Help:Vi keys grouped by function

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Vi is a modal editor. Different keys have different results in different modes.

Unassigned keys

The following keys have no assignment by default in vi. In insert mode, your termal's stty setting might assign a function to some of these control characters. All of these unassigned keys should be available for alias (macro) assignment.

Unassigned keys: ^A^I ^K ^O ^Q ^R ^S ^W ^X # * = K V g q v

Screen positioning

^D	Scroll the window down one half screen.
^E	Scroll the screen up one line.
^F	Scroll forward one screen.
^L	Clear and redraw the screen without changing position.
^U	Scroll the window up one half screen.
^Y	Scroll the screen down one line.
z return	Redraw the screen with the current line at the top
z.	Redraw the screen with the current line at the middle
z-	Redraw the screen with the current line at the bottom

Movement keys

Move by (possibly) more than a line

^B	Move backward one screen.
^]	Moves to the tag whose name is given by the word in which the cursor resides (may change files)
%	Move to the parenthesis, brace or bracket ( ) { } [ ] matching the one at or after the current position.
(	Move back to the start of a sentence.
)	Move forward to the start of the next sentence.
{	Move backwards one blank line delimited paragraph
}	Move forwards one blank line delimited paragraph
[[	Move backward one C function.
]]	Move forward one C function.
` (backtick)	Move to the character position of the given mark (or last context if doubled)
' (tick)	Move to the line containing the given mark (or last context if doubled)
/	Start of a forward string search command. String searches may be optionally terminated with a closing slash. To search for a slash use '\/' in the search string.
?	(move) String search backwards (reverse of / )
G	Move (Go) to the given line number (end of file, by default).
H	Move to the first non-white char. on the top screen line.
L	Move to the first non-white char. on the bottom screen line.
M	Move to the first non-white char. on the middle screen line.
N	Reverse the last string search.
n	(move) Repeat the last string search.

Move by a line

^J	Move the cursor down one line.
^M (CR)	Move to the first non-white character in the next line. In insert mode, a carriage return opens a new line for input.
^N	Move the cursor down a line.
^P	Move the cursor up a line.
-	Move to the first non-white character in the previous line.
+	Move to the first non-white character in the next line.
_ (underscore)	Move to the start of the line, or the nth line if given a count
j	Move down one line.
k	Move up one line.

Move within a line

^H (BS)	Moves cursor left one space in command mode. In insert mode, erases the last character typed.
SPACE	Move the cursor right on column.
$	Move to the end of the current line.
^	Move to the first non-white on the current line.
|	Move to the column given by the preceding count.
, (comma)	Move reverse of the last t, T, f, or F command.
0	Move to the start of the current line. Also used within counts.
;	Move: repeat last t, T, f, or F command.
B	Move backward one blank-delimited word.
E	Move to the end of a blank-delimited word.
F	(Move) Find a character backward on the current line.
T	(Move) Reverse search 'upto' the given character.
W	Move forward one blank-delimited word.
b	Move back one word.
e	Move to the end of a word.
f	(move) Find a character on the current line.
h	Move left one column.
l	Move right one column.
t	Move forward 'upto' the given character on the current line.
w	Move forward one word.

Operators

When doubled, operators work on a line (or multiple lines if preceeded by a count). When combined with a movement key, they operate on the section of text moved over. For example:

dw	deletes a word
dd	deletes a line
2dd	deletes two lines

The operators are as follows:

C	Change the rest of the current line (enters insert mode)
c	change operator (enters insert mode)
d	delete operator
<	left shift operator
>	right shift operator
!	Operate on text by running a command over it; text becomes input to the command; output from the command replaces the text.

Enter insert mode

These keys cause vi to enter insert mode. Note that several of these are also operators or take repeat counts to delete text before inserting.

A	Append at the end of the current line.
C	(insert) Change the rest of the current line.
I	Insert before the first non-white char. on the current line.
J	Join two lines.
O	Open a new line above the current line, and start inserting.
R	Replace characters until esc is typed (not exactly insert mode)
S	Change entire current line (insert)
a	Append text after the cursor.
c	change operator (insert)
i	Insert text before the cursor.
m	Set a mark at the current position (e.g. ma or mb).
o	Open a new line and start inserting text.
s	Replace characters (use count to replace several, enters insert mode)

line editing keys

These keys probably follow those set by stty, and can be used in insert mode, when typing in a search string for / or ?, and when typing an ex command line.

^H	backspace
^D	unindent one shift width
0 ^D	cancel autoindent offset, move to left margin
^U	kill current input line
^V	In insert mode, next character is taken literally
ESC	exit insert mode and return to command mode
CR	open a new line for input, at the current autoindent offset (if on)

Other

^C	interrupt pending operation (search, file I/O, others)
^G	Same as ":f" command. Displays file information.
^T	Tag stack
^Z	Stop vi (see shell job control)
D	Delete the rest of the current line.
P	Put the yank/delete buffer before the current cursor position.
Q	quit vi and go to ex mode (type vi to come back)
R	Replace characters until esc is typed
U	Undo all (recent) changes on current line
X	Delete the character before the cursor.
Y	Yank the current line. Same as 'yy'.
ZZ	Exit from the editor, saving changes if necessary.
p	Put the yank/delete buffer after the cursor.
r	Replace a character (count replaces several with one character repeated)
s	Replace characters (use count to replace several, enters insert mode)
u	Undo the last edit.
x	Delete the character under the cursor.
y	yank operator
~	toggle case of letter under cursor and move to next character
.	Repeat the last edit command.
:	Prefix character for "ex" commands.
&	repeat the last search and replace on the current line (:s)
"x	next yank or delete goes in register x
@x	run vi commands in register x as if typed