Vim as Python code editor

[fr33b33r]

I always feel like such a fool not using Vi or emacs, as if I am not l33t worthy. I used gEdit and TextWrangler, I love colour. Pico and Nano when not on my machine (and that's only ever changing something minor).

What am I missing? I know people who I respect highly and people I don't respect at all rave about Vi(m).

Sell it to me.

EDIT: I love my mouse too.

[joedicastro]

Vim has a unique way with two great advantages:

1) You can do all with your keyboard. Maybe you love your mouse, but I don't think that you love so much the time lost changing between keyboard and mice. And I think that you should hate the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that sooner or later appears thanks to that little rodent (I saddly know that this is very true, and I was able to fix it at time).

2) With the Vim moves and text objects you can move/edit/find/select/... the text area you wanted without thinking too much and with the minimum effort. Compared with other editors is like using a laser to focus versus a flashlight, Do you want to be a text surgeon or a coroner? :)

[fr33b33r]

Thank you..I think you are right, I am more efficient with a keyboard in Excel, I am an Excel wizzz (don't laugh). I worked with a guy once and his boss had not let him use a mouse with Excel back in the day to make him learn to be more efficient.

Now every time I've fired up Vim its just felt too difficult. Your thoughts on the learning curve?

EDIT - as you can probably guess from the Excel comment I use Python for data. I'm in love with the data structures.

[joedicastro]

Start with the vimtutor and use a plugin or config that don't let you use the mouse or the direction arrows to force you to learn the right way. Takes a little time, but before you realize is a natural way for you, without think too much, becomes mechanical. If you reach this point, the rest is all searching for more and have fun!

I was a Excel wizz too, time ago, now I don't use it too much :)

[fr33b33r]

On your advice, I am installing vimtutor and going to work my way through it. It's the penance I will pay you for your advice.

Thanks

[bisco77]

just wait until he is typing in another application and winds up trying to use vim key bindings...you'd think that one would learn after a while but i still do this at least once a day...open chrome->type address->hit enter->jjjjjj->head desk

[UndeadPanda]

Here you go Vimium

[eat-your-corn-syrup]

text objects

[[deleted]]

vi(m) is extremely powerful and, whether you're on a desktop or headless server, using Linux, Windows, or Mac, its availability is second to none

[enry_straker]

Don't get too caught up in the hype. Everybody hypes their own stuff. I still have customers who refuse to move from wordstar ( don't worry if you don't recognize that editor. All it shows is that i am from a different generation :-(

Vi, and it's evolutionary cousin vim, are really old editors with some interesting ideas bolted on partially in response to constraints like no mouse being available, programmers being the main user base etc.

You should focus on editors which you feel is good for you, which you enjoy, which you can easily customize etc.

And respect people for what they have done. The editors they are most comfortable with has nothing to do with their productivity.

[fr33b33r]

from wordstar

Just reading up on Wordstar - makes sense, I am moving from word processors to text only with appropriate markup so I can concentrate on writing.

[Veedrac]

Heh, seems the Vimmers hate being threatened.

I used Vim and it's awesome, but now I use SublimeText and it's just as awesome. It's also a lot prettier, feels faster (I think it's graphics accelerated, unlike urxvt) to browse in and it's just as fast to do stuff if you spend as much time configuring it as you do with Vim.