| Command | Action |
|---|---|
vi
file | Invoke vi on file |
vi file1
file2 | Invoke vi on files sequentially |
view
file | Invoke vi on file in read-only mode |
vi -R
file | Invoke vi on file in read-only mode |
vi -r
file | Recover file and recent edits after a crash |
vi -t
tag | Look up tag and start editing at its definition |
vi -w
n | Set the window size to n; useful over a slow connection |
vi +
file | Open file at last line |
vi +n
file | Open file directly at line number n |
vi -c
command file | Open file, execute command, which is usually a search command or line number (POSIX) |
vi
+/pattern
file | Open file directly at pattern |
ex
file | Invoke ex on file |
ex -
file <
script | Invoke ex on file, taking commands from script; suppress informative messages and prompts |
ex -s
file <
script | Invoke ex on file, taking commands from script; suppress informative messages and prompts (POSIX) |