I was just wondering what "Vi" means in Linux (the command used for editing files)?
4 Answers
Wikipedia has a concise and properly cited explanation:
The name
vi
is derived from the shortest unambiguous abbreviation for the commandvisual
inex
; the command in question switches the line editorex
to visual mode.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi
Note that this does not mean that the full name of the text editor "vi" is still "visual" or, even, that "vi" currently stands for "visual" - the name of the editor is just "vi". The above quote just explains how the name originally came into being.
As Ben Voigt helpfully points out, the people (and websites) claiming that it stands for "Visual Instrument" are confusing it with another product unrelated to the text editor.
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10The association of VI = Visual Instrument comes from LabVIEW, which has an editor for visual instruments and therefore matches searches for "VI editor". There is no connection between the Linux text editor "vi" and the acronym Visual Instrument. +1 Mar 30, 2014 at 19:35
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3In case anyone wonders why a program would be named after a command in another, remember that programs under Unix can be installed under multiple names, and change their behaviour appropriately. Thus invoking
ex
with the namevi
would start it invisual
mode.vim
can be started in many modes this way, includingex
,exim
("ex
improved"),view
(read-only),rvim
(restricted),evim
(easy),vimdiff
(compare two files) etc– IMSoPMar 31, 2014 at 17:00
Vi is a screen editor for Linux, Unix and other Unix-like operating systems. Pronounced (vee-aye). Stands for VIsual.
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi and http://www.techopedia.com/definition/10347/vi
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13
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3It should probably be noted that while it is excellent (once you know how to use it), vi/vim takes some effort to learn. It can be overwhelming the first time you have to use it; if you're not editing plain text files regularly, it's probably better to use (in the terminal) nano or (in the GUI) gedit (which lack the advanced features, flexibility and efficiency of vim, but are much more new-user-friendly).– evilsoupMar 30, 2014 at 13:01
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17VI = Visual Instrument in the context of National Instruments' LabVIEW programming environment. Not the Linux text editor. This answer erroneously suggests a relationship between the two. Mar 30, 2014 at 19:36
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4I also disagree with the second half of this answer, as I've always pronounced it "vie".– IMSoPMar 30, 2014 at 23:44
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2I just say "vim" - nobody really uses the original vi anyway - they may type "vi" but it'll most likely actually be vim, nvi or Busybox. Or in some cases Elvis. Mar 31, 2014 at 1:25
If one goes back and looks at an old man page for vi, such as the one for SunOS 5.10 from '07:
SunOS 5.10 Last change: 16 May 2007 1 User Commands vi(1) The vi (visual) utility is a display-oriented text editor based on an underlying line editor ex. It is possible to use the command mode of ex from within vi and to use the command mode of vi from within ex. The visual commands are described on this manual page; how to set options (like automatically numbering lines and automatically starting a new output line when you type carriage return) and all ex line editor com- mands are described on the ex(1) manual page.
Or from Ultrix (latest release '95):
Name vi - screen editor Syntax vi [ -t tag ] [ +command ] [ -l ] [ -r ] [ -wn ] [ -x ] name... Description The (visual) editor is a display-oriented text editor based on The com mand and the command run the same code. You can access the command mode of from within
And thus you have it: vi
is from visual. This matches the pattern its ancestor editors: ex
is the extended editor and ed
is an editor.
There is no indication that this stands for anything else. Maybe Visual Interface (what I learned it as back long ago), but there is no documentation that it stands for anything other than visual.
Vi just stands for Visual, as in Visual Editor. Vim stands for Visual Improved, as in Visual Editor Improved.wikibooks
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1Vim stands for Vi IMproved proved really, with the "V" from "VI" and the "IM" from "IMPROVED". Mar 31, 2014 at 0:27
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Your answer says it stands for "visual improved". What I'm trying to say is it stands for "vi improved", not "visual improved". The "v" is from "vi". Mar 31, 2014 at 0:46
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1Vi, which stands for Visual (according to the link and the old man page according the MichaelT) and IM, which stands for Improved. If the abbreviation stands for Vi Improved, then the Vi in that would still be Visual.– ChrisR.Mar 31, 2014 at 3:56
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1Vim certainly does not stand for Visual Improved. Expanding acronyms multiple times is not valid—far less something that isn't even an acronym. Also, incidentally: quoting the Vim manual: "VIM stands for Vi IMproved." Apr 1, 2014 at 4:51
vim
is "Vi improved", not virtual improved.