Rand Editor

[Robert Viduya]

><
Posted from  cottrell at nbs-vms.ARPA
> VI is much more capable than RE. The keys all have mnemonic names,
> d for delete, w for word, i for insert, etc. I don't know how the
> keystrokes for RE were developed. RE is simple to learn tho.
> VI is more complex & powerful, and sometimes confusing. VI includes
> macros, repeat the last cmd that changed the text, undo same, multiple
> delete/yank buffers & markers, regular expressions, & shell escapes.
> RE does multiple windows and cursor defined open/close which is nice.
> VI is pronounced `vee-eye' as noted in `An Introduction to Display
> Editing with Vi' by William Joy. Nuff said!
> */

I dunno about the Rand Editor, but vi is just about the most terminal
independent screen editor I've ever used.  Here at Tech, we've got a number
of different terminals, ranging from a few ADM3As and Regent 25s up to
Wyse 300s, IBM-PCs (with just about any terminal emulator), and CDC 721s.
Vi works on every single one of them and you don't have to 'reprogram' your
fingers everytime you change terminals just because different manufacturers
like to put cursor-keys and screen-control keys in different places and
different layouts.  I've found vi to be almost crippling in that respect
since all the other screen editors available are the half-duplex type that
*have* to use the special keys on a terminal.  I frequently get into one
of those editors and start hitting the 'j' key and start wondering both
why the cursor isn't moving down and what are all the 'j's doing showing up in
my file.

			robert
-- 
Robert Viduya
Georgia Institute of Technology

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