vi vs emacs in a student environment

PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET at cunyvm.cuny.edu PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET at cunyvm.cuny.edu
Wed Jul 20 06:11:15 AEST 1988


(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell    <rbj at icst-cmr.arpa>
writes
>The ASCII definition of DEL is `rubout', i.e. delete-backward-character.
Historically RUBOUT was a code that was all ones and so could be used
to 'rubout' an erroneus character on a piece of paper tape because it
was all holes, unlike NULL which was all non-holes and used for leaving
the paper tape as it was or preparing a long lead in.....

Like BEL (ring that bell) and CR (Carriage Return) much of the ASCII control
codes are Hysterically Historical:-)

By the way DEC perverted ASCII very successfully when it decided that
Device Control 3 and Device Control 1 would signal pause and restart
transmission (CTRL/S, CTRL/Q). Similarly There use of SUB (CTRL/Z) to
indicate EOF file was quite non ASCII standard, and so on.

I have/am developing a list of the various perverted forms of ASCII
control codes.  Mail me the weirdest you've heard of (CTRL/P as interupt?,
CR as ine feed and vv) and I can summarise to the net.
Dick Botting
PAAAAAR at CCS.CSUSCC.CALSTATE(doc-dick)
paaaaar at calstate.bitnet
PAAAAAR%CALSTATE.BITNET@{depends on the phase of the moon}.EDU
Dept Comp Sci., CSUSB, 5500 State Univ Pkway, San Bernardino CA 92407
Disclaimer: What with my brain, my fingers, this Mac, Red Ryder,
            the PDP and its software, NOS and the CSU CYBERS,
            plus transmission errors, your machine, terminal,
            eyes, and brain,.....
       I probably didn't think what you thought you just read any way!



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