I typed the following commands:
Code:
176 lab2-37:~> ed newb.txt
74
1,6p
Hello
Hello World.
I need some sentences to edit.
add the script
OK Fn
2,4c
.
1,3p
Hello
add the script
OK Fn
q
?
Please note the second-to-last line: I want to quit the ed, so I typed q, but instead of quitting immediately, the ed gave me a question mark, why?
----------------------------------------------------------
You had not written the file. Another q will exit.
----------------------------------------------------------
Thanx. I know why now.
Code:
If changes have been made in the buffer
since the last w command that wrote the entire
buffer, ed will warn the user
if an attempt is made to destroy the editor
buffer via the e or q commands. The ed utility will write the string:
"?\n"
(followed by an explanatory message if help
mode has been enabled via the H command) to standard
output and
will continue in command
mode with the current line number
unchanged. If the e or q command is repeated with
no intervening command, it will take effect.
----------------------------------------------------------
I'm a little bit confused about ed. What's the use of ed since there are such more powerful editors like vim, emacs, etc.?
----------------------------------------------------------
ed is a really old editor, and beleive it or not, there are old systems like telephone switches that the only text editor available is ed. This is when I learned it and still use it.
Another use is when you have several things in a window you want to paste into a file, but don't want to lose it (by opening vi), you can use ed and accomplish this. Of course a second window will do the same thing.
Given the choice, most people will use vi (including me).
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