Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!ogccse!blake!uw-beaver!mit-eddie!rutgers!deimos!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!uxg.cso.uiuc.edu!uxh.cso.uiuc.edu!phil
From: phil@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: tough bug in vi
Message-ID: <11500001@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 21 Nov 88 04:45:00 GMT
Lines: 19
Nf-ID: #N:uxh.cso.uiuc.edu:11500001:000:833
Nf-From: uxh.cso.uiuc.edu!phil    Nov 20 22:45:00 1988


Calling all vi hacks:

When I tried to learn to use vi I ran into one bug that effectively makes
vi useless to me.  I showed it to several people who, once they saw what it
was, said that it could not be fixed.  One person suggesting modifying the
source.  I went back to Emacs instead.

This bug works like this:

I go into insert mode with "i" and type in some new text.  I then backspace
over that text with ^H (backspace).  The text is no longer in the buffer
but is still showing on the screen.  To me this is a serious bug because
I frequently make mistakes and go back and correct them.  I get totally
out of whack when I have to work in the blind, or exit insert mode just
to see what I am doing (and go back in it again).

So, is there anyone out there that knows how to fix this so I can go back
to learning how to use vi?