[Novalug] VI - rieties (was Re: vi question)

[Mackenzie Morgan]

On Sunday 12 April 2009 6:15:54 pm Sean McGowan wrote:
> On Sun, 2009-04-12 at 14:43 -0400, Mackenzie Morgan wrote:
> > Ugh, yeah old Solaris boxen are why I learned the :e scp:// trick.  Real 
vi 
> > doesn't have backspace-beyond-insertion-point.  I really like being able 
to 
> > use backspace though.  ci{ is a nice addition in vim, but not having it 
isn't 
> > nearly as annoying as the backspace thing.
> 
> You should never have to backspace beyond your insertion point if you
> are using vi properly.  If you are, then you are not taking advantage of
> the variety of commands and movements.  Backspace is only for typos
> while you are in insert mode.

What if I am typing along, go into command mode to go do something elsewhere, 
go back to where I was, insert, type the rest of a sentence, decide 
"nevermind, I don't like that phrasing" and want to backspace to the 3rd word 
from the start of the sentence?  I'd have to sit there, take my hands off the 
keyboard, point at the screen and count "1, 2, 3, 4, .....ok, 15 words back" 
then type d15b.  Or I could hold down backspace.

I know how to delete to the end of a sentence ("df.")  but what about 
backwards to a certain character to delete to the start of the sentence?  I 
don't know anything that's the opposite of "f" and even if I did...if I wanted 
the 3rd-word-in-sentence as above, unless I could say (supposing the opposite 
of f was t) dt.-3w ...I have no idea how to do that.

-- 
Mackenzie Morgan
http://ubuntulinuxtipstricks.blogspot.com
apt-get moo
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