Learning the vi Editor (6th Edition) 
asked by costa on November 9, 2006 12:05 AM
For many users, working in the Unix environment means using vi, a full-screen text editor available on most Unix systems. Even those who know vi often make use of only a small number of its features. Learning the vi Editor is a complete guide to text editing with vi. Topics new to the sixth edition include multiscreen editing and coverage of four viclones: vim, elvis, nvi, and vile and their enhancements to vi, such as multi-window editing, GUI interfaces, extended regular expressions, and enhancements for programmers. A new appendix describes vi's place in the Unix and Internet cultures. Quickly learn the basics of editing, cursor movement, and global search and replacement. Then take advantage of the more subtle power of vi. Extend your editing skills by learning to use ex, a powerful line editor, from within vi. For easy reference, the sixth edition also includes a command summary at the end of each appropriate chapter. Topics covered include: Basic editing Moving around in a hurry Beyond the basics Greater power with ex Global search and replacement Customizing vi and ex Command shortcuts Introduction to the vi clones' extensions The nvi, elvis, vim, and vile editors Quick reference to vi and ex commands vi and the Internet
Reviews
The book arrived in a timely manner, and in mint condition. What more could you want? I highly recommend this seller.
reviewed by selena on November 9, 2006 9:34 PM
This book is well written and laid out. Whether or not you are a beginner or advanced user coming to vi, this is a valuable tool for getting the most out of vi.
vi is by no means an easy or intuitive editor, but with a little practice, it can greatly improve your efficiency. The book does a great job of taking you through a logical progression of how to start using the product.
Also, the support for the derivatives of vi is a huge plus. The vim chapter is excellent and I learned several tips and trick that I now use on a daily basis.
As usual, O'Reilly hits another one out of the park.
vi is by no means an easy or intuitive editor, but with a little practice, it can greatly improve your efficiency. The book does a great job of taking you through a logical progression of how to start using the product.
Also, the support for the derivatives of vi is a huge plus. The vim chapter is excellent and I learned several tips and trick that I now use on a daily basis.
As usual, O'Reilly hits another one out of the park.
reviewed by porsche on November 26, 2006 4:32 AM
This book is the reference for those wanting to understand the mysteries of Vi. Almost all Unix based systems typically have a variant of the Vi editor installed, even when the system is in a limited use state, therefore an understanding of this no-nonsense editor is crucial if you want to administer or recover your system. This makes the Vi the editor to know, and this book guides you through the basics to more advanced "tricks" used by the guru's. Even if you only plan on casually using Vi, you can't lose having this book in your library.
reviewed by alec on November 29, 2006 1:36 AM
