Ex Commands - Alcatel-Lucent 7450 Basic System Configuration Manual

VI Editor

EX Commands

The vi editor is built upon another editor, called the EX. The EX editor only edits by line.
From the vi editor you use the : command to start entering an EX command. This list given
here is not complete, but the commands given are the more commonly used. If more than one
line is to be modified by certain commands (such as :s and :w ) the range must be specified
before the command. For example, to substitute lines 3 through 15, the command is :3,15s/
from/this/g.
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vi Command Description (Continued)
^R Redraw the screen removing false lines.
^[ Escape key. Cancels partially formed command.
^^ Go back to the last file edited.
! Execute a shell. Not supported
& Repeat the previous :s command.
. Repeat the last command that modified the file.
: Begin typing an EX editor command. The command is executed once
the user types return.
@ Type the command stored in the specified buffer.
U Restore the current line to the previous state before the cursor entered
the line.
m Mark the current position with the character specified after the 'm'
command.
u Undo the last change to the file. Typing 'u' again will re-do the change.
vi Command Description
:ab string strings Abbreviation. If a word is typed in vi corresponding to string1, the
editor automatically inserts the corresponding words. For example, the
abbreviation :ab usa United States of America would insert the words,
United States of America whenever the word usa is typed in.
Table 19: Miscellaneous (Continued)
Table 20: EX commands
Basic System Configuration Guide