https://www.oraclescripts.com/tags/text-editing/Recent content in Text Editing on Oracle ScriptsHugo -- gohugo.ioenOracleScripts.comSat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.oraclescripts.com/post/vi-insert-control-character-oracle-prompt/Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://www.oraclescripts.com/post/vi-insert-control-character-oracle-prompt/ <h2 id="insert-control-characters-in-vi-with-ctrl-v-for-oracle-prompts">Insert Control Characters in vi with Ctrl-V for Oracle Prompts</h2> <h2 id="purpose">Purpose</h2> <p>A custom SQL*Plus prompt that prints the connected instance name in colour, or a login script that clears the screen before the banner, both need one thing the keyboard cannot type directly: a literal control character embedded in the file. Press <code>Esc</code> while editing and vi leaves insert mode. Press <code>Enter</code> and vi opens a new line instead of writing a carriage return into the buffer. The control codes a terminal escape sequence is built from are exactly the keys vi reserves for its own commands, so typing them does the wrong thing.</p>