Move or jump to specific lines in vi | UNIX | Tech-Recipes

Move or jump to specific lines in vi

Contributed by Rex

February 16, 2004

Tagged: UNIX

Navigating large files is an important capability when using any editor. The vi editor makes it easy to move around.

All of the following commands must be entered in command mode, not insert mode. Pressing ESC will ensure you are in command mode.

To jump to the end (last line) of a document:

G

To move to the first line of a document:

0G

This is a special case of the more general command to move to any specific line. To jump to the 3872nd line:

3872G

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Anonymous 4 years ago 1 point
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This can also be done using the ex facility of vi: simply type ":" (to get the ex prompt), then the line number, then return; ":0" goes to the first line; ":$" goes to the last. More keystrokes, but it syncs well with things like ":0,$s/foo/bar/g".

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