wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Matthias Kopfermann]

hi all!

when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
ESC 10 <character>.

With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
One real advantage of bindkey -e here.
Has someone thought about inventing something like it?

(BTW: the bash cannot do it, too. nor can tcsh.)
Until now i just switch to EMACS-mode but of course it would be
something, if this usual vi-behavior was possible.

Matthias

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Peter Stephenson]

> hi all!
> 
> when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
> ESC 10 <character>.
> 
> With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
> This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
> One real advantage of bindkey -e here.
> Has someone thought about inventing something like it?

If you are using 3.1, try a widget like

read-and-insert-char () {
  local char i bound
  read -k char
  # Use padding trickery to add character multiple times.
  # Expands to something like ${(l.10..j.):-}
  # which means pad to ten characters using the fill character j, but
  # with no parameter, so we end up with pure padding.
  if [[ $char = . ]]; then bound=:; else bound=.; fi
  eval LBUFFER="\"\${LBUFFER}\${(l.${NUMERIC:-1}.${bound}$char${bound}):-}\""
}
zle -N read-and-insert-char
bindkey -M vicmd '^xi' read-and-insert-char

Go to vi command mode, type a number, the key sequence bound to the widget,
then a character, and it will be inserted that many times.

If you want to insert a longer string that many times, you will need to
expand the `read -k char' to a loop which reads a lot of characters until
you get an escape.  (It would be nice to have a minibuffer read for this
sort of thing.)  Then you will need to turn the bit which adds to LBUFFER
into a proper loop --- straightforward, I just couldn't be bothered to do
it the long-winded way.

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

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Bart Schaefer]

On Jul 17,  2:02pm, Peter Stephenson wrote:
} Subject: Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such
}
} > hi all!
} > 
} > when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
} > ESC 10 <character>.
} > 
} > With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
} > This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
} 
} If you are using 3.1, try a widget like [...]

I generally agree with the new philosophy of not adding things as builtins
that can be done as widgets, but this is so unbelievably trivial and so
completely general that I have no idea why we shouldn't do it:

Index: Src/Zle/zle_vi.c
===================================================================
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@
 	vichgbufptr = 1;
 	vichgrepeat = 0;
     }
+    if (zmod.flags & MOD_MULT)
+	prefixflag = 1;
 }
 
 /**/

-- 
Bart Schaefer                                 Brass Lantern Enterprises
http://www.well.com/user/barts              http://www.brasslantern.com

Zsh: http://www.zsh.org | PHPerl Project: http://phperl.sourceforge.net   

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Peter Stephenson]

> } > when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
> } > ESC 10 <character>.
> } > 
> } > With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
> } > This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
> } 
> } If you are using 3.1, try a widget like [...]
> 
> I generally agree with the new philosophy of not adding things as builtins
> that can be done as widgets, but this is so unbelievably trivial and so
> completely general that I have no idea why we shouldn't do it:

This isn't quite how vi handles it, however.  It would wait till you hit
escape, then insert everything you typed that many times.  That would need
more work.  Plus in zsh there are other ways of exiting insert mode than
returning to command mode --- what should happen on `return'?

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

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Bart Schaefer]

On Jul 17,  6:33pm, Peter Stephenson wrote:
} Subject: Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such
}
} > } > when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
} > } > ESC 10 <character>.
} > } > 
} > } > With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
} > } > This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
} > } 
} > } If you are using 3.1, try a widget like [...]
} > 
} > I generally agree with the new philosophy of not adding things as builtins
} > that can be done as widgets, but this is so unbelievably trivial and so
} > completely general that I have no idea why we shouldn't do it:
} 
} This isn't quite how vi handles it, however.

True, but it is how your read-and-insert-char widget handles it.

} It would wait till you hit escape, then insert everything you typed
} that many times. That would need more work.

Yes; I have a vague idea that it could be done by stashing away a copy
of the zmod structure, and then upon ESC you restore it, decrement the
zmult field, and invoke virepeatchange() ... the tricky bit could be
interaction with the `lastmod' copy of zmod that startvichange() uses.
Or maybe lastmod already contains almost everything we need ...

} Plus in zsh there are other ways of exiting insert mode than
} returning to command mode --- what should happen on `return'?

The same thing that happens now when you type e.g. `8 d RET' -- it just
accepts the buffer as it stands, aborting the repeat.

-- 
Bart Schaefer                                 Brass Lantern Enterprises
http://www.well.com/user/barts              http://www.brasslantern.com

Zsh: http://www.zsh.org | PHPerl Project: http://phperl.sourceforge.net   

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Thomas Köhler]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1346 bytes --]

On Mon, Jul 17, 2000 at 07:34:43PM +0200,
Peter Stephenson <pws@cambridgesiliconradio.com> wrote:
> 
> > } > when i use bindkey -e, i can insert one character 10 times with
> > } > ESC 10 <character>.
> > } > 
> > } > With vi one normally uses something like 10i<character>.
> > } > This is not possible with ZSH ( bindkey -v set ).
> > } 
> > } If you are using 3.1, try a widget like [...]
> > 
> > I generally agree with the new philosophy of not adding things as builtins
> > that can be done as widgets, but this is so unbelievably trivial and so
> > completely general that I have no idea why we shouldn't do it:
> 
> This isn't quite how vi handles it, however.  It would wait till you hit
> escape, then insert everything you typed that many times.  That would need
> more work.  Plus in zsh there are other ways of exiting insert mode than
> returning to command mode --- what should happen on `return'?

the usual thing, plus the characters last inserted being the new
$LBUFFER  - hey, this would be cool (:-)

CU,
Thomas

-- 
 Thomas Köhler Email:   jean-luc@picard.franken.de     | LCARS - Linux
     <><        WWW:     http://jeanluc-picard.de      | for Computers
                IRC:             jeanluc               | on All Real
               PGP public key available from Homepage! | Starships

[-- Attachment #2: Type: application/pgp-signature, Size: 232 bytes --]

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Peter Stephenson]

> On Mon, Jul 17, 2000 at 02:02:21PM +0100, Peter Stephenson wrote:
> > I just couldn't be bothered to do
> > it the long-winded way.
> Yes, that is why i stopped doing it.

If it can be done in a widget, it probably should be.  The function
interface in 3.1 is now powerful enough that you need a very good reason
for adding something to the basic shell.  We can easily add new zle widget
functions to the distribution which are essentially indistinguishable from
hard-coded functions but don't add to the shell and can be modified.  One
day they may be made more easily configurable along the lines of the new
completion system.

By the way, I said you couldn't do a minibuffer read, but using `zle -R
string...' you can make it look as if you can.

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

Re: wanted: viins-mode and digit argument with a,i,A and such

[Matthias Kopfermann]

On Mon, Jul 17, 2000 at 02:02:21PM +0100, Peter Stephenson wrote:
> I just couldn't be bothered to do
> it the long-winded way.
Yes, that is why i stopped doing it. It is not that important, on
the other hand this really is typical vi-behavior, so it would be
cool, if it was with the standard ZSH.
"Look here, ZSH alone does it right, bash and tcsh can't " :)

Matthias