howell@ihlts.UUCP (01/30/87)
I am looking for a version of VI that supports some of the following features: se list, se nu, ai, global substitution commands, ex commands. Ron Howell ihlts!howell IH: 5B-431 x2540
lyourk@ihlpf.UUCP (01/30/87)
> I am looking for a version of VI that supports some of the following > features: > se list, se nu, ai, global substitution commands, ex commands. > > > Ron Howell > ihlts!howell > IH: 5B-431 > x2540 The MKS Toolkit would have what you want. I have both, PC/VI and the MKS Toolkit vi and I like the toolkit vi better [it has the !! (piping) command and doesn't require fansi.sys]. With the toolkit you also get alot of UNIX like tools. All this for less than what you can get PC/VI for. Look in "Dr. Dobb's Journal of Software Tools" for discounted prices. Publishers of MKS Toolkit: Mortice Kern Systems Inc. 43 bridgeport Road East Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2J 2J4 (519) 884-2551 $139.00 U.S. + SH I have no connection with Mortice Kern Systems except as a happy customer (BTW they are also on the net). Loran Yourk AT&T Technologies 2600 Warrenville Rd. Lisle, Illinois 60532 (312) 510-6885 ihnp1!ihlpf!lyourk
mark@cbosgd.UUCP (01/31/87)
In article <968@ihlpf.UUCP> lyourk@ihlpf.UUCP (Loran N. Yourk) writes: >> I am looking for a version of VI that supports some of the following >> features: >> se list, se nu, ai, global substitution commands, ex commands. > >The MKS Toolkit would have what you want. I have both, PC/VI and >the MKS Toolkit vi and I like the toolkit vi better [it has >the !! (piping) command and doesn't require fansi.sys]. With the >toolkit you also get alot of UNIX like tools. All this for less >than what you can get PC/VI for. I've taken a strong interest in vi implementations for MS DOS, since my fingers have vi hardwired into them, and I have to use MS DOS from time to time. (Especially on a laptop.) I've used both the CSS PC/VI and the MKS toolkit vi. Both are excellent clones of the real vi, and both will make most UNIX vi users happy. The MKS vi is slightly more complete than PC/VI: it supports filtering and it is possible to ^Z out of it. MKS is also a bit easier to install, as it doesn't require FANSI CONSOLE or ANSI.SYS, doesn't need termcap, and doesn't need TERM. (It does, however, die horribly if there is no /tmp directory.) Another big benefit to MKS vi is that it's FAST. It writes directory to the screen, updating it instantly. You have to see this to believe it. (Unfortunately, a recent version includes anti-snow code which slows it down considerably. The anti-snow provision is pointless, in my opinion, since the snow occurs only during the instantaneous FLASH and isn't distracting. Also, many CGA cards don't snow. A very recent MKS vi has an option "set snow" to speed it up, but it's set to the slow mode by default.) The CSS vi is a bit closer to the UNIX vi. CSS tracked the real vi to version 3.9, and in particular supports "set showmode" to show when you are in input mode. (Recent MKS vi's alter the cursor, a nice touch, but different. MKS only claims compatibility with version 3.5, released from Berkeley around 1981.) I have found the CSS vi to be very solid and robust, and the few bugs I did find were fixed within a week or two - their support was excellent. Since PC/VI uses BIOS calls and termcap, it will run on machines that are not quite fully compatible, and even on the serial port on regular terminals. I am presently using MKS, because it is small and fast. But I am bothered by bugs; in particular, it insists on treating @ as the insert-mode kill character, even though MS DOS and my fingers both want to use ^U. (I can map! ^U to @, but it still eats my real @'s unless I quote them.) MKS is making an effort to be responsive and fix bugs, and are doing a good job. But I'd have to give the nod to CSS in the quality/support area, their responsiveness has been super. By the way, I didn't even consider the Manx Z editor. Their manual indicated that it is missing some key features, like ex commands and being able to recover the last 9 deleted blocks of text. These are only my opinions, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of AT&T or anyone else. Mark Horton