Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!husc6!sri-unix!sri-spam!mordor!lll-tis!elxsi!beatnix!gww
From: gww@beatnix.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Undocumented vi feature
Message-ID: <427@elxsi.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 14:01:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: elxsi.427
Posted: Fri Jun 19 14:01:29 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jun-87 09:23:01 EDT
References: <219@ausmelb.OZ>
Sender: nobody@elxsi.UUCP
Reply-To: gww@beatnix.UUCP (Gary Winiger)
Organization: ELXSI Super Computers, San Jose
Lines: 29
Keywords: vi/ex commands in a text file

In article <219@ausmelb.OZ> dak@ausmelb.OZ (David Kruger) writes:
>I usually use vi with the number and list (ex) options set.  I accomplish
>this by putting the commands in my .exrc file.
>
>
>A UNIX guru once told me that it is possible to somehow enter vi/ex commands at
>the top of a text file so that when you `vi' the file, the commands are
>executed.  Does anybody out there know how to do it?

	This is a vagely documented feature :-} /usr/src/ucb/ex/ex.news reads
in part:

``Version 3.7  October 16, 1981

	Mode lines are now supported.  Put a line containing
		ex: xxx :
	in the first or last 5 lines of the file, where xxx is any ex
	command you want executed when that file is read in.  To make
	other programs happy, it should probably be inside a comment.
	You can use vi: as well as ex:.  (Note: no space allowed
	between the "ex" and ":".  The spaces around xxx are considered
	part of the command, and so are optional.) ''

	I thought this had also made its way into some of the ex/vi
documentation, but I can't seem to find it now.  Hope this answers your
question.

Gary..
{ucbvax!sun,lll-lcc!lll-tis,amdahl!altos86}!elxsi!gww