UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

emacs for vi users

Open/Save/Quit

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 open file               :e        Ctrl - x Ctrl - f 
 save file               :w        Ctrl - x Ctrl - s 
 quit editor             :q        Ctrl - x Ctrl - c 

Move Cursor

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 left                    h         Ctrl - b 
 down                    j         Ctrl - n 
 up                      k         Ctrl - p 
 right                   l         Ctrl - f 
 back one word           b         Esc - b 
 foward one word         w         Esc - f 
 beginning of line       ^         Ctrl - a 
 end of line             $         Ctrl - e 
 page up                 Ctrl - b  Esc - v 
 page down               Ctrl - f  Ctrl - v 
 jump to line number 'n' nG        Esc - x goto-line RET n

Delete Text

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 delete char             x         Ctrl - d 
 delete word             dw        Esc - d 
 delete line             dd        Ctrl - k Ctrl - k 
 delete 'n' lines        ndd       Esc - n Ctrl - k 

Undo

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 undo                    u         Ctrl - x u 

Yank/Place

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 yank 'n' lines          nyy       Ctrl - SPACE, move cursor upto the first character of
                                   the line next to last line you want to yank, Esc - w 
 place (emacs calls
 this yank -- yank
 from the copy buffer)   p or P    Ctrl - y 

Search

 Action                  Vi        Emacs 
 search forward          /         Ctrl - s (text incremental search) 
 search backward         ?         Ctrl - r (text incremental search) 

Glossary

 RET: Many commands in emacs bring up a prompt line at the bottom of the editor screen
      (like the ":" command line at the bottom of the vi editor) where you need to
      provide additional information after which you press the Enter/Return key
      to cause the command to act.

 Esc: Unlike the Alt/Ctrl/Meta/Shift key combinations, Esc key combinations require
      that you press and release the Esc key before you press the next key. On Unix
      workstations, you may be able to use the Meta key instead of the Esc key (in
      which case, you would keep the Meta key pressed when pressing the next key in
      the key combination).