| i | | insert mode, (ESC to exit insert mode) allows text to be entered on the screen |
| a | | Append to right mode |
| /word | | Move to the occurrence of "word" |
| n | | Locate the next occurance |
| w | | Advance to the next word |
| e | | Advance to the next end of a word |
| b | | Move to the previous word |
| 3b | | Move backward 3 words |
| dd | | delete line |
| 3dd | | delete 3 lines |
| D | | Delete remainder of a line |
| dw | | Delete word |
| x | | Delete character |
| o | | Open space for new line below the cursor line |
| O | | Open a line above the cursor |
| CTRL-w | | Move back a word in append mode |
| u | | Undo last |
| U | | Undo all changes to current line |
| . | | In command mode, repeat the last text changing the command on the current line |
| :w newfilename | | save the file to newfilename from the command mode |
| :wq | | save and quit |
| :q! | | quit without saving |
| r | | replace then typa a character ot be replaced with r then return to break up a line |
| J | | join 2 lines |
| s | | substitute (sentence) typed text over a character, ESC when done |
| cw | | change word |
| c | | change part of a line from the cursor to the end of the line |
| cc | | substitute new text for aline, ESC when done |
| h | | move the cursor back one space |
| H | | move the cursor to the highest line on the screen |
| L | | move the cursor to the lowest line on the screen |
| M | | position the cursor at the midpoint on the screen |
| G | | last line in the file |
| 0 (zero) | | Move the cursor to the beginning of the line it is on |
| view filename | | Open a file for viewing only |
| set number | | Turn on line numbers |
| set nonumber | | Turn off line numbers |