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From: torek@elf.ee.lbl.gov (Chris Torek)
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: Re: Can you write complex vi macros?
Message-ID: <11040@dog.ee.lbl.gov>
Date: 17 Mar 91 21:44:34 GMT
References: <2483@otc.otca.oz>
Reply-To: torek@elf.ee.lbl.gov (Chris Torek)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley
Lines: 14
X-Local-Date: Sun, 17 Mar 91 13:44:34 PST

In article <2483@otc.otca.oz> gregm@otc.otca.oz.au (Greg McFarlane) writes:
>It seems that you cannot have more than one "undo-able" vi command in the
>one macro. This means that a complex vi macro must be split into several
>smaller macros. ... Is there a reason for this madness?

It has a lot to do with the `chipping to fit on a PDP-11' that I
mentioned a few articles back.  The innards of vi share this buffer
with that one, with horribly complex rules.  As a result you can
occasionally find a sequence that causes bizarre results.  It used to
be the case, for instance, that combining wrapmargin with abbreviations
(I think) could goof up the file you were editing.
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Lawrence Berkeley Lab CSE/EE (+1 415 486 5427)
Berkeley, CA		Domain:	torek@ee.lbl.gov