Beginners Guide to Visual Editting on UNIX

'vi' is a screen oriented editor developed by Bill Joy for all UNIX systems.
It is powerful, portable, peculiar, and a little bit hostile.

This is a brief "get-you-started" summary of key features.
Keep it with you when you are using UNIX.

BEFORE YOU START - 
	Make sure the CAPS LOCK button is UP on your terminal/PC!
	Make sure you have found the ESC key!

The simplest version (if available) is started up by the command 
	'vedit filename'	(novice mode).
The other versions are:
	'view files'	Read only
	'vi files'	Power users version
	'ex files'	Line oriented version

Important Keystrokes.
	ESC	Escape key - exit into command mode
	:q!	Quit edit with no changes
	ZZ	Exit edit and save changes
	

'Vi' has several 'modes':
	Command		vi interprets keystrokes as commands
	Input		vi inputs keystrokes as data into file
	Pattern		vi reads in a string you want to find
	Line		vi inputs a line oriented or global command.
Commands a single characters. There are more than 50 of them.
Commands like i(input), o(open line), a(add) enter
	Input mode.
ESC exits input mode and enters Command mode....

  start
      \   Pattern (for searching)
       \  ?/|  ^
        \   |  |
         \  V  |?/   iRc...
          Command -iRc...------>Input Mode
        ZZ/:|  ^ \              /
done<-----  |  |  ------<------ESC
            |  |
            V  | Enter/Return/ESC
quit<------ Line Mode(='ex')

NOTE WELL - If vi starts to write your input on the screen then you must
	tap ESC before it will accept commands.

			Essential commands

Cursor movements
	        Up k
	Left h        Right l
	       Down j
A note on arrow keys 
	To may make arrow keys work more reliably over a network...
	Put the two statements below in your .profile or execute 
	them when you login over a network
	ESCDELAY=1500; export ESCDELAY
	If this fails try ESCDELAY=2000 or more


Insert Text
	Place cursor after place for insertion.
	Tap 'i'    LOWERCASE!
	type new text
	Tap ESC key   <----------------------------DON'T forget the ESC key

Deletions
	x	delete character
	dw	delete word
	dd	delete line
	J	Join next line to this one

Undo
	u	undo last insert/delete
	p	put last deletion back (at currant cursor)

Faster moves
	w	forward a word
	b	back a word
	%	matching parenthesis, bracket, or brace
	G	End of file
	nG	Got to line n	-- n is any line number

Search
	/target<CR>	<CR>=Return or Enter...

Replace text
Place cursor at start of text to be overwritten
	Tap 'R'		UPPERCASE!
	type new text
	Tap ESC Key   <----------------------------DON'T forget the ESC key

Repeated commands
 - any command can be repeated by putting a number in front of it (except G).

There are more than 100 commands used by 'vi' plus
all the commands used in 'ex' plus
any that the you define as well.

Further ANY UNIX command can be obeyed by typing ':!command...'.

Spend some time looking at the manual or reading a book on UNIX.
	man vi
from the shell prompt or
	:!man vi
inside the command mode of 'vi'

Also See:
	http://csci.csusb.edu/dick/samples/vi.notes.html
	http://csci.csusb.edu/dick/doc/vi.commands
	http://csci.csusb.edu/dick/doc/vi.FAQ
	http://csci.csusb.edu/dick/doc/vi.archives