Searching for a pattern in vi starting from the last line

[Shivkumar]

Hi,

I want to search for a pattern in vi editor which contains large number of entries.
I know only how to search forward by opening the file in vi and executing /pattern.

But do not know how to search a pattern starting from the bottom of the page and going back ward searching line by line.

Can someone please let me know ?

Thanks,
Shiv

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Shiv:

Instead of a slash ('/') to scan forwards, use a question-mark ('?').

See the manpages for 'vi'.

Regards!

...JRF...

[Court Campbell]

Hit shift+g to go to the end of the file. Then run the search. Then use shift+n to go backward in the list.

[Ninad_1]

Hi,

/ sets the direction as forward search and ? sets the direction as backwards search.
Then to continue and search the next pattern in the direction that you have set, simply press/type n

Regards,
Ninad

[Nitin Kumar Gupta]

Go to a perticular line,

esc + : + line number.

So, your target is last line

esc + : + $, you will reach at last line.

Write your pattern with /

+ n will move the cursor backward.

Rgds
-NKG-

[Dennis Handly]

>Nitin: Go to a particular line

You don't need to type the colon if you type: number G
To go to the end, just type G.