Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!littlei!reed!tektronix!tekig!phils
From: phils@tekig.TEK.COM (Phil Staub)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: VI update
Message-ID: <666@tekig.TEK.COM>
Date: 30 Dec 87 05:31:05 GMT
References: <6022@cisunx.UUCP> <2674@gryphon.CTS.COM> <165@obi-wan> <3015@cbmvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: phils@tekig.UUCP (Phil Staub)
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 59
Keywords: :-)

In article <3015@cbmvax.UUCP> schein@cbmvax.UUCP (Dan Schein CATS) writes:
>In article <165@obi-wan> itkin@stsci.EDU (Elliot Itkin) writes:
>>
>>Concerning the VI editor for the Amiga ...
>>
>>Manz has a version of it (called "Z").  It performs very nicely and
>>even resizes the text if you re-size the window.  It is not completely
>>Unix vi compatible but is close enough for me.
>
>    They also have a version for MS-DOS (BridgeBoard :-) called "Z".
>    I use both the Amiga and MS-DOS versions along with the real thing
>    (VI) here on our Vax and have never had any compatiblity problems.
                                                 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I guess I wonder what you mean by compatibility problems. If you mean the
two are _essentially_ the same, I guess I'd have to agree. However, I can
cite a good many differences which have caused me some degree of heartburn.
Things like no "ignore case" on searches, no wrapmargin, no "global" option
for search/replace, as in ":g/hello/s//HELLO/g" (yes, I know that
":1,$s/hello/HELLO/g" does the same thing, but the "g" is easier to use).

Basically, several of the options I use in my EXINIT on unix are not 
supported in Z:

    setenv EXINIT "se ai ic showmatch nowrapscan magic redraw 
				shiftwidth=4 wm=4 tabstop=8"

Of these Z only supports ai, nowrapscan, magic, and tabstop (sort of).

Nevertheless, I still find Z a very useful editor. Several times I've 
switched to another flavor of editor and have always returned to a vi 
lookalike, because it's the only editor which seems to be available in some 
form or another on nearly every machine I've ever laid my hands on. (I can
feel the flames of the emacs'ers heating up right now, but it has been my
experience when I walk up to somebody's machine, it will have either vi or
vi and emacs both, but seldom only emacs. My experience. Not to be construed
as a statement of general fact.)

Oh well. Enough of this drivel. Summary: I use both vi and Z. They are
significantly alike, but there are several differences which I wish weren't
there.

>-- 
>   Dan Schein		 uucp: {ihnp4|allegra|burdvax|rutgers}!cbmvax!schein
>   Commodore AMIGA			Bix: dschein	     Plink: Dan*CATS
>   1200 Wilson Drive			phone: (215) 431-9100	   ext. 9542
>   West Chester PA 19380
>+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
>   All spelling mistakes are a result of my efforts to avoid education  :-)
>+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
>        I help Commodore by supporting the AMIGA. Commodore supports
>         me by allowing me to form my own suggestions and comments.

	-Phil

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil Staub                     "I do NOT approve. I merely said I UNDERSTAND."
tektronix!tekigm2!phils                                              - Spock
phils@tekigm2.TEK.COM