RE: bi

[Paul Wade <paulwade@greenbush.com>]

On Fri, 11 Apr 1997, Jason Costomiris wrote:

> On Fri, 11 Apr 1997, Rick wrote:
> 
> > What is it that is so special about vi?  Does it decompile programs or write
> > them all by itself or leap tall buildings with a single bound?
> 
> I get calls from users all the time asking "How do I search and replace in
> my file?"  9 times out of 10, they are using pico, which has to be the
> most brain dead editor ever created.  I always tell them, use vi, and
> then:
> 
> :g/search-regexp/s//replace-string/g
> 
> Voila.  Takes about 3 seconds to type it and change every instance of some
> expression in an entire file.  Could be handy if you suddenly realize that
> you've been misspelling some guy's name throughout your 50 page thesis.
> 
> I tell them to use vi, they wretch, much like you seem to be.  They ask if
> there's something else.  I then tell them:
> 
> perl -pi.bak -e 's/search-regexp/replace-string/g' filename
> 
> ....  and then they go into convulsions.  Then they waste a bazillion years
> ftp'ing their file to their Windoze box, make the changes using Notepad,
> and then ftp it back in binary mode, thus munging the end of lines, and
> then call me again for help, asking why there are all of these funny ^M's
> on the end of their lines.  Argh.

Tell them to install joe. If they can't figure out how to use joe, give
them a pencil (with eraser) and paper.

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
+ Paul Wade                         Greenbush Technologies Corporation +
+ mailto:paulwade@greenbush.com              http://www.greenbush.com/ +
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