Editing Multiple Files
Editing multiple files simultaneously involves switching between buffers and making modifications as needed. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Open Vi with multiple files, as explained earlier.
- Use the buffer navigation commands to switch between files.
- Make modifications in each buffer as required using Vi’s editing commands.
- Save changes to each file individually by switching to its buffer and using the :w command followed by the filename, or save changes to all buffers using :wa.
Example:
Let’s consider a scenario where we have two files, “example.txt” and “example2.txt,” and we want to edit them simultaneously in Vi.
Open Vi with both files:
vi example.txt example2.txt
editing two files in vi editor
- Navigate to the buffer containing “example.txt” using :buffer 1 or Ctrl + ^ if it’s the second buffer.
- Make necessary edits in “example.txt” using Vi’s editing commands.
- Save changes in “example.txt” using :w.
- Switch to the buffer containing “example2.txt” using :buffer 2 or Ctrl + ^ if it’s the first buffer.
- Make edits in “example2.txt” and save changes similarly.
How to Edit Multiple Files in Vi Editor in Linux
Vi, short for “visual editor,” is a powerful and ubiquitous text editor in the Linux ecosystem. Among its many features, one of the most useful is its capability to edit multiple files simultaneously. This ability streamlines the editing process, especially when dealing with projects that span multiple files. In this article, we’ll delve into the techniques and commands required to efficiently edit multiple files in Vi editor on Linux.
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