Vi Notes

edit binary file in vi

:%!xxd

tai64nlocal file in vi

:%!tai64nlocal

insert today's date

:r !date

set tabs to be the ENGDEV way in vi

also called indenting

in the file:

/* ex: set tabstop=4 expandtab: */

or in ~/.vimrc

set tabstop=4
set expandtab

turn off colour

:syntax off

fancy find replace

uses match substitution. (X) -> \1

convert:

Target[server-5.location-5.mem]: `/usr/local/bin/snmp_mem_usage.pl public 192.168.5.5 real`

to

Target[server-1.location-5.Swap]: memTotalSwap.0&memTotalSwap.0:public@192.168.5.129:161::::2 - memAvailSwap.0&memAvailSwap.0:public@192.168.5.129:161::::2

in two (in vi):

%s: `/usr/local/bin/snmp_mem_usage.pl public ::g
%s/:\(.\+\) real`/ memTotalReal.0\&memTotalReal.0:public@\1:161::::2 - memAvailReal.0\&memAvailReal.0:public@\1:161::::2/

or more generically, reversing stuff:

%s/(brackets1) stuff (brackets2)/\2stuff\1/g

converts:

brackets1 stuff brackets2

to

brackets2 stuff brackets1

No wrap

:set nowrap

Convert to unix file format

:set ff=unix

• unix LF only (each line ends with an LF character).
• dos CRLF (each line ends with two characters, CR then LF).
• mac CR only (each line ends with a CR character).

Unicode /Special characters

what am I looking at?

move the cursor over the character and issue "ga"

For example:

Submitted Jan 12 
ga
< > 160, Hex 00a0, Octal1240

Find replace:

:%s/\%xNN//g

for example:

:%s/\%xa0//g

Also See

• http://www.geocities.com/volontir/ - tuns of good stuff.

• Learn TAGS , do it now. http://vimdoc.sourceforge.net/htmldoc/usr_29.html

• Seven habits of effective text editing