It seems like you are just trying to join groups of three lines, which you can do very easily using this following command:
:g/./j!3 Hope that helps! Max > -----Original Message----- > From: Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 8:48 AM > To: vim@vim.org > Subject: vim | reformatting question > > Hi, > > I'm trying to fix a file in the following format : > > 5,329; > 1999; > <a> Univ Washington</a>; > 695; > 2001; > NHLBI; > 684; > 1998; > <a> Stanford Univ</a>; > 3,537; > 1998; > La Jolla Inst Allergy & Immunol; > 3,333; > 1996; > <a> BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSP</a>; > 2,967; > 1998; > <a> Northwestern Univ</a>; > 2,936; > 2002; > <a> NHLBI</a>; > 2,695; > 1996; > <a> ST JUDE CHILDRENS HOSP</a>; > 2,581; > 1998; > <a> Merck Res Labs</a>; > > into this: > > 5,329;1999;<a> Univ Washington</a>; > 695;2001;NHLBI; > 684;1998;<a> Stanford Univ</a>; > 3,537;1998;La Jolla Inst Allergy & Immunol; > 3,333;1996;<a> BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSP</a>; > etc... > > I came up with this but sth is missing... > > :%s/\(^\d,\d\d\d;$\|^\d\d\d;$\)\(^\d\d\d\d;$\)\(^\D\+;$\)/\1\2\3
