Copying text

You copy text in the same manner as you move it, except that instead of using the delete text command d, you use the yank text command, y. The y command copies the specified text into the paste buffer without deleting it from the text. It follows the same syntax as the d command. You can also use the shortcut yy to copy an entire text line into the paste buffer, in the same way as dd.

For example, you can copy the first two lines of the file to a position immediately underneath them. To do so, enter the following command sequence from the first line of the file:

2yy
j
p

Note that you must move down one line using j, or the two lines will be pasted after the first line rather than after the second.