Xref: utzoo comp.misc:5655 comp.editors:597
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!nrl-cmf!ukma!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!ihlpb!gregg
From: gregg@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Wonderly)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.editors
Subject: Re: UNIX needs a real text editor
Message-ID: <9985@ihlpb.ATT.COM>
Date: 27 Mar 89 14:43:23 GMT
References: <237@usl-pc.usl.edu>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 38

From article <237@usl-pc.usl.edu>, by jpdres10@usl-pc.usl.edu (Green Eric Lee):
> ...
>
> But I might
> note that VI doesn't do a couple of things which I count as necessary.
> You cannot edit multiple files onscreen at the same time (with the
> ability to freely move text between them), and you cannot have
> multiple windows into one file (e.g., one at the top into
> declarations, one at the bottom into the function you're currently
> writing). 

While this is handy and I will not attempt to dispute the merits of
multiple windows on the screen, I will say this.

Moving text between two files is easy using the named buffers.  Just use
"[a-z]<some yank or delete command> followed by :vi file to switch to
the other file.  Then use "[a-z][pP] to place the text where you want it
(note that a delete sequence automatically inserts text into a numbered
buffer which is also available after switching files).  When you want to
go back to the other file use ^^ or ^.  or :vi # if your terminal won't
send either of those sequences.

If you place the opening brace of the function at the beginning of the
line you can use [[ to move to the top of the function, do your
declarations and then use '' to move back to your old place.

My opinion is that as long as xMACS editors continue to use a language
such as lisp for programability there will continue to be resistance.
Every version I have tried to implement vi's % operator in has failed
miserably in speed.

If you really want to see a fast programable editor get someone to show
you DEC's TPU for VMS.  If you want to see how I would like to see VI,
look at my VI emulation in TPU (select regions, multiple windows and
buffers etc).
-- 
Gregg Wonderly                             DOMAIN: gregg@ihlpb.att.com
AT&T Bell Laboratories                     UUCP:   att!ihlpb!gregg