ex

Open a file

$ ex [path/to/file]

$ wq<Enter>

$ undo<Enter>

$ /[search_pattern]<Enter>

$ %s/[regex]/[replacement]/g<Enter>

$ i<Enter>[text]<Ctrl c>

$ visual<Enter>

ex [options] [file ...]

-s
    Silent mode, suppresses interactive feedback.

-e
    Starts in ex mode, even if invoked as vi.

-R
    Opens the file in read-only mode.

-c
    Executes the specified ex command after opening the file.

-l
    Sets LISP mode for improved indentation and bracket matching.

-r
    Recovers a crashed editor session.

-t
    Edits the file containing the specified tag, positioning the cursor at the tag definition.

-v
    Starts in vi (visual) mode. This is often how vi itself is invoked.

-w
    Sets the default window size (number of lines) for the visual display.

-x
    Enables encryption/decryption of the file during editing.

-Z
    Starts in restricted mode, limiting shell escape and file writing capabilities.


    One or more text files to be opened and edited.

ex is a powerful line-oriented text editor that serves as the foundation for the more commonly known screen-oriented editor, vi. Unlike vi, which provides a visual, full-screen interface, ex operates by processing text line by line, requiring users to specify line numbers or patterns for most operations. It's particularly well-suited for batch processing, scripting, or making global changes to files where a visual interface isn't necessary or practical. Many commands in vi's command mode are actually ex commands. Users can enter ex mode from vi by typing a colon (:) followed by an ex command. While less common for interactive use today due to modern editors, its capabilities remain valuable for automated text manipulation.

ex has a steep learning curve for interactive use compared to modern screen editors. It is primarily useful for batch operations or scripting rather than day-to-day interactive text editing. Its line-oriented nature can be confusing for users accustomed to GUI or full-screen CLI editors.

Many ex commands are frequently used within vi by preceding them with a colon (':').
Here are a few common examples:
':q': Quit the editor.
':w': Write (save) the current file.
':wq' or ':x': Write and quit the editor.
':%s/old/new/g': Globally substitute all occurrences of 'old' with 'new' throughout the entire file.
':': Move the cursor to the specified line number.
':set ': Set editor options (e.g., 'set nu' to display line numbers, 'set ic' for ignore case in searches).
':!': Execute a shell command from within the editor (e.g., ':!ls').

ex was developed at the University of California, Berkeley, by Bill Joy as an extended version of the `ed` editor, providing more powerful commands and regular expression capabilities. It became the foundational layer for the visual editor (vi), also created by Joy to provide a screen-oriented interface to ex's capabilities. Its development was a crucial step in the evolution of Unix text editors, directly leading to the highly influential vi and its modern descendants like vim.

vi(1), vim(1), sed(1), awk(1), ed(1)