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