Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!amdahl!pacbell!hoptoad!tim
From: tim@hoptoad.uucp (Tim Maroney)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Aztec C/Shell DOES HAVE a 'vi' editor
Message-ID: <5634@hoptoad.uucp>
Date: 14 Oct 88 21:22:26 GMT
References: <1988Oct10.145745.2790@mntgfx.mentor.com> <967@oswego.Oswego.EDU> <5606@hoptoad.uucp> <10402@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <15424@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <10421@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <15487@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: tim@hoptoad.UUCP (Tim Maroney)
Organization: Eclectic Software, San Francisco
Lines: 39

In article <15487@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> steve@violet.berkeley.edu (Steve
Goldfield) writes:
>What I meant by "automatic editing" is that in UNIX I can
>write a shell script to use ex for complex changes to many files.
>Can MPW Shell do that, too?

Yes, because all the editor commands can also be given by shell commands, and
the commands can be saved in a shell script.  On the other hand, a Mac vi
wouldn't have the power to do this unless it came with a UNIX shell as well
(and the "!" command, which seems even less likely).

>The other thing which seems to be lacking (maybe I just haven't run
>into the right software) is a good and very general spelling
>checker (by good I mean that it shows the context, permits a
>typed in substitution, permits adding a new word to a dictionary,
>and checks files from all word processing programs without
>problems. I've used SpellsWell and the built-in checkers in
>Microsoft Word 3 and WriteNow and haven't been impressed. But
>then UNIX spell isn't too hot, either.)

No, it sure isn't.  It's a major pain in the ass to use, in fact, and it has
none of the features you described if memory serves.  There's a spell checker
called Thunder on the Mac that bases it all on keystroke interception, so it
works interactively with any application.  I haven't used it myself except
for compatibility tests, but those I know who've used it like it a lot.

On the other hand, I have tried to use Hayden Speller -- spent money for it,
even.  What a rip-off.  Avoid it like the plague.  Maximum of 1500 different
words, shit.  The way I write, there's no way it could even get through a
single short story.

I thought we were talking about advantages and disadvantages between vi and
Mac editors.  You don't seem to have really spoken much to that issue.  And
no one seems to want to discuss the multiple-windows issue; I really doubt
I'm the only person who opens more than one document at a time!  What gives?
-- 
Tim Maroney, Consultant, Eclectic Software, sun!hoptoad!tim
"Don't talk to me about disclaimers!  I invented disclaimers!"
    - The Censored Hacker