What Is The vi Editor in The Unix Operating System ?

Introduction 

Vi is the name of the default editor included with the UNIX operating system (visual editor). We can update an existing file or create one from scratch while using the vi editor. This editor can also be used to read a text file. Let’s learn about Unix OS and vi Editor in detail under the following sub-headings. 

What is Unix Operating System?  

It is a multitasking, multiuser operating system created in the late 1960s. AT&T Bell Labs created the Unix Operating System. Due to its versatility, efficiency, and adaptability, it was first created only for use by programmers, but it has now found widespread usage in various computer platforms, including workstations, servers, and laptops. 

After the creation of the Unix Operating System, the vi editor and shell scripting came into the picture. “vi” is a text editor that is used to create and edit text files. Shell scripting is a type of programming used to automate the tasks performed on a Unix system. Shell scripts are written in a shell programming language, a type of programming language designed specifically for use with a Unix shell. 

What Is vi Editor? 

The vi editor is a text editor that is available on almost all Unix systems. It is a very powerful editor with many features that make it ideal for editing text files. One of the most important features of the vi editor is that it is modal, which means that it has different modes for editing and for viewing files. This is a major advantage over other editors, which are not modal and thus confusing.

The vi editor has three main modes: 

• Command Mode: When you first open a file with the vi editor, you are in command mode. In this mode, you can move the cursor around the file and issue commands to the editor. The most important commands in this mode are the movement commands, which allow you to move the cursor around the file. These commands are very important because they allow you to edit the file in a very precise way.
• Insert Mode: Itis the mode you are in when you want to insert or change the text in the file. In this mode, the cursor is positioned at the point where you want to make the change, and you can type in the new text. After making the change, you can press the Esc key to return to command mode.
• View Mode: When you want to view the file but not make any changes to it, that’s the view mode of the vi editor. This mode is useful for viewing files you do not want to modify, such as configuration files. In view mode, you can move the cursor around the file and view the contents of the file. However, you cannot change the file in this mode. You can press the Esc key to exit view mode and return to command mode.

Operations on vi Editor 

1. vi Command Mode:  

The “vi” command mode is the default mode for the vi editor. In this mode, characters typed on the keyboard are interpreted as commands. The commands available in this mode allow you to move the cursor around the screen, search for text, delete text, change text, and so on. 

There are two ways to enter the “vi” command mode: 

• Use the Esc key 
• Type the “:” (colon) character 

2. vi Editor Insert mode:  

You must first be in insert mode to insert text while in the vi editor. To enter insert mode, press the “i” key. You can also enter insert mode by pressing the “a” key, which will insert text after your cursor’s character. You can also enter insert mode by pressing the “I” key, which will insert text at the beginning of the current line. Finally, you can enter insert mode by pressing the “A” key, which will insert text at the end of the current line. 

Once you are in insert mode, you can start typing to insert text. To exit insert mode and return to command mode, press the “Esc” key. 

3. How to Use vi Editor:  

• For command mode: Press the Esc key 
• For insert mode: Press the “i” key 
• For last-line mode: Press the “:” key 

In command mode, you can issue commands to the vi editor. For example, you can use the h, j, k, and l keys to move the cursor around the file. You can use the w, b, and e keys to move the cursor forward or backward by word or by sentence. You can use the 0 (zero) key to move the cursor to the beginning of the current line and the $ key to move the cursor to the end of the current line. Press “i” to enter the insert mode. In this mode, you can insert text into the file. The text is inserted at the location of the cursor. 

In last-line mode, you can enter commands that affect how the vi editor behaves. For example, you can use the: set command to turn on or off certain features of the vi editor. To enter last-line mode, press the: key. To exit the last-line mode, press the Esc key. 

4. vi Editing Commands:  

There are a variety of commands for editing text in vi Editor. These commands can be used to move the cursor around, delete text, insert text, and so on. Each command is typically a single letter. For example, the “i” command inserts text at the current cursor. 

5. Moving Within a File:  

Moving within a file means moving the cursor to a new location in the same file. The cursor is moved using the arrow keys or other keys. The other keys include the following: 

• h – move left 
• j – move down 
• k – move up 
• l – move right 

The moving can also be done using keyboard shortcuts. For example, the Ctrl + F key combination moves the cursor forward one full screen, and the Ctrl + B key combination moves the cursor backward one full screen. 

6. Saving and Closing the File:  

In the vi editor, to save the file without exiting the editor, we can use “:wq.” This saves and exits the file. Otherwise, to save the file, we use:w. To exit the file without saving, we use “:q.” 

Advantages of vi Editor 

There are various advantages of using the vi editor, which include: 

1. vi Editor is Powerful   

vi is a very versatile text editor that can be used to edit various files. It is used to edit files in many different programming languages, including C, C++, Java, and Python. “vi” can also be used to edit HTML, XML, and CSS files. It is a very user-friendly text editor with a wide variety of features that make it a great choice for editing text files. “vi” is a very popular text editor used by many people, including programmers, web developers, and system administrators. 

2. Provides a Wide Range of Features 

“vi” editor is a powerful text editor that comes with a wide range of features that can be used to edit text files. Some of the most notable features include: 

• Support for a Wide Range of File Formats: vi editors can be used to edit files in various formats, including plain text, HTML, XML, and more. 
• Syntax Highlighting: vi editors can highlight the syntax of various programming languages, making it easier to read and edit code. 
• Code Completion: vi editors can automatically complete code for you based on your editing context. This can save a lot of time, especially when working with large codebases. 
• Macro Recording: vi editors can record your keystrokes and play them back, which can be very useful for repetitive tasks. 
• Plug-in Support: vi editors can be extended with plug-ins, adding new features or customizing the editor to suit your needs. 

3. vi Editor Is Easy to Use and Provides a User-Friendly Interface 

Advantages of the vi editor include ease of use and user-friendly UI. It is a text editor that programmers and system administrators widely use.  

The vi editor is easy to learn and use and provides various features that make it a powerful tool for editing text files. It is available on most Unix-like operating systems and is the default editor on many Linux distributions. 

4. vi Editor Is Highly Configurable and Customizable  

The vi editor is highly configurable and can be customized to suit the user’s needs. This editor can be customized to work with any programming language, and it has many features that make it an ideal choice for developers who want to work with code.  

5. vi Editor is Free and Can Be Downloaded From the Internet 

The vi editor is a text editor available for free and can be downloaded from the internet. This editor has many features that make it a powerful text editor, such as syntax highlighting, code completion, and a wide variety of plugins. It is also available for many different operating systems, making it a versatile tool for many different users.

6. vi Editor Is a Cross-Platform Text Editor

The vi editor is a cross-platform text editor that can be used on various operating systems. This is an advantage because the vi editor will work on various devices, including PCs, Macs, and Linux computers. It is also available for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. You can use vi to edit text on the go, which is convenient if you need to make changes to a document while you are away from your computer.

Conclusion 

The vi editor is a powerful text editor available on almost all Unix systems. It is a very versatile text editor with many features that make it ideal for editing text files. The vi editor is a very user-friendly text editor with a wide variety of features that make it a great choice for editing text files. It is a very popular text editor used by many people, including programmers, web developers, and system administrators. For professional-grade knowledge and IIM Indore-certified courses, we recommend you check out UNext.