ex command#

The ex command is used to start the vim text editor in Ex mode. The effect of running ex is similar to vi -e. To return from Ex mode to normal mode, just type :vi or :visual in vim. You can start ex by running vi -e, or start vi by running ex -v. ex is the basis of vim, which is one of the most popular text editors in the world. ex is not another editor; it should be said that vi is the visual mode of the more general and basic ex line editor, making ex the underlying line editor of vi. Since some ex commands can save a lot of editing time, they are very useful when using vi. Most of these commands can be used without leaving vi.

Syntax#

ex [ -| -s ] [ -l ] [ -L ] [ -R ] [ -r [ file ] ] [ -t tag ] [ -v ] [ -V ] 
   [ -x ] [ -wn ] [ -C ] [ +command | -c command ] file

Parameters#

• --: Only file names after it.
• -v: Start vim in vi mode.
• -e: Start vim in ex mode.
• -E: Start vim in improved ex mode.
• -s: Silent mode, only effective if preceded by the -e option or if a command starting with Ex is given before the -s option.
• -d: Start in diff mode, should have two or three file name arguments, vim will open all the files and show the differences between them, working like vimdiff.
• -y: Start vim in easy mode, similar to evim or eview, making vim behave like a clicking and typing editor.
• -R: Read-only mode, sets the readonly option, allowing editing of the buffer, but preventing accidental overwriting of the file. If you still want to overwrite the file, use w! in the Ex command.
• -Z: Restricted mode, similar to rvim.
• -m: Prevent modification of the file, resetting the write option, still allowing modification of the buffer but not writing to the file.
• -M: No modification allowed, the modify and write options will be unset, thus disallowing any changes and writing to the file. Note that these options can be set to enable modification.
• -b: Binary mode, sets several options so that binary files or executable files can be edited.
• -l: Lisp mode, sets the lisp and showmatch options on.
• -C: Compatible, sets the compatible option, causing vim to act like vi, even if a .vimrc file exists.
• -N: Not compatible mode, resets the compatible option, causing vim to behave better even if the .vimrc file does not exist, but with less compatibility with vi.
• -V[N][fname]: Verbose mode, provides information about which files the information came from and messages used for reading and writing the viminfo file, the optional number N is the verbose value, default is 10.
• -D: Debug mode, jumps to debug mode when the first command is executed from a script.
• -n: No swap file will be used, making it impossible to recover after a crash. This feature is very convenient for editing files on very slow media such as floppy disks.
• -r: List swap files and information about using them for recovery.
• -r <file name>: Recovery mode, swap files are used to recover crashed editing sessions, swap files have the same file name as the text file with .swp appended.
• -L: Same as -r.
• -A: If vim is compiled with Arabic language support, used for editing right-to-left files and Arabic keyboard mapping, this option will start vim in Arabic mode, setting ARABIC, otherwise an error message will be issued, causing vim to abort.
• -H: Start in Hebrew mode.
• -F: Start in Farsi mode.
• -T <terminal>: Tells vim the name of the terminal being used, only needed when the automatic method is not working, should be a terminal known to vim built-in, or defined in the termcap or terminfo file.
• --not-a-term: Skip warnings when input or output is not a terminal.
• -u <vimrc>: Initialize using commands in the file .vimrc, skipping all other initializations. Use this option to edit special types of files, or to skip all initializations by giving the name NONE.
• --noplugin: Skip loading plugins, as if -u is empty.
• -p[N]: Open N tab pages, if N is omitted, one tab page is opened for each file.
• -o[N]: Open N stacked windows, when N is omitted, one window is opened for each file.
• -O[N]: Open N horizontally split windows, if N is omitted, one window is opened for each file.
• +: Start at the end of the file.
• +<lnum>: For the first file, the cursor will be positioned on line num. If num is missing, the cursor will be on the last line.
• --cmd <command>: Execute <command> before loading any .vimrc file.
• -c <command>: Execute <command> after the first file has been loaded.
• -S <session>: Source the file <session> after the first file has been loaded.
• -s <scriptin>: Read normal mode commands from the file <scriptin>.
• -w <scriptout>: Append all typed commands to the file <scriptout>.
• -W <scriptout>: Write all typed commands to the file <scriptout>.
• -x: Edit an encrypted file.
• --startuptime <file>: Write the startup timing messages to <file>.
• -i <viminfo>: Use <viminfo> instead of .viminfo.
• -h or --help: Output help information.
• --version: Output version information.

Examples#

Start ex editing mode for file.txt.

ex file.txt

Display total line count and current line number.

= | .=

Print the first 3 lines of the file.

1,3 p

Delete lines 1 to 2 and switch back to vi mode to see the effect.

1,2 d
vi

Move lines 1 and 2 below line 3.

1,2 m 3
vi

Copy lines 1 and 2 below line 3.

1,2 co 3
vi

Daily Question#

Reference#