Re: why is it so difficult to start using vim (may be just for me).

> On Sep 26, 2012, at 10:13 AM, Steve Litt wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:47:30 +0200, Deepak adhikari said:
>>
>>> I am trying to use this editor, searched stackoverflow.com (didn't ask
>>> though) went to vim.org but very complex operations are explained and
>>> found difficult to grasp.
>>
>> Reading your email, it sounds like you tried to study and understand
>> some documentation of Vim. That won't work because you learn Vim as
>> muscle memory in your fingers, not as understanding in your head. And
>> it takes time to gain such muscle memory. You need to actually USE Vim
>> to learn it. Several people recommended Vimtutor. I concur, although I
>> would recommend just learning the basics at first, and saving the
>> exotic stuff for later.
>>
>> I should point out that Vim isn't for everyone. The main benefit of Vim
>> is fast, touch-typist friendly editing. If you don't need speed, use
>> Emacs for ultimate power or an IDE for function completion and the like.

Yes, bvewildering at the beginning, Deepak, but if you commit to it you will to get the hang surprisingly quickly. The upside is you'll never master it all, i.e., it's capabilities seem inexhaustible. If there's something you want to do, somebody's probably figured out a way. Or they will be happy to help you figure it out.

I am a testament. I'm not a programmer, just a writer. I, too, was baffled at the beginning. Now the "muscle memory" Steve speaks of carries over to other apps; I find myself entering Vim commands in apps that don't recognize them. [Though there is way way to deal with that, too: QuickCursor, which lets you use your favorite editor inside other apps.]

All the things that have been suggested are well-taken. I would just add that you should not hesitate to use the list. Ask questions. You will get answers. As I say, I'm not a programmer. The brilliant programmers here could have blown me off. Never once has that happened. In addition to being brilliant, people here are generous, kind, and patient.

Regards,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Weir
Decatur, GA
eeweir@bellsouth.net

"The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are
full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence."

- Charles Bukowski





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