Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!husc6!cmcl2!nrl-cmf!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!esosun!seismo!uunet!mcvax!botter!ark!maart
From: maart@cs.vu.nl (Maarten Litmaath)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: Re: <tab> to space under vi, VI SUMMARY COMING SOON...
Keywords: vi, tab, vi summary
Message-ID: <1180@ark.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 22 Jan 88 19:16:54 GMT
References: <462@gordon.UUCP> <239@unicom.UUCP>
Reply-To: maart@cs.vu.nl (Maarten Litmaath)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 28

In article <239@unicom.UUCP> daniel@unicom.UUCP (Dan "I want to Ski Tam!" Smith) writes:
\In article <462@gordon.UUCP> kelvin@gordon.UUCP (Kelvin Lam) writes:
\>To all the 'vi' expert out there(I hope this is the right group!)
\>
\>Is there a way to force 'vi' editor to insert appropreiate number of spaces
\>when <tab> key is hit?  That is, instead of inserting the actual <tab>,
\>n number of spaces are inserted.
\
\	:g/	/s//        /g

# this is NOT what Kelvin wants: the number of spaces isn't always eight !

\Vi won't let you map the tab key, or I would suggest making a map! (input
\mode macro) for it.

# this is not true; it's a bit difficult, but it can be done:
# use ":map ^V^V^I ^T" e.g. to map tab to "move one shiftwidth to the right"
# Remarks:
# 1) ^V = control-v (within vi you have to escape the tab, because
#    it's a separator), ^I = tab, ^T = control-t
# 2) you can set the shiftwidth with e.g. ":set sw=4" (default 8)
# 3) I can't find a proper solution to the problem myself
# 4) I've got an extended vi manual on line (I think it's GOOD);
#    anybody interested ?
Regards.
-- 
Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies |Maarten Litmaath @ Free U Amsterdam:
like an orange.      (seen elsewhere) |maart@cs.vu.nl, mcvax!botter!ark!maart