Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!pbs.org!TALOS!jerry
From: jerry@TALOS.UUCP (Jerry Gitomer)
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: Re: vi--backspace past beg-of-line
Message-ID: <1012@TALOS.UUCP>
Date: 8 Feb 91 15:49:10 GMT
References: <21841@oolong.la.locus.com>
Organization: NPRI, Alexandria VA
Lines: 27

stevea@locus.com (Steve Anderson) writes:

:Is there any way to backspace past the beginning of the line when
:you're in insert or append mode?

:For example, I hit i, type "Is there any...".  I get to "in", and now
:I want to backspace to "line" while still in insert mode.  Possible?

Yes, using the :map facility of vi.  I picked this trick up
from Tom Christenson's articles here.  Just do the following
(I used the four arrow keys since most of us have modern
keyboards):

:map! ^[0A ^[ka
:map! ^[0B ^[ja
:map! ^[0C ^[lli
:map! ^[0D ^[i

to enter the first line type
	:map ! CTL-V <up-arrow-key> CTL-V <escape-key> ka

The other lines are entered in a similar manner :-)

-- 
Jerry Gitomer at National Political Resources Inc, Alexandria, VA USA
I am apolitical, have no resources, and speak only for myself.
Ma Bell (703)683-9090      (UUCP:  ...{uupsi,vrdxhq}!pbs!npri6!jerry