Interesting Features
nvi is the most minimal of the clones, without a large number of additional features that have not yet been covered. However, it does have several important features worthy of mention:
- Internationalization support
Most of the informational and warning messages in nvi can be replaced with translations into a different language, using a facility known as a “message catalog.” nvi implements this facility itself, using a straightforward mechanism documented in the file catalog/README in the nvi distribution. Message catalogs are provided for Dutch, English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.
- Arbitrary buffer names
Historically, vi buffer names are limited to the 26 characters of the alphabet. nvi allows you to use any character as a buffer name.
- Special interpretation of
/tmp For any ex command that needs a filename argument, if you use the special name
/tmp, nvi will replace it with the name of a unique temporary file.
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