🚀 go-pugleaf

keithv@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Keith Vetter) writes:
: I've tried using the solution in the FAQ to format paragraphs, namely
: :!}fmt
: but when I do this I get the error message:
: }fmt: Command not found.
: 
: I really do have it.  In fact if I do    map F !}fmt ^[
: it works fine.
: 
: Any ideas?  (my .cshrc file doesn't do anything weird)
: 
: Keith

As do many keys, ``!'' does different, but related, things in different
contexts within Vi.  When in command mode, doing !}fmt runs the program
``fmt'' as a filter on the region from the current point up until the
end of the paragraph.  (Just as y} would yank up until the end of the
paragraph and d} would delete until the end of the paragraph).

Ex has a related ! command and that is what you are using when you
prefix ! with a colon.  The ! command has a similar syntax as other ex
commands:

<region address>!fmt

This runs fmt as a filter on the region selected by <region address>, e.g.:

:1,2!fmt
	filter lines 1 and 2 through fmt
:.,$!fmt
	filter the current line to and including the last line through fmt
:1,$!fmt 
:%!fmt
	both say filter the entire file through fmt.


Hope that helps.

--Neil

--
Neil I. Weisenfeld                    National Institutes of Health
Computer Engineer                     Building 12A, Room 2033
weisen@alw.nih.gov                    Bethesda, MD 20892
uunet!nih-csl!weisen                  phone: (301) 402-2788