No Unix-class system administrator or user will get far without learning the basics of Vim, the modern replacement for vi. Contrary to some misinformed opinions spread among users who are new to Unix-class systems, Vim is not difficult to learn. Granted, it is not very friendly to beginners, but once you grasp the basic concepts, you will never have to learn another text editor again, because Vim is available for all standard operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, BSD, and many others. This book helps you shorten the time you need to spend learning Vim.
With over 50,000 copies in distribution to date, “Vim and Vi Tips” has become the Vim book to go to when you are learning Vim or just trying to remember a specific shortcut.
The latest, 3rd edition teaches you even more about Vim without sacrificing the concise style and easy to follow presentation of the subject.
I have good news for all readers of Vim and Vi Tips! The third edition is available in PDF!
This is a serious upgrade. There are 22 new sections, one new chapter, and 71 updated sections. No page left unturned. And now, with even more screenshots!
Once again, I went against the traditional way of teaching Vim. The comments I received from the readers of the first and the second editions of Vim and Vi Tips confirm that my decision to present the subject from the point of view of someone who does not have a lot of Unix experience was the right one. This stuff is not hard, if you shed some of the old ways and lingo!
And over 50,000 of you who have purchased that book since 2008 seem to agree!
If you want to find out what has changed, I posted the full Table of Contents and the detailed list of the changes from the Second Edition on this site.