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Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 13:59:51 -0400 (EDT)
From: Keith Bostic <bostic@bsdi.com>
Message-Id: <199606041759.NAA21311@mongoose.bostic.com>
To: current@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: editors 
Cc: jhs@freebsd.org, terry@lambert.org
Sender: owner-current@freebsd.org
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

> Reference my:
>> From: "Julian H. Stacey" <jhs@FreeBSD.org> 
>>> From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org> 
>>>> It would be dead easy to hack the status mode word on the bottom line
>>>> that you get with showmode:
>>>> 	`Command'  -->	`Youre in Command mode		Type :help if stuck'
>>>> 	`Insert'   -->	`Youre in Insert mode		Type <escape> if stuck'
>>>> Showmode would be preset on, from .exrc, of course.
>>> Uh, you mean:
>>>  	`Insert'   -->	`Youre in Insert mode		Hit <escape> if stuck'
>
> Ah, Yes :-)
> Here are patches to implement a terser version of above on
> FreeBSD-current/usr.bin/vi, ( to stop vi newbies getting stranded ).
>
> I've tested (& installed here) with set showmode ruler showdirty.
> If someone would try them, & they're considered OK,
> maybe they're acceptable for inclusion in src/ ?

I'm hesitant to do this.  The reason is that this will require
lots and lots of repaint characters whenever the lower line gets
updated, and it's not going to fit if the ruler option is on as
well.

What I'd like to do is have a "novice" mode where vi splits the
screen and puts a full help file into the lower half, with the
common commands immediately visible.  Kind of like pico...  The
question that I haven't been able to answer is what to use to
trigger this event.  I could certainly use :help, but as Julian
points out, it would be nice to have something so that newbie
users don't get trapped.

--keith