Entering text

You must be in command mode before you can issue a command to enter text; while you are entering text, you cannot issue any command except <Esc> to return to command mode. If you would like a visible reminder when you are in insertion mode, enter the command :set showmode (see ``Configuring vi'' for more details). The following commands put you in insertion mode to enter text:

a

Add text to the right of the cursor.

A

Add text to the end of a line.

i

Insert text to the left of the cursor.

I

Insert text at the start of a line.

o

Open a new line to put text below the current line.

Go

Go to end of the file and open a new line.

O

Open a new line above the current line.

1GO

Go to the first line in the file and enter new text above the line.

Taking the previous example, entering Go moves you to the end of the file and opens a new line. Pressing <Enter> adds a blank line. Typing ``by William Shakespeare'' and pressing <Esc> adds new text. The end of the file soliloquy now reads as follows:

   The fair Ophelia! - Nymph, in thy orisons
   Be all my sins remembered.
   

   by William Shakespeare