Introduction

The Engineering Computer Network (ECN) supports the VI (visual) editor and it is available on all of our major system computers. VI is a display oriented, interactive text editor which allows a user to create, modify, and store files on the computer via a terminal. Files commonly created by ECN users consist of such information as program code, data, written reports, and letters. When using the VI editor, the screen of your terminal acts as a "window" to view the file you are editing. It is this viewable portion of the text that you can alter through a command sequence. The changes you instructed VI to perform are reflected on the screen after completing the command sequence.

This document is intended to provide a general introduction to the VI editor for the beginning user. It does not provide a comprehensive coverage of all VI commands and features, but rather focuses on those commands and features which will be most useful to the beginner. This tutorial discusses the use of many commands and while they can all be useful, a new user would be wise to select only a core of commands and use these until comfortable. This can help avoid that "overwhelmed" feeling that learning something new on a computer often engenders. Later, reviewing the tutorial can lead to trying additional commands.

To use this tutorial, only a minimal familiarity with ECN computer usage is assumed: the user should be able to log in and should have a basic understanding of the UNIX file system.

All users are advised to read this tutorial on a machine capable of showing the graphics (for example: a Sun workstation or a MacIntosh). The graphics provide visual information that is referenced in the text; therefore, a reader missing the graphics will also miss vital information.