Fred Metcalf writes:

> I could not resist this opportunity to show off my archaic knowledge!
> No doubt more elegant solutions will surface later, but this works because
> the files are small and ASCII format:
>
> :EDITOR

It may be of passing interest to some to see a side-by-side comparison
of EDITOR vs. Qedit commands.  (No <plug> since my only interest in the
product is as a very satisfied user.)

        Editor                          Qedit
        -----------------------         ---------------------

        /T DATA10                       /HOLDQ DATA10
        /HQ ALL

We skip the /TEXT step because Qedit can "hold" a file without
having to text it in first (and thus interrupt whatever you may
be working on when the HOLD is desired.

The Qedit command is HOLDQ because HQ is used for "quick help".

        /T DATA25                       /T DATA25
        /SET LEFT=26                    /SET LEFT=26

The equal sign (=) is required in EDITOR, and optional in Qedit.

        /RQ ALL,HOLDQ,NOW               /RQ $HOLD ALL

Whereas EDITOR can do the replace in two steps, first taking lines
from $stdin and then from the HOLD file, Qedit keeps them separate.
Specifying $HOLD implies "now."

Qedit allows the at-sign (@) to be used instead of ALL.

        /SET LEFT=1                     /SET LEFT=1
        /K DATA35,UNN                   /K DATA35,UNN

So actually only the /REPLACE command cannot be carried over from
EDITOR, since we could have taken the long way with /TEXT and /HOLD
in the first step.

For those who are still using EDITOR because you "don't have the time
to learn something new," Qedit allows a great deal of your EDITOR
knowledge to carry over.  You just have to retrain your fingers
to switch from

        /set short;w;fq "STRING";l
to
        /l "STRING"

;)

This has been a public service announcement, with absolutely
no intent of starting any "editor wars."

--Glenn