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Question Marks in ed

 
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# 1  
Old 01-19-2005
Question Marks in ed
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?
# 2  
Old 01-19-2005
You had not written the file. Another q will exit.
# 3  
Old 01-19-2005
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 con-
     tinue  in  command  mode  with  the  current   line   number
     unchanged.  If the e or q command is repeated with no inter-
     vening command, it will take effect.

# 4  
Old 01-19-2005
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.?
# 5  
Old 01-19-2005
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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