Re: ed and ^M: damages files unbeknownst to the user

[Dan Jacobson]

>>>>> "P" == Paul Jarc <address@hidden> writes:

P> Dan Jacobson <address@hidden> wrote:
>> Looked fine in more, less, cat, etc.  Edited fine in emacs... then
>> one day I use ed, and wreck the file.

P> less would show you the carriage returns.  Emacs could be configured
P> to do the same.

Didn't see them here with
$ LESS= less file
on rxvt

Emacs indeed has a "(DOS)" appear in its modeline, as it is just
information, not a warning, as nothing bad is going to happen to the
file.  vi also says "[dos]".

>> Your solution requires us to know the format of each file before we
>> 'ed' it.  OK, but be consistent and take the 'binary file' warnings
>> out of grep, diff, etc.

P> Why would such "consistency" be a good thing?

I was being rhetorical, I think they call it.  Anyways, as the late
Ernest says, use the right tool for the right job, and for a one
character change in big file, you must agree that who's to blame me
for choosing ed instead of emacs... I had read the classics and that
is how the pros do it [when one is choosing from interactive editors,
not sed]... and what do you know, it scrambled my file while acting
like all was ok.

I had used the venerable pro stuff with no bells and whistles and my
file got scrambled like when one uses FrontPage.  Brian K. & Dennis R.
wouldn't do that... without even warning at least.
-- 
http://www.geocities.com/jidanni/ Tel+886-4-25854780