What is Vi Editor? Modes of Vi Editor

Vi is a powerful text editor that is commonly available on Unix-like operating systems.
It's a modal editor, meaning it has three primary modes: Normal mode, Insert mode, and Command-line mode.
In this guide, we'll cover the basics of Vi, the three modes, and how to write, save, and execute a shell script using Vi Editor.

Three Modes of Vi Editor

1. Normal Mode

In Normal mode, Vi is used for navigation and manipulation of text. You can't directly type text in this mode.

Here are some common commands:

h: Move left
j: Move down
k: Move up
l: Move right

Editing

i: Enter Insert mode before the cursor position
x: Delete the character under the cursor
dd: Delete the current line
yy: Copy (yank) the current line
p: Paste the previously yanked text

Insert Mode

In Insert mode, you can type text into the editor.
To enter Insert mode, press i in Normal mode.
To exit Insert mode and return to Normal mode, press Esc.

In Command-line mode, you can execute commands such as saving or quitting the editor.
To enter Command-line mode, press : in Normal mode.
Here are some common commands

:w: Save the file

:q: Quit the editor

:wq: Save and quit

Writing a Shell Script in Vi Editor

Now, let's write a simple shell script using Vi Editor. A shell script is a text file that contains a sequence of commands to be executed by a shell (like Bash).
Open Vi Editor by typing vi followed by the script filename. For example, vi myscript.sh.
You will start in Normal mode. Press i to enter Insert mode, so you can type your script.
Write your shell script. Here's an example of a simple script that prints "Hello, World!" to the terminal:

1#!/bin/bash
2echo "Hello, World!"
3
4

After writing the script, press Esc to exit Insert mode and return to Normal mode.
To save your script, enter Command-line mode by pressing :. Then, type w and press Enter. This will save the file.
To exit Vi Editor, again enter Command-line mode by pressing : and type q. Press Enter to quit.

Now you have successfully written and saved a shell script using Vi Editor

Executing the Shell Script

To execute the shell script you've just created, follow these steps:

In your terminal, navigate to the directory where your script is located.

Make the script executable using the chmod command:

1chmod +x myscript.sh
2Run the script by typing:
3./myscript.sh
4

You should see the output "Hello, World!" on your terminal.

Vi Editor can be challenging for beginners, but with practice, it becomes a powerful and efficient tool for editing text and writing scripts on Unix-like systems.

This guide should help you get started with the basics.

Getting Started with Vi Editor on Windows and macOS

Vi is a text editor commonly used in Unix-like environments. However, it can also be used on Windows and macOS.

Here's a step-by-step guide to getting started with Vi Editor on both platforms.

On Windows

Using GVim (Graphical Vi)

1-Download GVim

Visit the official GVim website (https://www.vim.org/download.php) and download the Windows version.
Install GVim by running the downloaded installer.

2-Launch GVim

Search for "GVim" in your Windows search bar and open it.

3-Working in GVim

GVim has the same modes (Normal, Insert, Command-line) and functionality as Vi on Unix-like systems.
To enter Insert mode, press i. To exit Insert mode, press Esc.
To enter Command-line mode, press :

Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

If you're using Windows 10 or later, you can use Vi within the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), which provides a Linux environment. Follow these steps

1-Enable WSL

Open PowerShell as an administrator.
Run the following command to enable WSL

1dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestar

Install a Linux Distribution

Install a Linux distribution from the Microsoft Store (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian, or openSUSE).

Set up Linux

Launch your installed Linux distribution, create a user account, and set up your Linux environment.

Install Vi:

In the Linux terminal, you can install Vi (Vim) using the package manager, e.g. for Ubuntu

1sudo apt update
2sudo apt install vim
3

2-Use Vi

Now, you can use Vi within the WSL terminal as you would on a Unix-like system.

On macOS

macOS comes with Vi pre-installed, and you can access it through the Terminal. Follow these steps to get started:

Open Terminal

You can find the Terminal application in the "Utilities" folder within the "Applications" folder.

Start Vi

In the Terminal, type vi followed by the filename you want to edit. For example, to create or edit a file called "mytext.txt," type:

1vi mytext.txt

Use Vi

Vi will open in the Terminal. You'll start in Normal mode. To enter Insert mode, press i.

To exit Insert mode and return to Normal mode, press Esc. To enter Command-line mode, press :.

Save and Quit

To save your changes and quit Vi, press Esc, then type :wq and press Enter.
With these steps, you can start using Vi Editor on both Windows and macOS.
Remember that Vi can be challenging for beginners, so practice and familiarity will make it a more efficient text editor for your needs.

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