Re: use vim to vi

[Peter Stephenson <pws@cambridgesiliconradio.com>]

> When I say zsh uses vi mode for command line editing, does it actually
> use the vi editor or does it have a vi emulation inbuilt? if it calls
> the vi editor for command line editing, can i make it call vim instead?

No, it has its own built-in vi emulation.

> also in vi mode, how can I open the command line in vi (like 'v' command in
> ksh)?

I had a brief go at this (I'm not a vi mode expert) and there seem to be
all sorts of problems.  I haven't got time to investigate, so I'm hoping
this will prompt some responses.  This is unfortunately not an answer to
the original question.

- The traditional zsh way of doing this (needed for 3.0.x) would involve
pushing the current input somewhere, then running a command which uses
what's there.  Where is `somewhere', buffer stack or history?  Both seem
hard: if I use the history, it's hard to get the editor to stick something
there (as we've been discovering recently), if I use the buffer stack it's
hard to get a command to read it.  What's an easy way of doing this?  It
ought to be possible to stick something in the history and just run `fc -e
vi', which will pick that up, but writing bindkey -s applets (for want of a
better word) for vi mode seems pretty hairy.

- In 3.1.x you might hope you could run `fc -e vi' in an editing widget.
This doesn't seem to work.  I don't think the history is set up right.

- Next attempt is to use the contents of $BUFFER (which certainly does work
and is a better way of doing it in zsh), dump it to a file and run vi on
that.  vi is doing something very strange.  I suspect (but haven't checked)
it's having all sorts of problems with the terminal being set up for
command line editing.

I can only hope Bart's got some answers.

-- 
Peter Stephenson <pws@cambridgesiliconradio.com>
Cambridge Silicon Radio, Unit 300, Science Park, Milton Road,
Cambridge, CB4 0XL, UK                          Tel: +44 (0)1223 392070