Re: long texts

["Robert Holmgren" holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

** Reply to message from cld@xxxxxxxx (Carl Distefano) on Thu, 29 Jan 2004
23:51:40 -0500


> LSE, below, works. It finds strings that are too long for the
> CMline, but also strings that are too long for any SEarch command,
> even one executed with BX ...Q2 (which accepts long commands).

It's worth underscoring this part of Carl's message, because it is the core of
any solution to the "long command" problem. BX ... Q2 accepts and executes
commands longer than 80 characters (an obvious, inherent limitation of BC ...
XC on the CMline). I've never actually tested _how_ long BX ... Q2 commands
can be (maybe Carl has?), but they can be pretty darn big. U2 programs CML
(Long CMline) and U2L (Long U2 command) offer you a window (of unlimited
length) within which to execute "long" commands. Try it: command CML
and then construct a command (short or long), and hit  to execute it.
Note that the command window stays open, for repeat use if desired. CML and
U2L commands can also be Stacked, for repeat execution at any time. The longer
the command, the less you want to have to reconstruct it. I hesitate to say
this, but XyWrite is, to me, unthinkable without a flexible command line
history utility (i.e. Stack).

-----------------------------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
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