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From: jrd@stl.stc.co.uk (J.R.Davis)
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: Some VI macros and ideas
Message-ID: <3309@stl.stc.co.uk>
Date: 15 Aug 90 07:53:47 GMT
Sender: news@stl.stc.co.uk
Reply-To: jrd@stl.stc.co.uk (J.R.Davis)
Organization: STC Technology Limited, London Road, Harlow, Essex, UK
Lines: 124


A few macros and ideas for vi hackers:
(all on a Sun (4.0.3), don't know how portable they are...)

** When you set up some clever mapping, have it tell the user what it
has done by, e.g.

    map q :set list^M:"--- in list mode ---"^M

will display "--- in list mode ---" on the bottom (command) line.

** Since it is simpe to have a macro remapping itself, it is possible
to set up keys which 'toggle' operations - for example, to toggle
line numbering, define

    map @NU@ :set nu^M:map # @NONU@^M
    map @NONU@ :set nonu^M:map # @NU@^M
    map # @NU@

Now pressing `#' will switch line numbering on or off.
I use similar code to toggle autoindent, list mode and tabs (4 or 8 spaces).

** Similarly, you are not limited to just two modes:

    map @C@ :so ~/.exrc.c^M:map g @TEXT@^M:"--- C mode ---"^M
    map @TEXT@ :so ~/.exrc.text^M:map g @LISP@^M:"--- Text mode ---"^M
    map @LISP@ :so ~/.exrc.lisp^M:map g @LISP@^M:"--- Lisp mode ---"^M
    map g @TEXT@

Now, vi starts in no particular mode, but hitting 'g' repeatedly switches
through the different customised environments.

** A mapping to underline a line with -'s:

    map _ "zyy"zp^i^M^[<<<<<<<<<<<<:s/./-/g^M-J

This causes the screen to flash, due to the `p', I can't see any
way round it but it still works. Any ideas out there?
Without the "z's, vi complains "Cannot put inside global/macro".
This one could probably be improved a lot, but I can't figure it...

** One for Suns only, I think:

    map #2 :r /tmp/winselection^Mdd:w /dev/null^M^]

(#2..#9 map the F2..F9 keys on a sun - your keyboard may be different)
In a shelltool, highlight a word with the left & centre mouse buttons,
then hit F2; this is the same as typing ":ta word", but a lot quicker.
DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE FILE FIRST - it doesn't ask/let you.

** A set I use a lot:

    map #3 my
    map #4 "yy'y
    map #5 "yd'y
    map #6 "yp
    map #7 'y
    map #8 :'y,.w! ~/.vi.buffer^M
    map #9 :r ~/.vi.buffer^M

use F3 to mark a line, then
F4 to yank up to that line;
F5 to delete to the line;
F6 to put pack the yanked or deleted text (at current position);
F7 to go back to the marked line;
F8 to write from the current line to the marked line
    to a temporary file;
F9 to read from the temporary file written with F8 into
    the current position.

F8 and F9 are especially useful for transferring text between
two files - for example

    vi file1
    go to start of block to move
    F3
    go to end of block to move
    F8
    F5
    :wq
    vi file2
    go to place you want text from file 1
    F9

Voilla!

** for spell checking a document:
(uses a program `vspell', which I list below)

    map @V1@ 1G!Gvspell^M:map V @V2@^M
    map @V2@ 1Gd/---- spell check complete ---/+0^M:map V @V1@^M
    map V @V1@

Use `V' ("verify spelling") to spell check a file - puts a list of the
spelling errors at the top of the file. Use `V' again to get rid of them.

Here's the `vspell' program - a little shell script:

    #!/bin/sh
    # vspell - spell checker to invoke from vi
    #
    # john davis

    tmp1=/tmp/$program.1.$$

    trap "" 1 2 3 15

    echo -------------- spelling check ---------------
    tee $tmp1 | spell -b
    echo ----------- spell check complete ------------
    cat $tmp1

    rm -f $tmp1
    # end of vspell ------------------------------------

Note that it checks the file being edited, you don't need to save first.
The geniuses among you can probably improve this tenfold...

** that's all, folks... if anyone can see obvious (or even obscure)
improvements, please mail me...

                              -jrd
--
John Davis  ( J.R.Davis@stl.stc.co.uk +44-279-429531 Ext 3618 )