to insert mode

Command	Action
i	Start typing before the current character
I	Start typing at the start of the current line
a	Start typing after the current character
A	Start typing at the end of the current line
o	Start typing on a new line after the current line
O	Start typing on a new line before the current line

To save and quit (VI Keyboard Shortcuts)

Commands	Action
:wq	Save and quit
:w	Save
:q	Quit
:w fname	Save as fname
ZZ	Save and quit
:q!	Quit discarding changes made
:w!	Save (and write to the non-writable file)

To move around a file VI text editor

Commands	Action
j	To move down
k	To move up
h	To move left
l	To move right

To jump lines on VI text editor

Commands	Action
G	Will direct you at the last line of the file
“	Will direct you to your last position in the file

To delete on VI text editor

Commands	Action
x	Delete the current character
X	Delete the character before the cursor
r	Replace the current character
xp	Switch two characters
dd	Delete the current line
D	Delete the current line from the current character to the end of the line
dG	delete from the current line to the end of the file

To repeat and undo (VI Keyboard Shortcuts)

Commands	Action
u	Undo the last command
.	Repeat the last command.

Command to cut, copy and paste

Commands	Action
dd	Delete a line
yy	(yank yank) copy a line
p	Paste after the current line
P	Paste before the current line

Command to cut, copy and paste in blocks

Commands	Action
<n>dd	Delete the specified n number of lines
<n>yy	Copy the specified n number of lines

Start and end of the line VI text editor

Commands	Action
θ	Bring at the start of the current line
^	Bring at the start of the current line
$	Bring at the end of the current line
dθ	Delete till the start of a line
d$	Delete till the end of a line

Joining lines in VI text editor

Commands	Action
J	Join two lines
yyp	Repeat the current line
ddp	Swap two lines

Move forward or backward in VI

Commands	Action
w	Move one word forward
b	Move one word backward
<n>w	Move specified number of words forward
dw	Delete one word
yw	Copy one word
<n>dw	Delete specified number of words

Search a string in VI text editor

Commands	Action
/string	Forward search for given string
?string	Backward search for given string
/^string	Forward search string at beginning of a line
/string$	Forward search string at end of a line
n	Go to the next occurrence of the searched string
/\<he\>	Search for the word he (and not for there, here, etc.)
/pl[abc]ce	Search for place, plbce, and plcce

Replace all in VI text editor

Syntax:

<startLine,endLine**>** s/<oldString>/<newString>/g

Example:

Commands	Action
:1,$ s/readable/changed/	Replace forward with backward from the first line to the last line
:3,6 s/letters/neww/g	Replace forward with backward from the third line to the ninth line

Text buffers in VI text editor

Commands	Action
“add	Delete the current line and put text in the buffer a
“ap	Paste the line from buffer a

Abbreviation

Syntax:

:ab <abbreviation> <abbreviatedWord>