# vi command - replace

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/vi-command-replace/165217>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [September 16, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/vi-command-replace/165217 "2006-09-16T21:07:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tictactoe](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/tictactoe/32/6_22734026db12803ebb3e059622ac3534.png) [@tictactoe](https://community.unix.com/u/tictactoe)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/vi-command-replace/165217/1 "2006-09-16T21:07:45Z")

</div>

Hi,

```
  Given a long text file. How can I replace all full stops-[.] with semicolon [;]

```

thanks,  
tictactoe

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nathan](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/nathan/32/3436_2.png) [@nathan](https://community.unix.com/u/nathan)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/vi-command-replace/165217/2 "2006-09-16T21:33:38Z")

</div>

In command mode:

```nohighlight
:%s/\./;/g

```