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From: dws@margay.cs.wisc.edu (DaviD W. Sanderson)
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: Re: Whence vi's hjkl?
Message-ID: <1991Apr15.233250.2426@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 15 Apr 91 23:32:50 GMT
References: <1991Apr15.021544.19067@umbc3.umbc.edu>
Sender: news@spool.cs.wisc.edu (The News)
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
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In article <1991Apr15.021544.19067@umbc3.umbc.edu> rouben@math16.math.umbc.edu () writes:
>I have always wondered about the choice of the {h,j,k,l} keys for 
>cursor movement in vi.  What was the rational behind it? 
>Does anyone have an explanation for the choice?

If I remember correctly, certain terminals have arrows marked on the
hjkl keys that happen to correspond to what hjkl do in vi.  Perhaps
this is a coincidence, but I don't think so.  I don't remember which
terminals they were.  Perhaps a posting to alt.folklore.computers would
elicit more information?

DaviD W. Sanderson (dws@cs.wisc.edu)
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