UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

sorry for this simple question.
I could not find information about it elsewhere.

well, I would like to yank some text from a file through the vi and write the yanked text into another file. how to do that?

hi sskb,
try this out.

go to the line starting from where you want to yank. and do the following.

<Esc>"x5yy
5 lines are stored in the buffer x
and use to store to a file

:w filename
this stores the content to buffer to the file.

hope this helps.
Anent

thanks anent, but it does not seem to work.
i tried it but it created a new file rahter.

Text files are source_file and dest_file.
Execute the following commands

vi source_file
<shift>: vi dest_file (hold shift key and the colon key)

use <CTRL>6 (hold control key and press 6)

to switch between the files.

Now, make sure you are in source_file and position the cursor on the data you want to yank. Then yank to a buffer the letters or words you want to transfer.

i.e. If you want to yank the next 5 words into a cut buffer, type y5w. Then type <CTRL>6 to go dest_file. Position the cursor where you want the text pasted, and press p to put after cursor, or P to put before cursor.

If you will be going back and forth between files, you will have to write changes to dest_file each time you leave it.

thanks wizard,
It works for words.
I need to do the same with lines.
Could I have more info on the different options on this?

Yank the current line: yy
yank 5 lines starting from current: 5yy
(substitute any number you like)
yank from cursor to end of line: y$
yank from cursor to beginning of line: y^


substitute y for d to delete and yank at the same time. substitute y for c to delete text and immediately enter insert mode.

thanks PxT, but I am unable to paste lines.
eventhough i used the same 5yy where the paste works for the same file, it does work for the new file(dest_file).
I observed that y5w works for 5 words and y5l works for 5 characters. In the same way, I need for 5 lines.

thanks in advance