Vi ---> Writing, editing other files, and quitting vi

In ":" "ex" commands "%" denotes the current file, "#" is a synonym for the alternate file (which normally is the previous file). Marks can be used for line numbers too: '<a-z>. In the :w, :f, :cd, :e, and :n commands, shell meta-characters can be used.

                                    
    :q                      | Quit vi, unless the buffer has been changed.
    :q!                     | Quit vi without writing.
    ^Z                      | Suspend vi.
    :w                      | Write the file.
    :w <name>               | Write to the file <name>.
    :w >> <name>            | Append the buffer to the file <name>.
    :w! <name>              | Overwrite the file <name>.
    :x,y w <name>           | Write lines x through y to the file <name>.
    :wq                     | Write the file and quit vi; some versions quit
                            |   even if the write was unsuccessful!
                            |   Use `ZZ' instead.
    ZZ                      | Write if the buffer has been changed, and
                            |   quit vi.  If you have invoked vi with the `-r'
                            |   option, you'd better write the file
                            |   explicitly (`w' or `w!'), or quit the
                            |   editor explicitly (`q!') if you don't want
                            |   to overwrite the file - some versions of vi
                            |   don't handle the `recover' option very well.
    :x [<file>]             | Idem [but write to <file>].
    :x! [<file>]            | `:w![<file>]' and `:q'.
    :pre                    | Preserve the file - the buffer is saved as if
                            |   the system had just crashed; for emergencies,
                            |   when a `:w' command has failed and you don't
                            |   know how to save your work (see `vi -r').
    :f <name>               | Set the current filename to <name>.
    :cd [<dir>]             | Set the working directory to <dir>
                            |   (default home directory).
    :cd! [<dir>]            | Idem, but don't save changes.
    :e [+<cmd>] <file>      | Edit another file without quitting vi - the
                            |   buffers are not changed (except the undo
                            |   buffer), so text can be copied from one file to
                            |   another this way.  [Execute the `ex' command
                            |   <cmd> (default `$') when the new file has been
                            |   read into the buffer.]  <cmd> must contain no
                            |   <sp> or <ht>.  See `vi startup'.
    :e! [+<cmd>] <file>     | Idem, without writing the current buffer.
    ^^                      | Edit the alternate (normally the previous) file.
    :rew                    | Rewind the argument list, edit the first file.
    :rew!                   | Idem, without writing the current buffer.
    :n [+<cmd>] [<files>]   | Edit next file or specify a new argument list.
    :n! [+<cmd>] [<files>]  | Idem, without writing the current buffer.
    :args                   | Give the argument list, with the current file
                            |   between `[' and `]'.

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This section is based on "Vi Reference" by Maarten Litmaath et al.

© 1993-2001 Christopher C. Taylor