Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsm!lfd
From: lfd@cbnewsm.att.com (leland.f.derbenwick)
Newsgroups: comp.bugs.sys5
Subject: Re: Obscure Vi bug?
Summary: non-zero status from vi
Message-ID: <1990Jul20.214800.16524@cbnewsm.att.com>
Date: 20 Jul 90 21:48:00 GMT
References: <798@intelhf.hf.intel.com> <462@hitachi.uucp>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 20

In article <462@hitachi.uucp>, jon@hitachi.uucp (Jon Ryshpan) writes:
> [ ... ]    Vi is Version
> SVR3.1.  Also vi also often returns a nonzero status, despite the fact
> that nothing seems to have gone wrong.

Some versions of vi [I don't know exactly which ones, but they
include the one on cbnewsm  :-( ] apparently count failed searches
and 'f', 't', etc., commands that you issued.

For example, if you edit a file, do three searches that return
"Pattern not found", then exit, vi will have a return code of 3.

For my own sanity, I have a shell called "vi" in my bin that runs
the /usr/bin/vi and then does an exit 0.  That way I don't get
"couldn't run editor" messages when I try to post something like
this.

 -- Speaking strictly for myself,
 --   Lee Derbenwick, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Warren, NJ
 --   lfd@cbnewsm.ATT.COM  or  <wherever>!att!cbnewsm!lfd