Two decades of productivity: Vim's 20th anniversary

[Growled Member]

I've used Linux for 6 years now and have never once used Vim.

[vhane]

Using Vim is not about being leet. Using the CLI is not about being leet. Using Unix is not about being leet.

They are just tools. Good tools, no doubt.

[pers3us]

Why would I bother? What I use works just fine for me. It just seems some people are so bent on being 1337 and using CLI. Yes, normally its faster but with modern pc specs, really you shouldnt need to drop into CLI. Like I said, Im comfortable. I've used it a lot over the past 8 or so years of linux use. But unless I have to, I dont just pop into it. I use apt-get on a regular basis but thats usually it for my CLI work unless Im compiling something

Ok Let me give you some examples.

How will you search for a number of exact 4 digits in your fav editor? (for now lets say its gedit)

Gedit: scroll scroll look for it manually. (not sure if it supports regular expr, but if it does well and good)

vim: /\<\d\d\d\d\>

How will you search either of the string, lets say "dog" and "cat", for the first occurance?

Gedit: not sure again but first you will have to search dog and find where it occurs and then cat and compare

vim: /dog\|cat

How will you replace all the "old" to "new" in a file from line number 5 to 35?

Gedit: cannot be done, unless you choose to skip all the occurance before 5 and after 35. ctrl h i think.

vim: :2,35s/old/new/g

How will you put a text right in the beginning of each line of the file?

Gedit: cannot be done automatically

vim: :%s/^/hello/g

I can do this for a lot of cases. You see, when dealing with files these above mentioned cases are pretty common. And with other text editors it really quite long to do it, but in case of vim its quite simple. (its simply regular expression) Its not to do with pc spec, and absolutely not being leet, rather its about productivity.

If you say that you haven't used vim ever or you don't need it, you are missing out on lot of things.

I would understand this if you don't deal with large files often, but for a guy like me who has to work on an ssh connection to a nix box vim is boon. We have to work with files which are as large as 5 mb (text files mind you).

[fsX]

Ummm .. i really don't understand how to reply to you. I am assuming that you don't type with both your hands, not a fast typer are you?

Well for you VI or Emacs or nano is same

See the reason vi has so ridiculous number of and ridiculous kinds of shortcuts i that they have been designed to enable you to work with both the hands in typing position (I am forgetting what this is actually called , speed typing i supose)

For example to search in gedit / notepad or any editor wht do you do?

ctrl + f .... 2 key which re absurdly positioned, in vim all you need to do is pres /

similrly press 0 to go to the end of line and press $ to go to the start of the line.

you can also serch for regular expressions, scroll across the page edit selected stuffs, edit text on the fly etc. without moving you hands far.

Though i would agree with you that it takes a bit of time to get accustomed to it, but once done its just awesome. i know no one who got a hang of vi and ever used any other editor full time.

For someone bragging about being a fast typer, you sure miss a lot of keys. And don't get me started on your grammar.

[pers3us]

For someone bragging about being a fast typer, you sure miss a lot of keys. And don't get me started on your grammar.

Umm Not so good with english eh! :-/

Please excuse me but I wrote that using a touch keyboard. And yeah, I never said that I am a speed typer.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

To be perfectly honest, that was my opinion some time back in high school when i had no idea what command line can do. Later in College we were forced to work on command line on a red hat linux box. Initially, I downright hated it but gradually when i found my way around it, it seemed a much better way to work.

we learned to use vim and coded in it. It can work nearly as good as any text editor or ide. it has auto complete, suggestions, project explorer and what not.

But the thing is you can't really say about vim unless you use it. Give it a try and not use any editor for a month. Learn all the shortcuts that you can and you will realize that for any redundant task you have a way around to do it quicker.

also try pentadactyl ( a firefox addon inspired by vim)

Thanks for that FF addon. This will more than likely pull me away from Opera and into FF. Pure KB browsing is the only real way to browse!

[pers3us]

Thanks for that FF addon. This will more than likely pull me away from Opera and into FF. Pure KB browsing is the only real way to browse!

I am glad you liked it.

I hope you don't mind me correcting you here, but its fx not ff :) . Have a look http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/releases/1.0.6.html (look for FAQ, point 8)

[+LogicalApex MVC]

I am glad you liked it.

I hope you don't mind me correcting you here, but its fx not ff :) . Have a look http://www.mozilla.o...ases/1.0.6.html (look for FAQ, point 8)

No problem. I think FF is more commonly used.

[Kreuger]

If you say that you haven't used vim ever or you don't need it, you are missing out on lot of things.

Not at all. I've never once needed anything you've included in examples.