=> oglvee.UUCP!norm says: => I am editing a file with vi (say `file.c'), and I want to => print it without leaving the editor, so I escape to the command => line by hitting `:' and I type `` :!lp % ''. Just out of curiousity, why don't you just `` :w !lp '' ? I assume your `lp` reads stdin if there are no filename arguments.