[comp.editors] vi: how to do :e !$ ??

carl@mugwump.UK.Sun.COM (Carl Johnson - Sun EHQ - MIS) (01/30/91)

Greetings,
	Is there a way in vi to refer to the last file you tried to edit?  For
	example if I do :e file.c and get an error because I haven't saved it
	can I then do the equivalent of :e! !$  

Cheers,
Carl.

tchrist@convex.COM (Tom Christiansen) (01/31/91)

From the keyboard of carl@mugwump.UK.Sun.COM (Carl Johnson - Sun EHQ - MIS):
:Greetings,
:	Is there a way in vi to refer to the last file you tried to edit?  For
:	example if I do :e file.c and get an error because I haven't saved it
:	can I then do the equivalent of :e! !$  

:e!#

if you're into that kind of thing, you might wish to set autowrite
and writeany, and use :n to go to the next file.

--tom
--
"Hey, did you hear Stallman has replaced /vmunix with /vmunix.el?  Now
 he can finally have the whole O/S built-in to his editor like he
 always wanted!" --me (Tom Christiansen <tchrist@convex.com>)

dattier@vpnet.chi.il.us (David W. Tamkin) (02/01/91)

carl@mugwump.UK.Sun.COM (Carl Johnson) wrote in <4729@male.EBay.Sun.COM>:

| 	Is there a way in vi to refer to the last file you tried to edit?  For
| 	example if I do :e file.c and get an error because I haven't saved it
| 	can I then do the equivalent of :e! !$  

Is :e# what you're looking for?

David Tamkin  PO Box 7002  Des Plaines IL  60018-7002  dattier@vpnet.chi.il.us
GEnie:D.W.TAMKIN  CIS:73720,1570  MCIMail:426-1818  708 518 6769  312 693 0591

Dan_Bloch@TRANSARC.COM (02/01/91)

tchrist@convex.COM (Tom Christiansen) writes:
> carl@mugwump.UK.Sun.COM (Carl Johnson - Sun EHQ - MIS) writes:
>
>> Is there a way in vi to refer to the last file you tried to edit?  For
>> example if I do :e file.c and get an error because I haven't saved it
>> can I then do the equivalent of :e! !$
>
> :e! #
>
> if you're into that kind of thing, you might wish to set autowrite
> and writeany, and use :n to go to the next file.

In a little more detail, # represents the "alternate filename," which
is generally the last file you edited or referenced.  Similarly %
represents the current filname.  These can be used in any command-mode
command, e.g. :e! # as above, :!lpr % to print the file you're editing,
:r # to read the alternate file into the current file, etc.

If you set autowrite and you use :n instead of :e, your file gets
saved automatically and you basically never have to type :w.  Setting
writeany doesn't do anything for you.  Control-^ is a synonym for :n #.

Dan Bloch
dan@transarc.com

P.S.  Re repost:  The original question was clear.  Tom's response
      and this elaboration answer the question.