[Chapter 31] 31.10 Repeating a vi Keymap
Author: Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly & Mike Loukides
Date: 1998-08-04T21:46:24Z

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| Chapter 31 Creating Custom Commands in vi |

## 31.10 Repeating a vi Keymap

The vi (actually, ex) command `map` (31.2) lets you build custom vi commands. For example, this map redefines the `-` key to run the vi commands o (open a new line below), ESCAPE, 75a- (add 75 dashes), and ESCAPE again:

>     :map - o^[75a-^[

So typing - draws a row of dashes below the current line. The problem is that on many versions of vi, you can't add a repetition number - that is, you can't type the command `10-` to add 10 dashed lines.

The workaround is to define another macro that calls the first macro ten times. For example, to make the `v` key draw ten rows of dashes:

>     :map v ----------

(Ugly, eh? But it works.) You might want to put the `-` map in your .exrc file and define "multi-maps" like v while you're running vi.

- JP

31.9 Good Stuff for Your .exrc File |  | 31.11 Typing in Uppercase Without CAPS LOCK