From: "Andy Bradford" <amb-sendok-1782189317.mobnkbiobigfpfifihdp@bradfords.org>
Subject: Re: vi(1) issue with paragraph movement
To: "Walter Alejandro Iglesias" <wai@roquesor.com>
Cc: tech@openbsd.org
Date: 23 Apr 2026 22:35:17 -0600

Thus said Walter Alejandro Iglesias on Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:12:12 +0200:

> When you put the  cursor in the last character of  the last line (EOF)
> and try to  run a external command entering '!',  vi does nothing. You
> have to move  the cursor back, at least to  the penultimate character,
> then it reacts.

Technically, } is a motion command and  if you are on the last character
of the last  line, then there is  nowhere for it to move  to. You'll see
similar behavior if you do any of the following:

!jfmt on the last line of a file
!kfmt on the first line of a file
!hfmt on the first character of a line

Curiously enough,  the following  does actually seem  to run  the filter
even though I wouldn't expect it to given the above 3 cases:

!lfmt on the last character of a line

I'm not  sure that this is  a bug or incorrect  behavior, however, given
that !lfmt works when you're on the last character of a line, there does
seem to be some inconsistency.

What should be done about those other cases where motion prevents ! from
working because there is nowhere to go?


> It's normal the case you're at the end of what you're editing, right?

When I find myself at the end of what I'm editing I don't normally use a
motion command to  filter (why would I because there  is nowhere for the
motion to go), I use:

:.!fmt

Thanks,

Andy