UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Does anyone know if there is a search command in vi that positions the cursor on the first line not containing a particular string?

I am using the version of vi that comes with HP-UX 11.11, and Vim 7.2 for Windows.

I am editing a large file. Every line of the file has a timestamp in it, the same timestamp often recurs, and I have to find the points where the timestamp changes. There are other ways to do what I have to do, and I've got around the problem before, but I'm hoping there is a neat way of doing this in vi.

As one example, I have a large number of lines with the timestamp "Jan 13 06:01". I need to position the cursor on the next line that doesn't contain "Jan 13 06:01".

I can get all the lines that don't contain "Jan 13 06:01" using a NOT with the :g command -

:g!/Jan 13 06:01/

Since the file is very large I get a lot of screenfuls of results, and after the process is over the cursor is positioned at the last of the returned lines, instead of the first.


I need a way of using a NOT in a simple forward search.

I can do a forward search using -

/Jan 13 06:01/

This includes the current line after the current cursor position in its search. If it's possible to use a NOT with this search it might, (though I don't know for sure), just find the next 12 characters that don't equal "Jan 13 06:07", which wouldn't be useful. (I don't know for sure because I don't know how to put a NOT into that search.) What I need is the next whole line that doesn't contain the string.


I can also do a forward search starting with a ":" to get to the command line before typing the first "/" -

:/Jan 13 06:01/

I don't know all the differences between this and the previous search, but I do know this one doesn't include the current line after the current cursor position in its search. Using a NOT with this search might give me what I want.

I was expecting this to work -

:!/Jan 13 06:01/

but of course, the ! opens a shell.


Any help appreciated.

Many thanks.

Maybe use "G" to go the end of the file and "?Jan 13 06:01" to search backwards.

Chiming in a bit late on this...the 2 attachments might be helpful to you...hope so anyway.

Many thanks Ygor. That should get me what I want.

nixnoob - Thanks for the reference cards. They don't fix my problem, but there are several things on the Vim card that I didn't know Vim could do.

Best Regards,
Davf