When working with text files in Linux, you might often need to replace multiple instances of a word with another word. One of the most powerful tools for this task is Vi (or Vim), a versatile and widely-used text editor. In this post, we’ll explore how to efficiently replace words using Vi.

• Replacing Words with Vi
• Step-by-Step Guide
  • Example
• Additional Tips
• Conclusion

Replacing Words with Vi

Vi provides a powerful search and replace functionality. The command for replacing words throughout the entire file is:

vim
:%s/oldword/replacementword/g

Let’s break down this command:

• :%s – This part of the command tells Vi to search and replace in the entire file. The % symbol specifies that the operation should be performed on all lines.
• oldword – This is the word you want to replace.
• replacementword – This is the word that will replace oldword.
• /g – This global flag ensures that all occurrences of oldword on each line are replaced. Without this flag, only the first occurrence on each line would be replaced.

Step-by-Step Guide

• Open the File in Vi: Start by opening your file in Vi. For example:

vi filename.txt

• Enter Command Mode: Ensure you are in command mode by pressing Esc.

• Execute the Replace Command:

  • Type :%s/oldword/replacementword/g and press Enter.
  • Vi will then search the entire file and replace every occurrence of oldword with replacementword.

Example

Suppose you have a file example.txt with the following content:

The `quick` brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The `quick` brown fox is very `quick` and very clever.

To replace the word quick with swift, you would:

• Open the file in Vi:

vi example.txt

• Enter command mode by pressing Esc.

• Execute the replace command:

:%s/quick/swift/g

After running the command, the file content would be:

The `swift` brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
The `swift` brown fox is very `swift` and very clever.

Additional Tips

• Case Sensitivity: By default, the search is case-sensitive. To perform a case-insensitive search and replace, add the i flag like this:

:%s/oldword/replacementword/gi

• Confirm Each Replacement: If you want Vi to prompt you for confirmation before each replacement, add the c flag:

:%s/oldword/replacementword/gc

• Specific Line Range: You can limit the replace operation to a specific range of lines by specifying the range. For example, to replace words only in lines 10 to 20:

:10,20s/oldword/replacementword/g

Conclusion

Using Vi to replace words in a file is a quick and powerful way to edit text in Linux. The :%s/oldword/replacementword/g command allows you to perform global replacements efficiently. With additional flags and options, you can customize the search and replace functionality to suit your needs.

📝 For more information and specific details about the vi command, refer to vi man page.