VI Editor - summary

STARTING vi 

vi filename  edit a file named "filename"
vi newfile   create a new file named "newfile"

ENTERING TEXT 

i            insert text left of cursor
a            append text right of cursor

MOVING THE CURSOR 

h            left one space
j            down one line
k            up one line
l            right one space

BASIC EDITING 

x            delete character
nx           delete n characters
X            delete character before cursor
dw           delete word
ndw          delete n words
dd           delete line
ndd          delete n lines
D            delete characters from cursor to end of line
r            replace character under cursor
cw           replace a word
ncw          replace n words
C            change text from cursor to end of line
o            insert blank line below cursor
O            insert blank line above cursor
J            join succeeding line to current cursor line

nJ           join n succeeding lines to current cursor line
u            undo last change
U            restore current line

MOVING AROUND IN A FILE 

w            forward word by word
b            backward word by word
$            to end of line
0 (zero)     to beginning of line
H            to top line of screen
M            to middle line of screen
L            to last line of screen
G            to last line of file
1G           to first line of file
<control>f            scroll forward one screen
<control>b            scroll backward one screen
<control>d            scroll down one-half screen
<control>u            scroll up one-half screen
n            repeat last search in same direction
N            repeat last search in opposite direction

CLOSING AND SAVING A FILE 

ZZ           save file and then quit
:w           save file
:q!          discard changes and quit file