Deleting the first 6 characters on a line within vi 2

[jrothey]

I have some output from a script that I'm trying to modify for another program, the data exist in a vi file, but the header information needs to be dropped. I know how to delete characters to the end of a line with D, but I'm trying to delete the first 6 characters from several lines of information.

Is there a global vi command that'll delete the first X number of characters off of lines?

 

[PHV]

Delete the first 6 characters from all lines:
:1,$s!^......!!

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[razalas]

PHV,

after deleting the first 6 characters of every line in a text file, how can I insert sequential line #'s there?

I want to do something like:

%s/^/.=/

where .= in vi normally returns the current line number in command mode.

Any suggestions?

TIA

Code what you mean,
and mean what you code!
But by all means post your code!

Razalas

 

[PHV]

I'd use the -n option of the pr command.

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[razalas]

That works. I am using the following:

pr -n@5 -t myfile > my-new-file

then I have to edit my-new-file to replace the first @ on every line with a zero. If I don't use the -nck option, pr inserts a tab between the line numbers and the rest of the line, which I don't want.

Close enough to what I need.

Thanks, PHV!


Code what you mean,
and mean what you code!
But by all means post your code!

Razalas