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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!enea!kuling!irf
From: irf@kuling.UUCP (Stellan Bergman)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: VI questions
Message-ID: <504@kuling.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Oct-87 23:43:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: kuling.504
Posted: Tue Oct  6 23:43:29 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Oct-87 18:32:25 EDT
References: <5016@utah-cs.UUCP> <221@stag.UUCP> <3050@uwmcsd1.UUCP>
Reply-To: irf@kuling.UUCP (Stellan Bergman)
Organization: Dept. of Computer Systems, Uppsala University, Sweden
Lines: 24
Keywords: VI, Bells

In article <3050@uwmcsd1.UUCP> zhao@csd4.milw.wisc.edu.UUCP (T.C. Zhao) writes:
>Just a couple of quick questions
>
>1. I would like to disable the bells in VI ( caused , say, by two Esc),
>seems that 'set noerrorbells' doesn't stop the bell. What is the
>problem? If two Esc are not considered an error why ring the bell in the
>first place ? Am I missing something ?
'vi' does not only communicate by writing (admittedly, not very much unless
programmed otherwise) on the screen but also by sounding the bell. ESC ESC
is a safe way of *always* getting into the command mode.  The experienced
typist relies on the audial signal from 'vi' to confirm this and doesn't
have to use his/her eyes.  Hence, the 'vi' bell is *not* to be considered
an error indication only! 
>2. I remember a while back someone mentioned ' visual bells' in Vi,
>that is instead of a bell the screen flashes should an error occur.
>Can someone tell me how to do this ?
In your terminfo (or termcap) file you add a 'flash' entry (e.g. escape
sequences to temporarily change the screen to reverse video and back) and in
your EXINIT (or .exrc file if you use such a thing) you do :set flash.
In 'vi' you can disable flashing by :set noflash.  The side effect is
that the terminal will be initiated by your 'tset' to flash instead
of sounding the bell to indicate errors also in your shell.  Personally
I use flash all the time.  It is *much* nicer to the guys in the offices
next door ...