Basic Commands for Vi Text Buffers
Copy (yank) text into a buffer:
To copy text, use the y command followed by the movement command specifying the text range. For example, to copy three lines, use 3yy. To copy text from the cursor to the end of a line, use y$.
# Sample text echo "Line 1
Line 2
Line 3" > example.txt # Open file in vi vi example.txt
Inside the vi editor:
# Copy three lines using 3yy
3yy
# Copy from cursor to the end of the line using y$
y$
Cut (delete) text into a buffer:
Cutting text is similar to copying, but you use the `d` command instead.
# Open the same file in vi
vi example.txt
Inside the vi editor:
# Cut two lines using 2dd
2dd
# Cut from cursor to the beginning of the line using d0
d0
Paste text from a buffer:
To paste text from a buffer, use the `p` command. If you want to paste before the cursor, use `P`.
# Open the same file in vi
vi example.txt
Inside the vi editor:
# Move to the desired position and paste after the cursor using p
p
# Move to another position and paste before the cursor using P
P
Viewing the contents of a buffer:
To view the contents of a buffer, prefix the buffer letter with a double quote.
For example, `“a` will display the contents of buffer ‘a‘.
# Open the same file in vi
vi example.txt
Inside the vi editor:
# Display the contents of buffer 'a'
"a
Linux vi Text buffers
In the world of editing text on Linux, there’s a super useful tool called the vi editor. It’s like a superhero for editing because it’s powerful and gets the job done efficiently. Now, within vi, there’s something called text buffers, which are like magical containers for your text. They help you do cool things like copy, cut, and paste text without any fuss.
Think of text buffers as temporary storage spaces where you can put your text for a bit while you work on other parts of your document. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at these text buffers in vi. We’ll learn how to use them, and what special commands they have, and we’ll even try out some real examples to see how they make editing easier. Even if you’re just starting with vi and feel like it’s a bit mysterious, don’t worry! We’re here to uncover the secrets of text buffers together. By the end, you’ll not only understand what text buffers are but also know how to use them to make your text editing on Linux a breeze. So, get ready to explore this cool feature of vi and level up your text-editing skills!