From: buboo@alf.uib.no (Ove Ruben R Olsen)
Subject: Re: stupid question from a neophyte user
Followup-To: poster
Reply-To: buboo@alf.uib.no
Organization: University of Bergen, Norway
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 07:32:33 GMT

Shu-Chen Eclipse writes:

>it keeps giving all kinds of errors?!! If I caps If, it gives me one kind, if
>i lower case if, gives me another set-- why in sam's whatchamacallit should
>"if" be case sensitive. Do I put "then" on the 1st line? do I put then on the
>2nd line? do I preced then with a ";" (in sh? I've seen it both ways);
>do I put "" around "$TERM"? do I use != or !== or ~==?? is the ( ) test above
>case sensitive? should I upcase/lowercase term and sun before comparing them?

Have you READ THE FINE MANUAL (RTFM) ?

    man sh

will give you what you want. The man part about UNIX is one of the nicer
things about it. The HELP function for VMS S**KS, it does not even cover
all the quirks of the OS ! Not that 'man' does it either, but man goes 
far beyond the information level that 'HELP' goes.

>
>why is unix so complicated compared to vms dcl-- 
>now that's a script language,eh?
>thanx for answering,
>frustrated at being forced to use unix instead of vms,
>sue@byron.u.washington.edu
> AND ALSO THIS INSANE VI EDITOR!!!!

You should always learn your editor, and know it. I belive a editors is the 
most used program on a machine. This is a golden rule for every used program.
Unfortunately, for the people, the people do not get beyound the basics in
editing. They learn to move one char at each time. So imagine the fellow
that want to go to line 1267 and hit the "down" key and count 1, hit the
"down" key and count 2, hit the "down" key and ... suddenly there comes
a phone and after the phone he starts all over. I'm serious, I've seen it.
After a while he learn how to "page down". Quite happy with that, except
with files that are more than 300 lines long >:). They learn how to do
the basics: moving _one_ char, line, page at the time.
A good editor should be able to:
   - Move you arbitary number of chars with one or cobined commands.
   - Move you arbitary number of words with one or cobined commands.
   - Move you arbitary number of lines with one or cobined commands.
   - Move you arbitary number of pages with one or cobined commands.
   - Move you in any direction, in a object fashioned way. 
   - Have a consistent and easy command set (acronyms for the various cmds).
   - Un-limited undo.
   - NO mouse support (mousing around takes to much time), learn to type, or
     use a word processor !
   - Have a macro language that resembels the editor commands, with perhaps
     a limited set of exstension commands.
   - Should be standarized. (POSIX, ANSI, ISO and so on (yes, I would love
     to see a ISO editor :-))). 
   - Not eat more than 0.5 % of _user_ CPU power (Not total CPU) && memory.
... and so on ...

Enuff rambling, back to the whining about VI:

The following tutorials about VI can be fetched from the following 
places around the world:

You should first get the following files:
  1. vi.love.Z       A colletions of "Why do you love vi ?" from comp.editors.
  2. vi.intro.Z      Introduction on Display Editing with VI. UCB-dist. A Must.
  3. vi.reference.Z  VI reference. Version 8.  Maarten Litmaath. A Must. 
  4. vi.tutor.tar.Z  An interactive tutor for VI. (Ver: 1.3) Beginers choice.
  5. vi.tutor.tex.Z  A exelent documet to use with vi.tutor.Z. Beginers choise.

Then, to know the workings for your editor:
  6. ex.reference.Z  EX Reference Manual. UCB-dist. A Must.
  7. vi.apwh.ms.Z    VI Command & Function Reference. UCB-dist.
  8. vi.chars.Z      Apendix: character functions. UCB-dist. A Must.

The VI/EX archives can be found at:

Europe:
   Main site:     alf.uib.no (129.177.30.3)
   Filearea:      pub/lpf/misc
   Peak hours:    07.00 am GMT to 03.00 pm GMT 

Japan:
   Mirror site:   utsun.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp (133.11.11.11) 
   Filearea:      misc/vi-archive
   Peak hours:    01.00 am GMT to 09.00 am GMT

USA, Canada and Mexico: 
   Mirror site:   cs.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4)
   Filearea:      /pub/vi
   Peak hours:    None.            

Australia, NZ and the rest Down Under:
   Main site:     monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (130.194.1.106)
   Filearea:      /pub/Vi
   Peak hours:    Not relevent


For more information about the files at the archives and the archives 
itself, please read one of the FAQ for Comp.Editors.
If you are in a hurry you may fetch the INDEX file.


Why you should learn VI is stated in vi.love.Z. 

Why you should not learn VI (I'm _***NOT***_ naming any other editor, 'cuz
it will only start a holy war, note the followup too :-):
   - YOU will be the only that support the new editor.
   - You need to take it with you when you move to a new architecture, and
     perhaps using a lot of valuable time to port it.
   - You will have to learn a inconsistent set of editor commands.
   - Many times you will end up with a exstermly limited set of editing cmds.
   - You will need diskspace.
   - A lot of time you will have to ask MANAGEMENT to be allowed to run
     3rd party software, to use CPU cycles, to have a bigger quota.
... and so on...

>
> ... my gawd --IT'S CASE SENSITIVE--WHAT JUNK!!

Of course, it has nearly 27 * 2 different commands wich can be combined... 
it's called powerfull. If you learn it the propper way, you will never
want to change editor. :-)
VI - like learing how to drive a Ferrari - a pain, BUT once you have 
learned it, it is powerfull and FAST.

\Ruben.

PS: 
  People that is ignorant tend to live a fustrated life, at least when
  it comes to editing - But I do belive this is a general rule in life.
			 - Me, myself and I.
  :DS


-- 
    Ove Ruben R Olsen, Professional VI user. EMAIL: Ove.R.Olsen@ubb.uib.no
  Maintaining the Largest  VI/EX-STUFF Archive in the WORLD (alf.uib.no) and
the Comp.Editors FAQ file. If you have information about editing, new editors,
  please get in touch with me. This does not apply to EMACS type of editors.
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