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From: boykin@custom.UUCP (Joseph Boykin)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Undocumented vi feature
Message-ID: <756@custom.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Jun-87 21:26:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: custom.756
Posted: Thu Jun 18 21:26:15 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Jun-87 01:17:36 EDT
References: <219@ausmelb.OZ>
Organization: Custom Software Systems; Natick, MA
Lines: 28
Keywords: vi/ex commands in a text file
Summary: Use "mode lines"

In article <219@ausmelb.OZ>, dak@ausmelb.OZ (David Kruger) writes:
> 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?
>
> Thanks in advance,

There is a feature within UNIX VI (and PC/VI) called "mode lines"
which is what you are looking for.  It was present, but not
documented in UNIX VI version 3.7.  They were documented for
version 3.9 (SVR2).  Essentially you put some magic anywhere
within the first or last five lines of your file with
EX commands in it.  The magic is either "ex:" or
"vi:" followed by the command, followed by another colon.  That
is, for your case you would want a mode line which looks like
this:

	vi: set nonu nolist :

Mode lines are processed after both global and local
initialization (EXINIT and .exrc file(s)), hence the
mode line will override your EXINIT and .exrc entries.

If you have PC/VI, mode lines are documented in Chapter 4, section 4.8.2.

Joe Boykin
Custom Software Systems
...necntc!custom!boykin