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| Chapter 31 Creating Custom Commands in vi |

## 31.11 Typing in Uppercase Without CAPS LOCK

[You may want to input text in all uppercase letters - maybe for a FORTRAN program. Using CAPS LOCK in `vi` can be a pain because you have to release CAPS LOCK almost every time you want to type a `vi` command. Here's a nice way to type lowercase letters during input and `ex` modes; they'll be mapped to uppercase automatically. -JP]

Try putting this in your .exrc (30.6) file:

>     map! a A
>     map! b B
>     map! c C
>       ...
>     map! z Z

Anytime you type (during text-input mode) an `a`, the editor will map it into `A`. What's that you say? You don't want this all the time? Just put it in a file called .f (for FORTRAN), and type:

>     :source .f

when you want FORTRAN mode. Of course, you can define a function key (31.2) to `:source` this.

[After that, anywhere you want a lowercase letter, type CTRL-v first to temporarily cancel the map. For example, to type the command `:w`, type `[:]` `[CTRL-v]` `[w]`

You can also go into the ex command mode by typing the vi command `Q`. That takes you to the ex colon (`:`) prompt - where the map! macros won't affect what you type. To return to vi mode from ex command mode, type `:vi`. -JP ]

- BB in net.unix on Usenet, 9 October 1986

31.10 Repeating a vi Keymap |  | 31.12 Text-Input Mode Cursor Motion with No Arrow Keys