"The VI editor is a screen-based editor used by many Unix users. The VI editor has powerful features to aid
programmers, but many beginning users avoid using VI because the different features overwhelm them. This
tutorial is written to help beginning users get accustomed to using the VI editor, but also contains sections
relevant to regular users of VI as well. Examples are provided, and the best way to learn is to try these
examples, and think of your own examples as well... There's no better way than to experience things yourself."
"The first thing most users learn about the VI editor is that it has two modes: command and insert. The
command mode allows the entry of commands to manipulate text. These commands are usually one or two
characters long, and can be entered with few keystrokes. The insert mode puts anything typed on the
keyboard into the current file."
"VI starts out in command mode. There are several commands that put the VI editor into insert mode. The
most commonly used commands to get into insert mode are a and i. These two commands are described
below. Once you are in insert mode, you get out of it by hitting the escape key. If your terminal does not have
an escape key, ^[ should work (control-[). You can hit escape two times in a row and VI would definitely be
in command mode. Hitting escape while you are already in command mode doesn't take the editor out of
command mode. It may beep to tell you that you are already in that mode."
