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vi provides two ways to decrease the amount of typing you have to do: abbreviations and maps.
Word Abbreviation
:ab abbr phrase
Define abbr as an abbreviation for phrase.
:ab
List all defined abbreviations.
:unab abbr
Remove definition of abbr.
Command and Input Mode Maps
:map x sequence
Define character(s) x as a sequence of editing commands.
:unmap x
Disable the sequence defined for x.
:map
List the characters that are currently mapped.
:map! x sequence
Define character(s) x as a sequence of editing commands or text that will be recognized in insert mode.
:unmap! x
Disable the sequence defined for the insert mode map x.
:map!
List the characters that are currently mapped for interpretation in insert mode.
For both command and insert mode maps, the map name x can take several forms:
One character
When you type the character, vi executes the associated sequence of commands.
Multiple characters
All the characters must be typed within one second. The value of notimeout changes the behavior.
# n
Function key notation: a
# followed by a digit n represents the sequence of characters sent by the keyboard’s function key number n.To enter characters such as Escape (
^[) or carriage return (^M), first type CTRL-V (^V).Executable Buffers
Named buffers provide yet another way to create “macros”—complex command sequences you can repeat with a few keystrokes. Here’s how it’s done:
- Type a vi command sequence or an ex command preceded by a colon; return to command mode.
- Delete the text into a named buffer.
- Execute the buffer with the @ command followed by the buffer letter.
The ex command
:@buf-name works similarly.Some versions of vi treat
* identically to @ when used from the ex command line. In addition, if the buffer character supplied after the @ or * commands is *, the command is taken from the default (unnamed) buffer.Automatic Indentation
Enable automatic indentation with the following command:
:set autoindent
Four special input sequences affect automatic indentation:
^T
Add one level of indentation; typed in insert mode
^D
Remove one level of indentation; typed in insert mode
^ ^D
Shift the cursor back to the beginning of the line, but only for the current line[1]
[1] ^ ^D and 0 ^D are not in elvis.
0 ^D
Shift the cursor back to the beginning of the line and reset the current auto-indent level to zero[2]
[2] The nvi 1.79 documentation has these two commands switched, but the program actually behaves as described here.
Two commands can be used for shifting source code:
<<
Shift a line left eight spaces
>>
Shift a line right eight spaces
The default shift is the value of
shiftwidth, usually eight spaces.
Learn more about this topic from vi and Vim Editors Pocket Reference, 2nd Edition.
Many Unix, Linux, and Mac OS X geeks enjoy using the powerful, platform-agnostic text editors vi and Vim, but there are far too many commands for anyone to remember. Author Arnold Robbins has chosen the most valuable commands for vi, Vim, and vi's main clones—vile, elvis, and nvi—and packed them into this easy-to-browse pocket reference. You'll find commands for all kinds of editing tasks, including programming, modifying system files, writing and marking up articles, and more.
