Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!elroy!spl1!ddsw1!corpane!sparks
From: sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: vi-like
Message-ID: <415@corpane.UUCP>
Date: 7 Mar 89 12:57:52 GMT
References: <12406@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> <958@starfish.Convergent.COM> <2386@iscuva.ISCS.COM>
Organization: Corpane Industries, Inc., Louisville Ky
Lines: 53

In article <2386@iscuva.ISCS.COM>, carlp@iscuva.ISCS.COM (Carl Paukstis) writes:
> 
> EDITOR WARS!
> As for "unfriendly", vi is hard to LEARN, not hard to USE.  I assure you, I
> can be quite productive with vi - especially for quick jobs.

I agree with you there. It is hard to learn. But once you master the wierd
commands, it's not so bad. As far as full screen editors go, it's my last 
choice, but it's not real bad.

> 
> Sure, vi has some drawbacks; mainly it's outweighed by special-purpose
> solutions.  BRIEF is quite good on the PC, and I tend to use Micro-EMACS
> for larger, prolonged, complex multi-file editing.  But I can't compile on
> my PC with M-E loaded; and I don't want to start it up again to correct a
> semicolon - so I fall back on vi.  And that tends to increase my reliance
> on vi:  I use it all the time, so I know the keys and commands.  I still
> have to look things up for EMACS if I want to do anything complicated.  And
> if I'm using somebody else's key bindings, I'm totally screwed.  Why is the
> sequence 'dw' to delete a word "unfriendly"?

well, dw is not so bad, but let's look at some of the other commands:

dd = delete line (why? why not dl?)
ZZ = end edit and save file (!!!!)
$ = end of file
A = insert begining at end of line !?!?!


sure there probably are reasons for such cryptic commands. For instance,
the dd for delete line is for convenience in deleting lines, you just have
to keep pressing the same key and watch the lines disapear. But that doesn't
make it any easier to learn or any more friendly.

Personally I like EDT (yes I grew up on DEC). It's easy to use, the keypad
is designed to do most of the editing commands, like del-word, del-line, go
to end of line, go to beginning of line, cut, paste, etc. 

I like the keypad approach rather than the single letter commands in some
editors, because you don't have to leave insert mode in order to do editing.

I have see EDT for msdos machines, it is a very good port and very easy to
learn and use.





-- 
John Sparks      // Amiga  |  {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks 
               \X/  UUCP   |  >> call D.I.S.K. @ 502/968-5401 thru 5406 << 
 
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