Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!voder!pyramid!ncc!myrias!dbf
From: dbf@myrias.UUCP (David Ferrier)
Newsgroups: comp.editors
Subject: Re: Vi bashing
Summary: guaranteed to contain only truth about vi
Keywords: user-friendly, clear documentation, ease of use
Message-ID: <960@myrias.UUCP>
Date: 15 Mar 89 17:29:16 GMT
References: <587@alice.marlow.uucp> <4048@ttidca.TTI.COM>
Organization: Myrias Research Corporation
Lines: 25

In article <4048@ttidca.TTI.COM> kevin@ttidcb.tti.com (Kevin Carothers) writes:
>I am continuously amazed at the lack of knowledge about Vi some of the 
>people who post to this newsgroup display!
>NO, you DO NOT have to count lines! [to delete a block of text] 
>1.  Mark the beginning and end of your block of text 
>    Lets say the beginning is register "a", and the end is "b".
>2.  Enter the following command:
>    :'a,'bw !wc -l
>           +---- This space is very important.
>If you don't like Vi, fine. Just don't post untrue junk about it.

Thanks for posting an ingenious and elegant solution. 
With my amazing lack of knowledge of vi, it would have taken me 
hours of pulling together information scattered among many 
pages of UNIX documentation on vi, ex, and wc to come up with 
this nifty get-around. 

It also highlights the problem that in vi there is no EASY, OBVIOUS way 
to delete a large block of text.  For dozens of other editors, 
the procedure is "Just Say Delete".  When vi also becomes user-friendly, 
clearly documented, and easy to use, please post.
-- 
David Ferrier                            | computer: 
Edmonton, Alberta                        | a million morons
UUCC:alberta!myrias!dbf                  | working at the speed of light