this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2023
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Vi is totally fine to quickly make small changes to e.g. a config file on a server. I wouldn't like to program in vi though.
I do most of my programming in vscode but when I need a cli editor, I use vi
You are missing out! I used to only use vim to edit config files. So I knew my way around (albeit, slowly). I installed the IdeaVim plugin a week ago and learned some new key bindings I wasn't using. A week in I'm almost faster than before! And it's only going to get better after I've acquired muscle memory (I'm nearly there.) and move on to complex key bindings/sequences. Then it will probably be as if the cursor is directly connected to my mind. I'm hopeful because I've seen a mentor of mine do it.
What am I missing out on? I use vi to change values in files on servers. What would you use for that task? Most of my other text-based work like writing Emails, taking notes or programming happens in Emacs.
I don't think you understood what I said. I started using vim key bindings ALSO in my IDE and my speed improved because of it. I didn't ask you to stop using vi. I merely suggested that you used MORE of it. If your Emacs setup already use vim keybindings that's exactly what I'm doing too.
Oh thanks, now I got it. I agree, vi/vim bindings are awesome. I use them everywhere, in Emacs, in my shell, my browser, and in my tiling window manager. When I said, that I wouldn't want to program in vi, I didn't mean that because of the keybindings, I meant that because vi just lacks many useful features for programming and you can't add plugins to it. I have programmed in Neovim for over a year though. Just switched to Emacs, because it has even more features, possibilities and customizability. I will never drop Vim keybindings though.
Awesome! How did you get them in the shell and browser? Now I am also curious.
I use the fish shell. In fish, you can just add
fish_vi_key_bindingsto your config file and now Vi bindings will be automatically enabled when you start fish. For bash, it'sset -o viand for zsh it'sbindkey -v. For the browser, you can install plugins like Vimium (Vimium-FF for Firefox) or Tridactyl. I find these to be incredibly useful, I love navigating around websites with j and k or d and u, jumping up with gg and down with G, searching with /, closing tabs with x, reloading websites with r, opening new tabs with t, going back and forward with H and L, etc.