Revolves

I mostly program in Python (mainly), PHP and in C/C++. Maybe a few others hear and there. I did try Vim maybe a year ago, when it was 7.0 I guess.

I have the say, the article/post which pushed me towards trying it was: Why, oh WHY, do those #?@! nutheads use vi?.

Its an interesting post, which demonstrates various features of Vim. I should agree that Vim is very powerful, and I’m writing this very post in Vim. Of course, It’s not a kind of software which will work the way you want out of the box. You’ll have to do some basic configurations, especially if you’re thinking of using it for programming.

For me, I use NERDTree as a FileExplorer inside Vim, just like you’ll find in IDE’s like NetBeans. This lets me work conveniently work with say, PHP Frameworks, which have a source structure you need to adhere to, and keep moving between them at times.

I just chose a good dark color scheme for Vim, and you can get a wide variety of them from Vim’s website.

So, why Vim in the first place? Vim has great features to speed up writing. Its modal architecture allows for manipulation of text using practically all keys of keyboard, as opposed to normal text editors we find these days, where in you need to use CTRL/ALT etc. so as to tell the editor that you’re executing a command, not inserting text.

I’m new to Vim, and use only the basic set of features. I’m learning the more advanced ones, but I thought, Instead of going into a “learning spree”, I’d rather at least see how I can use the basic stuff in my daily life. Judging my comfort level with them in my normal work was important before I jump into advanced features.

The in-built tutorial for Vim does give a good insight about the basic powerful features of Vim. I agree when Vim-ers say it is difficult to document every method by which Vim increases productivity, because there are literally infinite. Vim can be customized by the user to his liking.

I know many people won’t like Vim. I agree that after using today’s text editors, it’s difficult to use something like Vim, which borrows ideas from years into the past. But still, it’s principle are still valid and increase productivity for those who demand it.