Introduction
- Differences in tools for writing English words (e.g., Google Docs) versus code (e.g., IntelliJ IDEA)
- Importance of investing time in mastering a code editor
Learning a New Editor
- Start with a tutorial
- Use the editor for all text editing
- Look up better ways to do tasks
Choosing an Editor
Editor Wars
- Programmers have strong opinions on text editors
- Popular editors today: Visual Studio Code, Vim, … Fleet?
Vim
- Rich history, still actively developed
- Vim emulation modes in many tools
Philosophy of Vim
Vim’s Design
- Focused on reading/editing over writing
- Modal editor: different modes for inserting text vs manipulating text
- Programmable and avoids mouse usage
Modal Editing in Vim
Different Operating Modes
- Normal: moving around and making edits
- Insert: inserting text
- Others: Replace, Visual, Command-line
Mode Switching
<ESC> to switch to Normal mode- Other keys (
i, R, v, V, <C-v>, :) for different modes
Basics of Vim
Inserting Text
i to enter Insert mode<ESC> to return to Normal mode
Buffers, Tabs, and Windows
- Buffers for open files
- Tabs contain windows
- Windows show buffers
Command-line Mode
: in Normal mode to enter- Commands for file operations and quitting
Movement Commands
- Basic:
hjkl (left, down, up, right)
- Words, lines, screen, file, line numbers, find, and search
Selection in Visual Modes
v for VisualV for Visual LineCtrl-v for Visual Block
Editing Commands
d{motion}, c{motion}, x, s, u, <C-r>, y, p
Counts and Modifiers
- Combine commands with counts (
3w, 5j)
- Modifiers like
i (inner) and a (around)
Customizing Vim
~/.vimrc for configuration- Starting point: well-documented basic config
Extending Vim with Plugins
- Built-in package management in Vim
- Favorite plugins: ctrlp.vim, ack.vim, nerdtree, vim-easymotion
Vim-mode in Other Programs
- Shell integration (Bash, Zsh, Fish)
- GNU Readline library
- Other software with vim-like keybindings
Advanced Vim
- Search and replace
- Multiple windows
- Macros
Resources for Learning Vim