Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!utah-gr!stride!tahoe!adonis
From: adonis@tahoe.unr.edu (Derrick Hamner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: SED and the like
Message-ID: <1456@tahoe.unr.edu>
Date: 16 Jul 88 02:03:53 GMT
References: <4876@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>
Reply-To: adonis@tahoe.unr.edu.UUCP (Derrick Hamner)
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Nevada - Reno
Lines: 60


	I would like to help, but my sysop won't let me post large files to
moderated groups (i.e. Nothing large gets mailed.).  I have something that
seems to fit your description very well however.  I have included an
excerpt from it's manual.  If you (or someone else) is near a
PC-Pursuit'able city, I could upload it to a BBS there, and you could get
it (or someone else could post it).  It's a lot of trouble, but this seems
to be a good program.

Derrick

----Excerpt from manual----
PORTABILITY
   This tool was reverse-engineered from BSD 4.1 UNIX sed, and (as far
as the author's knowledge and tests can determine) is compatible  with
it. All documented features of BSD 4.1 sed are supported.

   One undocumented feature (a leading 'n' in the first comment having
the same effect as an  -n command-line option)  has been omitted.

The following bugs and limitations have been fixed:
   * There is no hidden length limit (40 in BSD sed) on w file names.
   * There is no limit (8 in BSD sed) on the length of labels.
   * The exchange command now works for long pattern and hold spaces.

The following enhancements to existing commands have been made:
   * a, i commands don't insist on a leading backslash-\n in the text.
   * r, w commands don't insist on whitespace before the filename.
   * The g, p and P options on s commands may be given in any order.

Some enhancements to regular-expression syntax have been made:
   * \t is recognized in REs (and elswhere) as an escape for tab.
   * In an RE, + calls for 1..n repeats of the previous pattern.

The following are completely new features:
   * The l command (list, undocumented and weaker in BSD)
   * The W command (write first line of pattern space to file).
   * The T command (branch on last substitute failed).
   * Trailing comments are now allowed on command lines.

   In addition,  sed's error messages have been made more specific and
informative.

   The implementation is also  significantly  smaller and  faster than
BSD 4.1 sed. It uses only the standard I/O library and exit.


NOTE
   This is a freeware component of the GNU  operating system. The user
is hereby granted permission to use, modify, reproduce and  distribute
it subject to the following conditions:
   1. The authorship notice appearing  in  each source file may not be
altered or deleted.
   2. The object form may not be distributed without source.


-- 
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|  There are more important things to be    |        Derrick Hamner         |
|  than responsible.  			    |   tahoe.unr.edu.UUCP!adonis   |
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