RVP <r...@sdf.org> wrote: > On Sat, 22 Feb 2025, Dave Tyson wrote: > > > I have a file which has some hex characters 0x80 and higher. > > > > I am trying to search for them so I can replace them. I can see them > > and they appear, for example, like \x93 on the screen and occupy a > > single character. > > > > nvi(1) has a poorly-documented Ctrl-X key which can be used to both enter and > search for (after a fashion) arbitrary chars. To input, let's say, \x93, do:
I'm not seeing the Ctrl-X thing on NetBSD 9.3, though maybe that's the poorly documented aspect.. The OP should be able to use named buffers for this task. Steps: 1) create lines with the commands you want to run: /\x93 # vi cmd: find/search forward in file for "\x93" :%s/\x93//g # ex cmd: globally replace all instances of "\x93" w/ "" 2) move to each line and yank into a separate named buffer: "fyy # => sticks '/\x93' into buffer 'f' "gyy # => sticks ':%s/\x93//' into buffer 'g' (global replace) 3) execute buffers as needed: @f # => runs buffer 'f' ; use '/' and/or 'N' to repeat, 'x' to delete @g # => runs buffer 'g' ; one-shot global substitution IIRC there are also auto-generated buffers 1-9 that can also be referenced; the ':display b' will show the contents of all buffers. -B
