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From: std-unix@ut-sally.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.std.unix
Subject: Re: excludes vi in standard
Message-ID: <6973@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Jan-87 11:13:22 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.6973
Posted: Wed Jan 28 11:13:22 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Jan-87 06:17:05 EST
References: <6861@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: IEEE P1003 Portable Operating System for Computer Environments Committee
Lines: 24
Approved: jsq@sally.utexas.edu

From: kimcm@olamb.UUCP (Kim Chr. Madsen)
Date: 19 Jan 87 12:47:59 GMT
Organization: AmbraSoft A/S (Denmark)

> The Berkeley Mail program used to construct this message calls
> "vi" from within.  Then again, ANY program ca be caled from within
> another program, via the "exec*" system call, so what's the big
> deal about "vi"???

What's the big deal about "vi", well for one thing it's standard!
You don't find a UNIX system delivered without at least three editors:

	ed - Common campground for computer travellers.
	ex - EXpanded Ed(itor).
	vi - VIsual Ex.

Whenever a program needs to call an editor it often searches for the
environment variable $EDITOR and if defined exec* the editor defined
here. If not defined it will search for a default editor (usually vi -
since it's the most user friendly of the three standard editors).

				Kim Chr. Madsen

Volume-Number: Volume 9, Number 26