Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site redwood.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hpda!fortune!redwood!rpw3 From: rpw3@redwood.UUCP (Rob Warnock) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: h,j,k,l in vi Message-ID: <174@redwood.UUCP> Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 08:03:38 EST Article-I.D.: redwood.174 Posted: Wed Feb 27 08:03:38 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 04:36:18 EST References: <8604@brl-tgr.ARPA> Organization: [Consultant], Foster City, CA Lines: 29 +--------------- | The real reason for the h,j,k,l mappings in vi is that Berkeley had | nothing but ADM-3a in the early days. If you look on it keyboard, those | keys are the equivalent of the cursor control characters... | Daniel Conde | conde.pa@Xerox.ARPA +--------------- In all of this dialog about h,j,k,l lately, I have seen no one note the following (sorry if this is a repeat): H/J/K/L are "reasonable" for left/down/up/right for the simple fact that-H == backspace == move left -J == line feed == move down -K == vert. tab == move up (on many terminals) -L == form feed == clear screen [Oh well, can't win 'em all! ;-} ] That these keys also are (1) on the home row and (2) form a "linearized" or "flattened" version of the "diamond" cursor-key pattern is an additional convenience. Note that several game programs which use h,j,k,l for cursor motions also allow a,s,d,f for left-handed folk. Rob Warnock Systems Architecture Consultant UUCP: {ihnp4,ucbvax!dual}!fortune!redwood!rpw3 DDD: (415)572-2607 USPS: 510 Trinidad Lane, Foster City, CA 94404