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/usr/bin/ex [-| -s] [-l] [-L] [-R] [-r [file]] [-t tag] [-v] [-V] [-x] [-wn] [-C] [+command | -c command] file...
/usr/xpg4/bin/ex [-| -s] [-l] [-L] [-R] [-r [file]] [-t tag] [-v] [-V] [-x] [-wn] [-C] [+command | -c command] file...
/usr/xpg6/bin/ex [-| -s] [-l] [-L] [-R] [-r [file]] [-t tag] [-v] [-V] [-x] [-wn] [-C] [+command | -c command] file...
The ex utility is the root of a family of editors: ex and vi. ex is a superset of ed(1), with the most notable extension being a display editing facility. Display based editing is the focus of vi.
If you have a CRT terminal, you can wish to use a display based editor; in this case see vi(1), which is a command which focuses on the display-editing portion of ex.
If you have used ed you find that, in addition to having all of the ed commands available, ex has a number of additional features useful on CRT terminals. Intelligent terminals and high speed terminals are very pleasant to use with vi. Generally, the ex editor uses far more of the capabilities of terminals than ed does, and uses the terminal capability data base (see terminfo(5)) and the type of the terminal you are using from the environment variable TERM to determine how to drive your terminal efficiently. The editor makes use of features such as insert and delete character and line in its visual command (which can be abbreviated vi) and which is the central mode of editing when using the vi command.
The ex utility contains a number of features for easily viewing the text of the file. The z command gives easy access to windows of text. Typing ^D (CTRL-D) causes the editor to scroll a half-window of text and is more useful for quickly stepping through a file than just typing return. Of course, the screen-oriented visual mode gives constant access to editing context.
The ex utility gives you help when you make mistakes. The undo (u) command allows you to reverse any single change which goes astray. ex gives you a lot of feedback, normally printing changed lines, and indicates when more than a few lines are affected by a command so that it is easy to detect when a command has affected more lines than it should have.
The editor also normally prevents overwriting existing files, unless you edited them, so that you do not accidentally overwrite a file other than the one you are editing. If the system (or editor) crashes, or you accidentally hang up the telephone, you can use the editor recover command (or -r file option) to retrieve your work. This gets you back to within a few lines of where you left off.
The ex utility has several features for dealing with more than one file at a time. You can give it a list of files on the command line and use the next (n) command to deal with each in turn. The next command can also be given a list of file names, or a pattern as used by the shell to specify a new set of files to be dealt with. In general, file names in the editor can be formed with full shell metasyntax. The metacharacter `%' is also available in forming file names and is replaced by the name of the current file.
The editor has a group of buffers whose names are the ASCII lower-case letters (a-z). You can place text in these named buffers where it is available to be inserted elsewhere in the file. The contents of these buffers remain available when you begin editing a new file using the edit (e) command.
There is a command & in ex which repeats the last substitute command. In addition, there is a confirmed substitute command. You give a range of substitutions to be done and the editor interactively asks whether each substitution is desired.
It is possible to ignore the case of letters in searches and substitutions. ex also allows regular expressions which match words to be constructed. This is convenient, for example, in searching for the word ``edit'' if your document also contains the word ``editor.''
ex has a set of options which you can set to tailor it to your liking. One option which is very useful is the autoindent option that allows the editor to supply leading white space to align text automatically. You can then use ^D as a backtab and space or tab to move forward to align new code easily.
Miscellaneous useful features include an intelligent join (j) command that supplies white space between joined lines automatically, commands < and > which shift groups of lines, and the ability to filter portions of the buffer through commands such as sort.
The following options are supported: - | -s
Suppresses all interactive user feedback. This is useful when processing editor scripts.
Sets up for editing LISP programs.
Lists the name of all files saved as the result of an editor or system crash.
Readonly mode. The readonly flag is set, preventing accidental overwriting of the file.
Edits file after an editor or system crash. (Recovers the version of file that was in the buffer when the crash occurred.)
Edits the file containing the tag and positions the editor at its definition. It is an error to specify more than one -t option.
Starts up in display editing state, using vi. You can achieve the same effect by typing the vi command itself.
Verbose. When ex commands are read by means of standard input, the input is echoed to standard error. This can be useful when processing ex commands within shell scripts.
Encryption option. Simulates the X command and prompts the user for a key. This key is used to encrypt and decrypt text using the algorithm of the crypt command. The X command makes an educated guess to determine whether text read in is encrypted or not. The temporary buffer file is encrypted also, using a transformed version of the key typed in for the -x option.
Sets the default window size to n. This is useful when using the editor over a slow speed line.
Encryption option. Same as the -x option, except that -C simulates the C command. The C command is like the X command, except that all text read in is assumed to have been encrypted.
Begins editing by executing the specified editor command (usually a search or positioning command).
If both the -t tag and the -c command options are given, the -t tag is processed first. That is, the file containing the tag is selected by -t and then the command is executed.
The following operand is supported: file
A path name of a file to be edited.
This section defines the ex states, commands, initializing options, and scanning pattern formations.
Normal and initial state. Input prompted for by ":". The line kill character cancels a partial command.
Entered by a, i, or c. Arbitrary text can be entered. Insert state normally is terminated by a line having only "." on it, or, abnormally, with an interrupt.
Entered by typing vi. Terminated by typing Q or ^\e (Control-\e).
Command Abbrevi- Command Abbrevi- Command Abbrevi- Name ation Name ation Name ation abbrev ab map set se append a mark ma shell sh args ar move m source so change c next n substitute s copy co number nu unabbrev unab delete d preserve pre undo u edit e print p unmap unm file f put pu version ve global g quit q visual vi insert i read r write w join j recover rec xit x list l rewind rew yank ya
Join [range] j[oin][!] [count] [flags]
If count is specified: /usr/bin/ex, /usr/xpg6/bin/ex
If no address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the current line and the current line plus count (.,. + count). If one address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the specified address and the specified address plus count ( addr, addr + count).
If no address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the current line and the current line plus count -1 (.,. + count -1). If one address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the specified address and the specified address plus count -1 ( addr, addr + count -1).
If two or more addresses are specified, the join command behaves as if an additional address, equal to the last address plus count -1 (addr1, ..., lastaddr, lastaddr + count -1), was specified. If this results in a second address greater than the last line of the edit buffer, it is corrected to be equal to the last line of the edit buffer.
If no count is specified: /usr/bin/ex, /usr/xpg4/bin/ex, /usr/xpg6/bin/ex
If no address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the current line and the next line (.,. +1). If one address is specified, the join command behaves as if 2addr were the specified address and the next line ( addr, addr +1).
For the following ex commands, if count is specified, it is equivalent to specifying an additional address to the command. The additional address is equal to the last address specified to the command (either explicitly or by default) plus count-1. If this results in an address greater than the last line of the edit buffer, it is corrected to equal the last line of the edit buffer.
For the following ex commands, if both a count and a range are specified for a command that uses them, the number of lines affected is taken from the count value rather than the range. The starting line for the command is taken to be the first line addressed by the range.
| Abbreviate ab[brev] word rhs |
| Append [line]a[ppend][!] |
| Arguments ar[gs] |
| Change [range] c[hange][!] [count] |
| Change Directory |
| chd[ir][!] [directory]; cd[!] [directory] |
| Copy |
| [range] co[py] line [flags]; [range] t line [flags] |
| Delete |
| [range] d[elete] [buffer] [count] [flags] |
| Edit |
| e[dit][!] [+line][file]; ex[!] [+line] [file] |
| File f[ile] [file] |
| Global |
| [range] g[lobal] /pattern/ [commands]; [range] v /pattern/ [commands] |
| Insert [line] i[nsert][!] |
| List [range] l[ist] [count] [flags] |
| Map map[!] [x rhs] |
| Mark [line] ma[rk] x; [line] k x |
| Move [range] m[ove] line |
| Next n[ext][!] [file ...] |
| Open [line] o[pen] /pattern/ [flags] |
| Preserve pre[serve] |
| Put [line] pu[t] [buffer] |
| Quit q[uit][!] |
| Read [line] r[ead][!] [file] |
| Recover rec[over] file |
| Rewind rew[ind][!] |
| Set |
| se[t] [option[=[value]]...] [nooption...] [option?...] [all] |
| Shell sh[ell] |
| Source so[urce] file |
| Suspend su[spend][!]; st[op][!] |
| Tag ta[g][!] tagstring |
| Unabbreviate una[bbrev] word |
| Undo u[ndo] |
| Unmap unm[ap][!] x |
| Visual [line] v[isual] [type] [count] [flags] |
| Write |
| [range] w[rite][!] [>>] [file]; [range] w[rite][!] [file]; [range] wq[!] [>>] [file] |
| Write and Exit [range] x[it][!] [file] |
| Yank [range] ya[nk] [buffer] [count] |
| Adjust Window [line] z [type] [count] [flags] |
| Escape ! command [range]! command |
| Scroll EOF |
| Write Line Number [line] = [flags] |
| Execute @ buffer; * buffer |
For the following ex commands, if count is specified, it is equivalent to specifying an additional address to the command. The additional address is equal to the last address specified to the command (either explicitly or by default) plus count-1. If this results in an address greater than the last line of the edit buffer, it is corrected to equal the last line of the edit buffer.
| Number |
| [range] nu[mber] [count] [flags]; [range] | # [count] [flags] |
| Print [range] p[rint] [count] [flags] |
| Substitute |
| [range] s[ubstitute] [/pattern/repl/[options] [count] [flags]] |
| Shift Left [range] < [count] [flags] |
| Shift Right [range] > [count] [flags] |
| Resubstitute |
| [range] & [options] [count] [flags]; [range] s[ubstitute] [options] [count] [flags]; [range] ~ [options] [count [flags] |
| C forced encryption |
| X heuristic encryption |
| & resubst |
| CR print next |
| > rshift |
| < lshift |
| ^D scroll |
| z window |
| ! shell escape |
| n line n |
| . current |
| $ last |
| + next |
| - previous |
| +n n forward |
| % 1,$ |
| /pat next with pat |
| ?pat previous with pat |
| x-n n before x |
| x,y x through y |
| 'x marked with x |
| " previous context |
| EXINIT place set's here in environment variable |
| $HOME/.exrc editor initialization file |
| ./.exrc editor initialization file |
| set x enable option x |
| set nox disable option x |
| set x=val give value val to option x |
| set show changed options |
| set all show all options |
| set x? show value of option x |
| autoindent ai supply indent |
| autowrite aw write before changing files |
| directory |
| pathname of directory for temporary work files |
| exrc ex |
| allow vi/ex to read the .exrc in the current directory. This option is set in the EXINIT shell variable or in the .exrc file in the $HOMEdirectory. |
| ignorecase ic ignore case of letters in scanning |
| list print ^I for tab, $ at end |
| magic treat . [ * special in patterns |
| modelines |
| first five lines and last five lines executed as vi/ex commands if they are of the form ex:command: or vi:command: |
| number nu number lines |
| paragraphs para macro names that start paragraphs |
| redraw simulate smart terminal |
| report |
| informs you if the number of lines modified by the last command is greater than the value of the report variable |
| scroll command mode lines |
| sections sect macro names that start sections |
| shiftwidth sw for < >, and input ^D |
| showmatch sm to ) and } as typed |
| showmode smd show insert mode in vi |
| slowopen slow stop updates during insert |
| term |
| specifies to vi the type of terminal being used (the default is the value of the environment variable TERM) |
| window visual mode lines |
| wrapmargin wm automatic line splitting |
| wrapscan ws |
| search around end (or beginning) of buffer |
| ^ beginning of line |
| $ end of line |
| . any character |
| \e< beginning of word |
| \e> end of word |
| [str] any character in str |
| [^str] any character not in str |
| [xy] any character between x and y |
| * any number of preceding characters |
See environ(7) for descriptions of the following environment variables that affect the execution of ex: HOME, LANG, LC_ALL, LC_COLLATE, LC_CTYPE, LC_MESSAGES, NLSPATH, PATH, SHELL, and TERM. COLUMNS
Override the system-selected horizontal screen size.
Determine a list of ex commands that are executed on editor start-up, before reading the first file. The list can contain multiple commands by separating them using a vertical-line (|) character.
Override the system-selected vertical screen size, used as the number of lines in a screenful and the vertical screen size in visual mode.
The following exit values are returned: 0
Successful completion.
An error occurred.
editor temporary
named buffer temporary
preserve command
recover command
error messages
describes capabilities of terminals
preservation directory (where login is the user's login)
editor startup file
editor startup file
See attributes(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
| CSI Enabled |
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
| CSI Enabled |
| Interface Stability Standard |
| ATTRIBUTE TYPE ATTRIBUTE VALUE |
| CSI Enabled |
| Interface Stability Standard |
ed (1), edit (1), grep (1), sed (1), sort (1), vi (1), curses (3CURSES), term (5), terminfo (5), attributes (7), environ (7), standards (7)
Solaris Advanced User's Guide
The vi and ex utilities are based on software developed by The University of California, Berkeley California, Computer Science Division, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Several options, although they continue to be supported, have been replaced in the documentation by options that follow the Command Syntax Standard (see Intro(1)). The - option has been replaced by -s, a -r option that is not followed with an option-argument has been replaced by -L, and +command has been replaced by -c command.
The message file too large to recover with -r option, which is seen when a file is loaded, indicates that the file can be edited and saved successfully, but if the editing session is lost, recovery of the file with the -r option is not possible.
The z command prints the number of logical rather than physical lines. More than a screen full of output can result if long lines are present.
File input/output errors do not print a name if the command line -s option is used.
The editing environment defaults to certain configuration options. When an editing session is initiated, ex attempts to read the EXINIT environment variable. If it exists, the editor uses the values defined in EXINIT, otherwise the values set in $HOME/.exrc are used. If $HOME/.exrc does not exist, the default values are used.
To use a copy of .exrc located in the current directory other than $HOME, set the exrc option in EXINIT or $HOME/.exrc. Options set in EXINIT can be turned off in a local .exrc only if exrc is set in EXINIT or $HOME/.exrc. In order to be used, .exrc in $HOME or the current directory must fulfill these conditions:
It must exist.
It must be owned by the same userid as the real userid of the process, or the process has appropriate privileges.
It is not writable by anyone other than the owner.
There is no easy way to do a single scan ignoring case.
The editor does not warn if text is placed in named buffers and not used before exiting the editor.
Null characters are discarded in input files and cannot appear in resultant files.