Porting UNIX Applications to the Mac

[#Bill_Stewart]

In article <791 at mtund.UUCP> adam at mtund.UUCP (Adam V. Reed) writes:
>Larry Tesler:
>> ....  A useful definition
>> of mode is a state of a user interface that affects the interpretation of
>> subsequent inputs without obvious indication........
>> But it is exceedingly rare compared with systems like vi that overload the
>> typing keys with functional meanings.
>Although I enjoy the relative orthogonality of vi, I think that some
>visible indication of whether one's input will be interpreted as text
>or commands might be very desirable. But would it really be enough to
>make vi "modeless"?

AT&T Version 3.9 of vi (comes with SVR2) has a "showmode" option which does just
that.  It's part of our standard options for novices.  I don't use it, partly
because of the wonderful things it does on paper terminals :-.  It helps a bit
when you forget which mode you're in.  Put "set showmode" in your $EXINIT.

Most emacs versions I've used have similar features, at least to the extent of
moving the cursor to line 24 during a ^X: command; when I use emacs I keep it in
Electric-C-Mode or nroff-mode (just to add fuel to the is-emacs-modeless fire.)

My reasons for using vi are more plebian; I learned it first and for most of
my work emacs isn't a big enough gain to switch.
-- 
# Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs 2G-202, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs