Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttrdc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!mgnetp!ltuxa!ttrdc!levy From: levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) Newsgroups: net.bugs Subject: Re: Vi isn't nasty enough, so user looses lines Message-ID: <380@ttrdc.UUCP> Date: Sat, 24-Aug-85 01:39:54 EDT Article-I.D.: ttrdc.380 Posted: Sat Aug 24 01:39:54 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 03:16:22 EDT References: <2073@ukma.UUCP> Organization: AT&T, Computer Systems Division, Skokie, IL Lines: 32 In article <2073@ukma.UUCP>, david@ukma.UUCP (David Herron, NPR Lover) writes: >Index: Everybody's favorite text editor. > >Problem: Vi allows users to :wq without comment when they've > deleted part of the file and written it to something else. > This can result in lost files and confused novices. > >Repeat-by: Edit a file. Delete part of the file. (dG) Write > the result to another file (:w junk). Exit by either > typing :wq or ZZ. Notice that the original is shorter. > Find backup tape. > >Fix: Add more nastiness to vi. > What system (USG or Berkeley)? What version vi? I just tried this on a 3B20 running Sys5r2 and after deleting a few lines from a copy of my mbox I did a :w junk, then a ZZ. A diff between the copy and my mbox showed they were the same. Trying this with :w junk, then :wq did indeed overwrite the original. Looks like you get just what you ask for when you :wq but ZZ seems to protect your hide OK. The buffer modified condition is cleared whenever you write the whole thing to a file--could be /dev/null for all vi cares. ZZ honors this condition (and won't overwrite the original), :wq does NOT!! (Someone else with a different version may feel free to contradict me.) -- ------------------------------- Disclaimer: The views contained herein are | dan levy | yvel nad | my own and are not at all those of my em- | an engihacker @ | ployer, my pets, my plants, my boss, or the | at&t computer systems division | s.a. of any computer upon which I may hack. | skokie, illinois | -------------------------------- Path: ..!ihnp4!ttrdc!levy or: ..!ihnp4!iheds!ttbcad!levy