Major mode that acts like the `vi' editor.
The purpose of this mode is to provide you the combined power of vi (namely,
the "cross product" effect of commands and repeat last changes) and Emacs.
This command redefines nearly all keys to look like vi commands.
It records the previous major mode, and any vi command for input
(`i', `a', `s', etc.) switches back to that mode.
Thus, ordinary Emacs (in whatever major mode you had been using)
is "input" mode as far as vi is concerned.
To get back into vi from "input" mode, you must issue this command again.
Therefore, it is recommended that you assign it to a key.
Major differences between this mode and real vi :
* Limitations and unsupported features
- Search patterns with line offset (e.g. /pat/+3 or /pat/z.) are
not supported.
- Ex commands are not implemented; try ':' to get some hints.
- No line undo (i.e. the 'U' command), but multi-undo is a standard feature.
* Modifications
- The stopping positions for some point motion commands (word boundary,
pattern search) are slightly different from standard 'vi'.
Also, no automatic wrap around at end of buffer for pattern searching.
- Since changes are done in two steps (deletion then insertion), you need
to undo twice to completely undo a change command. But this is not needed
for undoing a repeated change command.
- No need to set/unset 'magic', to search for a string with regular expr
in it just put a prefix arg for the search commands. Replace cmds too.
- ^R is bound to incremental backward search, so use ^L to redraw screen.
* Extensions
- Some standard (or modified) Emacs commands were integrated, such as
incremental search, query replace, transpose objects, and keyboard macros.
- In command state, ^X links to the 'ctl-x-map', and ESC can be linked to
esc-map or set undefined. These can give you the full power of Emacs.
- See vi-com-map for those keys that are extensions to standard vi, e.g.
`vi-name-last-change-or-macro', `vi-verify-spelling', `vi-locate-def',
`vi-mark-region', and 'vi-quote-words'. Some of them are quite handy.
- Use M-x vi-switch-mode to switch among different modes quickly.
Syntax table and abbrevs while in vi mode remain as they were in Emacs.
(fn)