NAME

ex, edit − text editor

SYNOPSIS

ex [ − ] [ −v ] [ −t tag ] [ −r ] [ +command ] [ −l ] name ...
edit [ ex options ]

DESCRIPTION

Ex is the root of a family of editors which includes edit(1), ex, and vi(1). Display based editing is the focus of vi. Most users will in fact use vi as the principal interface to the system rather than ex.

OPTIONS

− supress all interactive feedback to the user — useful for processing ex scripts in shell files. 

−v start up in display editing state using vi(1). You can achieve the same effect by simply typing the vi command itself. 

−t tag
edit the file containing the tag tag. A tags database must have been built previously using the ctags(1) command.

−r recover the indicated files after a crash.

−l set up for editing LISP programs. 

−wnnn
set the default window (number of lines on your terminal) to nnn— this is useful if you are dialling into the system over a slow ’phone line.

−x prompt for a key to be used in encrypting the file being edited. 

−R edit the file in read-only state.  You can achieve the same effect with the view command. 

+command
start the editing session by executing command.

DOCUMENTATION

The document Edit: A tutorial provides a comprehensive introduction to edit assuming no previous knowledge of computers or the UNIX system. 

The Ex Reference Manual − Version 3.5 is a comprehensive and complete manual for the command mode features of ex, but you cannot learn to use the editor by reading it.  For an introduction to more advanced forms of editing using the command mode of ex see the editing documents written by Brian Kernighan for the editor ed; the material in the introductory and advanced documents works also with ex. 

An Introduction to Display Editing with Vi introduces the display editor vi and provides reference material on vi.  These documents can be found in the Editing and Text Processing Manual.  In addition, the Vi Quick Reference card summarizes the commands of vi in a useful, functional way, and is useful with the Introduction. 

FILES

/usr/lib/ex?.?stringserror messages
/usr/lib/ex?.?recoverrecover command
/usr/lib/ex?.?preservepreserve command
/etc/termcapdescribes capabilities of terminals
~/.exrceditor startup file
/tmp/Exnnnnneditor temporary
/tmp/Rxnnnnnnamed buffer temporary
/usr/preservepreservation directory

SEE ALSO

awk(1), ed(1), grep(1), sed(1), grep(1), vi(1), termcap(5), environ(5)

BUGS

The undo command causes all marks to be lost on lines changed and then restored if the marked lines were changed. 

Undo never clears the buffer modified condition. 

The z command prints a number of logical rather than physical lines.  More than a screen full of output may result if long lines are present. 

File input/output errors don’t print a name if the command line ‘−’ option is used. 

There is no easy way to do a single scan ignoring case. 

The editor does not warn if text is placed in named buffers and not used before exiting the editor. 

Null characters are discarded in input files, and cannot appear in resultant files. 

RESTRICTIONS

The encryption facilities of ex are not available on software shipped outside the U.S. 

Sun Release 1.1  —  Last change: 13 March 1984