Text editors

[Amy Pondolfino]

Just got started with HP UX and I like it, but I'd like a graphical text editor in addition to ed, red and 'text editor.' Our systems guys prefer a text editor that can be automatically patched/updated/etc when they do system upgrades, and I think that VIM/GVim/Cream might fit the bill. Any recommendations or experience you'd like to share?

[James R. Ferguson]

Hi Amy:

An ability to use 'vi' is of great value given that it is the defacto, always-available tool on any Unix/Linux server.

The 'vim' variant is quite popular and supports language-specific syntax highlighting among other enhancements to the standard 'vi'.

See:

http://hpux.connect.org.uk/hppd/hpux/Editors/

Regards!

...JRF...

[Steven Schweda]

> Our systems guys prefer a text editor that
> can be automatically patched/updated/etc
> when they do system upgrades [...]

Really? I normally prefer freeware which
does _not_ change unexpectedly.

In any case, I also would suggest Vim.

http://www.vim.org/

It's relatively portable and pretty commonly
available. It's close enough to vi to
satisfy a typical vi user, and it adds enough
convenience to satisfy at least some vi
haters. I haven't made it as far as Cream.

I'm unaware of any automatic update
capability for Vim, however (which is fine
with me). Unless you're running something
like GNU/Linux, where it might be bundled
with the OS.

[OldSchool]

another resource is:

http://directory.fsf.org/category/editors/


X-Window/CDE has dtpad as well. I don't use it, but its there.

However, the FSF software, nor the items from the Porting Center will be kept up-to-date w/ patches. and in some cases, you will need to build from source code (and that would include vim/gvim), and some, such as gvim, will need you to run X-Windows.

note the vim, gvim are Vi IMproved, and Cream says it's an improved vim.

vi is included with every *nix I've every looked at, and the commands are upward compatable w/ vim and gvim (at least mostly). Which would satisify the patch issue). vim would be in linux distributions.

emacs should be widely available, and it has some rather ardent adherents...I'm not familiar with it an can't comment.

there used to be an emulation of IBM Full Screen Edit form uneclipse software, which worked well on 10.20, but had issues on 11x (curses changes?). besides, they seem to have fallen off the planet in the past few years....

Depending on what your familar with, there are a variety of options.

[Heironimus · Accepted solution]

If you want it to be automatically updated with system patches/upgrades then you would need to stay with editors supplied with HP-UX. Anything that HP doesn't put in the OS has to be updated on its own, though nothing stops you from updating non-HP software at the same time as your OS patches.

For non-HP X-based editors I like gvim, but I've been using vi for so long that I keep hitting vi keys when I use something else. For non-vi people I'd generally recommend nedit as a capable-but-simple editor.

[Amy Pondolfino]

Thanks everyone for the great advice!