[Tutor] Editors (vim and emacs and productivity)

[Scot W. Stevenson]

Hi - 

> I always hear that vim and emacs are wonderful editors, and that when we
> know it they enhance productivity without explaining why. I've used
> emacs for some time, and I've tried without much succes to start using vi.

> Could someone explain the features that make them enhance productivity
> in such manner?

I can tell you what does it for me with vim: I can type with all ten fingers 
(the result of a really, really boring week very, very long ago), and this 
makes using vim faster than any other editor where you constantly have to  
hit the CTRL or ALT-key or even (gasp!) use the mouse a lot. No other editor 
that I know of gives the touch-typist such a good deal. Using h-j-k-l to 
move the cursor around is strange for the first few days, but once you get 
the hang of it, not having to fumble for the arrow keys every time you want 
to switch a line is quite a relief. And it also makes playing Nethack on your 
laptop a lot easier...

Then, you can use vim (and emacs) to edit just about every type of file 
around -- normal text, Python, C, LaTeX, XML, HTML, etc, etc. This means 
that you don't have to re-learn any funny special sequences, adjust widgets, 
etc. Because there are vi-clones for just about every operating system (this 
is true for emacs, too), this effect is even more pronounced: The very little 
serious stuff I do under Windows I can do with gvim, too, so I don't have to 
waste time there, either. If I remember correctly, my first experiences with 
vi were on the Atari ST. 

Vim vs. emacs is something of a Holy War topic with Linux, but basically, 
that is bull. Play around with both of them for a while, pick which ever one 
you get along with best, and then -- this is the important part -- stick 
with it. A lot of the productivity gains come from being able to use the 
editors at a sub-conscious level. 

Y, Scot

-- 
          How to quiet a crying baby with the X Window System: 
                  nice xlock -inwindow -mode kumppa

               Scot W. Stevenson - Zepernick, Germany