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Learning the vi and Vim Editors, 7th Edition

by Arnold Robbins, Elbert Hannah, Linda Lamb

July 2008

Beginner

492 pages

16h

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Discussion of vi CommandsConventionsKeystrokesProblem Checklist
What’s NewVersionsAcknowledgments from the Sixth EditionAcknowledgments for the Seventh Edition

Opening a FileProblems Opening FilesModus OperandiSaving and Quitting a File
Problems Saving FilesExercises
Single MovementsNumeric ArgumentsMovement Within a LineMovement by Text Blocks
Inserting New TextAppending TextChanging TextWordsLinesCharactersSubstituting textChanging CaseDeleting TextWordsLinesCharactersProblems with deletionsMoving TextTransposing two lettersCopying TextRepeating or Undoing Your Last CommandRepeatUndo
Numeric Arguments for Insert Commands
Problem Checklist
Scrolling the ScreenRepositioning the Screen with zRedrawing the ScreenMovement Within a ScreenMovement by LineMovement on the current line
Repeating SearchesChanging through searchingCurrent Line Searches
The G (Go To) Command
Advancing to a Specific PlaceRead-Only ModeRecovering a Buffer
Recovering DeletionsYanking to Named Buffers
Exercise: The ex EditorProblem Checklist
Line AddressesDefining a Range of LinesLine Addressing SymbolsSearch PatternsRedefining the Current Line PositionGlobal SearchesCombining ex Commands
Renaming the BufferSaving Part of a FileAppending to a Saved File
Invoking vi on Multiple FilesUsing the Argument ListCalling in New FilesSwitching Files from viEdits Between Files
Metacharacters Used in Search PatternsPOSIX Bracket ExpressionsMetacharacters Used in Replacement StringsMore Substitution Tricks
Search for General Class of WordsBlock Move by PatternsMore Examples
Deleting an Unknown Block of TextSwitching Items in a Textual DatabaseUsing :g to Repeat a CommandCollecting Lines
The :set CommandThe .exrc FileAlternate EnvironmentsSome Useful Options
Filtering Text Through a CommandFiltering text with exFiltering text with vi
Word AbbreviationUsing the map CommandProtecting Keys from Interpretation by exA Complex Mapping ExampleMore Examples of Mapping KeysMapping Keys for Insert ModeMapping Function KeysMapping Other Special KeysMapping Multiple Input Keys@-FunctionsExecuting Buffers from ex
Looping in a Shell ScriptHere DocumentsSorting Text Blocks: A Sample ex ScriptComments in ex ScriptsBeyond ex
Indentation ControlA Special Search CommandUsing Tags
Exuberant ctagsThe New tags FormatTag StacksSolaris viExuberant ctags and Vim
Command-Line History and CompletionArbitrary Length Lines and Binary DataInfinite UndoIncremental SearchingLeft-Right ScrollingVisual ModeMode Indicators
Edit-Compile SpeedupSyntax Highlighting
Author and HistoryWhy Vim?Compare and Contrast with viCategories of FeaturesPhilosophy
Command-Line OptionsBehaviors Associated to Command NameSystem and User Configuration FilesEnvironment VariablesHow to set environment variablesEnvironment variables relevant to Vim
Visual Mode Motion
Multiwindow Initiation from the Command Line (Shell)Multiwindow Editing Inside Vim
New WindowsOptions During SplitsConditional Split CommandsWindow Command Summary
Moving Windows (Rotate or Exchange)Moving Windows and Changing Their LayoutWindow Move Commands: Synopsis
Window Resize CommandsWindow Sizing OptionsResizing Command Synopsis
Vim’s Special BuffersHidden BuffersBuffer CommandsBuffer Command Synopsis
Conditional ExecutionUsing the strftime() functionVariablesThe execute CommandDefining FunctionsA Nice Vim Piggybacking TrickTuning a Vim Script with Global VariablesArrays
AutocommandsChecking OptionsBuffer VariablesThe exists() FunctionAutocommands and GroupsDeleting Autocommands
A Useful Vim Script ExampleMore About VariablesExpressionsExtensionsA Few More Comments About autocmdInternal Functions
Starting gvimUsing the MouseUseful Menusgvim’s Window menugvim’s right-click pop-up menu
ScrollbarsMenusBasic menu customizationMore menu customizationPutting it all togetherToolbarsTooltips
The Fold CommandsManual FoldingOutliningA Few Words About the Other Fold Methods
Vim autoindent Extensions to vi’s autoindentsmartindentcindentThe cinkeys optionThe cinwords optionThe cinoptions optionindentexprA Final Word on Indentation
Insertion Completion CommandsCompleting whole linesCompletion by keyword in fileCompletion by dictionaryCompletion by thesaurusCompletion by keyword in current file and included filesCompletion by tagCompletion by filenameCompletion by macro and definition namesCompletion method with Vim commandsCompletion by user functionsCompletion by omni functionCompletion for spelling correctionCompletion with the complete optionSome Final Comments on Vim Autocompletion
Getting StartedCustomizationSyntax groupsThe colorscheme commandSetting the background optionThe highlight commandOverriding syntax filesRolling Your Own
More Uses for the Quickfix List Window
The viminfo OptionThe mksession Command
Command-Line History and CompletionTag StacksInfinite UndoArbitrary Length Lines and Binary DataIncremental SearchingLeft-Right Scrolling
The Session FileInitialization Steps
The Basic WindowMouse BehaviorThe ToolbarOptions
Command-Line History and CompletionTag StacksInfinite UndoArbitrary Length Lines and Binary DataLeft-Right ScrollingVisual Mode
Edit-Compile SpeedupSyntax Highlighting
Display ModesPre- and Post-Operation Control Files
Building xvilexvile Basic Appearance and FunctionalityScrollbarsSetting the cursor position and mouse motionsSelectionsClipboardResourcesAdding menusBuilding winvilewinvile Basic Appearance and Functionality
Command-Line History and CompletionTag StacksInfinite UndoArbitrary Length Lines and Binary DataLocale supportFile formatsIncremental SearchingLeft-Right ScrollingVisual Mode
Edit-Compile SpeedupSyntax Highlighting
The vile Editing ModelMajor ModesThe Procedure LanguageMiscellaneous Small Features
Command-Line Options
Command ModeInsert ModeSyntax of vi CommandsExamplesVisual mode (Vim only)Status-Line Commands
Movement CommandsCharacterTextLinesScreensSearchesLine numberingMarksInsert CommandsEdit CommandsChanging and deleting textCopying and movingSaving and ExitingAccessing Multiple FilesWindow Commands (Vim)Interacting with the SystemMacrosMiscellaneous Commands
The :set CommandExample .exrc File
Syntax of ex CommandsAddressesAddress SymbolsOptions
The vi Lover’s Home PageThe Vi Pagesvi Powered!vi for Java LoversOnline vi Tutorial

Content preview from Learning the vi and Vim Editors, 7th Edition

More Resources

Here are two links for HTML renditions of Vim’s built-in help for the two most recent major Vim releases:

Vim 6.2: http://www.vim.org/htmldoc/help.html
Vim 7: http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_toc.html

Additionally, http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/vimfaq.html is a Vim Frequently Asked Questions list. It doesn’t link questions to answers, but it is all on one page. We recommend scrolling down to the section with the answers and scanning from there.

The official Vim page used to host tips on Vim, but because of problems with spammers, the administrators moved the tips to a wiki where spam is more easily managed. That wiki is here: http://vim.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Integration.

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Learning the vi and Vim Editors, 8th Edition

Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9780596529833Errata Page

Learning the vi and Vim Editors, 7th Edition

by Arnold Robbins, Elbert Hannah, Linda Lamb

More Resources

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.

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