[comp.sys.sun] any way to show mode in sun vi?

danl@cbnewsc.att.com (daniel.r.levy) (04/26/89)

Is there any way in sun vi (sun3, sun4) to make the editor show when it is
insert mode?  Under System V, there is a ":set showmode" comand which will
display, for example, "APPEND MODE"  in the lower right hand corner of the
screen after the user types 'a' or 'A' in command mode, until the user
exits append mode by typing <ESCAPE>.  sun3 and sun4 vi don't grok ":set
showmode" but ":set all" reveals a seemingly promising "nomodeline".
Alas, when I enter the command ":set modeline", and then enter a text
modification mode, I don't see anything different.  Is there something
else I would need to do in order to activate the equivalent of System V's
"set showmode"?  Thanks very much in advance.  (I need this feature to
assist new users, not for myself.  I know how to use vi very well myself,
thank you.)

Dan'l Levy                 UNIX(R) mail:  att!ttbcad!levy, att!cbnewsc!danl
AT&T Bell Laboratories
5555 West Touhy Avenue     Any opinions expressed in the message above are
Skokie, Illinois  60077    mine, and not necessarily AT&T's.