I’ve noticed that people older than me have always known just a few more vi commands than I do.

I’m in my 40s, so clearly I know about 4:

Writes and quits (I consider these variants of the same thing):

:w
:q
:q!
:wq
ZZ

See the line numbers: :set number

Delete everything from top to bottom (must be at top, easily remembered by mumbling duck, duck, duck, GOOSE): :dddG

Search for a string: /

And that’s probably it. I think I used to know how to cut a line and paste a line, but I’d have to look it up to be 100% correct on the syntax.

Anyone in their 50s or 60s care to add to this dazzlingly long list of inadequacy? Not looking for a cheat sheet or the man page :-p

  • owsei@programming.dev
    1·
    3 days ago

    :%s for changing a string on the entire file (I think it also works with selections instead of entire file)

    :m+{num} to move a line

    :tabe to open another tab (not split)

    :te open terminal

    :wqa write and quit all buffers (will fail with non-writrable buffer, like a terminal, sadly)

    :!{shell command} execute

    :r!{shell command} execute and write to current buffer

    :cd change directory

    Not a command, but useful to remember % means current file (eg. :!rm %)

    I’m 19, and the plan is to learn all before 200