RE: [TCLUG:17269] solaris annoyances

[Luke Francl <fran0382@tc.umn.edu>]

On Mon, 8 May 2000, Dan Debertin wrote:

> I could make the same argument for windows -- I can't recall how many
> times Linux/UNIX has been chastised for not being "modern", and still
> being "tied to the CLI", and for being essentially a throwback to the
> seventies. I think the more non-linux UNIXes that you try, the more you'll
> find out how non-UNIX-like linux really is. You can chide it for not being
> "with the times" for not implementing your favorite keyboard shortcuts
> (and believe you me, there are some  who are _more_ comfortable with hjkl
> than they are with arrow keys), or you can just sigh, decide to be a UNIX
> person instead of just a Linux person, learn hjkl and move on.
> 
> The road you're talking about going down leads to PICO as the default
> editor instead of vi. *shudder* ;)

Whatever. All I'm asking is that I be able to use _arrow_ keys to move in
a _direction_, which has been as standard feature on every keyboard I've
ever seen for the last _20_ years. I'm not saying "take away hjkl"; I'm
saying I should have the *choice* of using the arrow keys when I see fit.

Look at it this way:

You're in insert mode. You want to move over one character to the
left. Which is easier: 
(1) Remove left hand from keyboard; hit escape key; replace hand on
keyboard; press h with right hand; press i to come back to insert mode

				-or-

(2) Remove right hand from keyboard; press right arrow; place hand back on
keyboard

We're talking a savings of two movements here -- and I think that adds up!

Don't get me wrong. I like using vi, and I know how to use hjkl. I think
the command-line mode of interaction is preferable for most text-based
tasks (which, really, is most of computing even now). Using CLI gives the
user a richer language to interact with the computer with, since there are
potentially infinite verbs to interact with the computer rather than 2
(right and left click).

But still -- is it too much to ask for Sun (the leading Unix vender) to
set up their termcap so that my files aren't littered whith garbage when I
use the arrow keys _they_ put on _their_ keyboard?

Luke