Using the Nano Text Editor

What is Nano?

Nano is a simple text editor that works directly in your command line or terminal. It's one of the easiest command-line editors to learn and use, making it perfect for beginners.

Opening Nano

To open Nano and create a new file or edit an existing one:

nano filename.py

Replace "filename.py" with the name of your file. If the file doesn't exist yet, Nano will create it when you save.

You can also open Nano without specifying a file:

nano

This opens a blank document that you can save later.

Understanding the Nano Interface

Note: If you don't see this image, don't worry! The image isn't necessary to learn Nano.

The Nano interface has three main parts:

Title bar (top): Shows the version of Nano, the current filename, and whether the file has been modified
Edit area (middle): This is where you type and edit your text
Shortcut menu (bottom two lines): Shows the most common keyboard commands

In the shortcut menu, the "^" symbol means the Ctrl key. For example, "^X" means "press Ctrl and X together".

Basic Navigation

Moving around in Nano is simple:

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor up, down, left, and right
Use Page Up and Page Down to scroll through long files
Use Home to go to the beginning of the current line
Use End to go to the end of the current line

Essential Commands

Here are the most important commands you'll use in Nano:

File Operations

Ctrl+O: Save the file (Write Out)
- After pressing Ctrl+O, you can change the filename if you want
- Press Enter to confirm
Ctrl+X: Exit Nano
- If you've made changes, Nano will ask if you want to save them
- Press Y for yes, N for no, or Ctrl+C to cancel
Ctrl+R: Insert the contents of another file at the cursor position

Editing

Ctrl+K: Cut (delete) the current line into the cut buffer
Ctrl+U: Paste the cut buffer at the cursor position
Ctrl+6: Mark text (start selecting)
- Use arrow keys to select text after pressing Ctrl+6
- Press Ctrl+K to cut the selected text
Ctrl+_: Go to a specific line number (type the number and press Enter)
Ctrl+\: Search and replace

Other Useful Commands

Ctrl+G: Show help menu
Ctrl+C: Show cursor position (line number, column, character)
Ctrl+W: Search for text

Example: Creating a Python File with Nano

Let's create a simple Python program using Nano:

Open Nano to create a new Python file:
```
nano hello.py
```

Type the following Python code:

print("Hello, world!")
name = input("What's your name? ")
print(f"Nice to meet you, {name}!")

Save the file by pressing Ctrl+O, then press Enter to confirm
Exit Nano by pressing Ctrl+X
Run your Python program:
```
python hello.py
```

Tips for Using Nano

Use the help menu: If you forget a command, press Ctrl+G to see all available commands
Line numbers: To see line numbers while editing, use the -l option: nano -l filename.py
Backup files: Nano can create backup files automatically with the -B option: nano -B filename.py
Syntax highlighting: Some versions of Nano support syntax highlighting for programming languages

What's Next?

Now that you know how to use Nano, try:

Back to Home Page