Friday, January 4, 2013

Vim app for iPad


I changed the subject heading to focus the discussion of Vim on the iPad more specifically on the Vim app for the iPad.

I hesitate in posting my musings on this topic [1] because I am not in a position myself to do much about them. [2] They may just be completely off-the-wall unrealistic.

That said, I've decided to see what's possible with the app as it is. I will be going about it slowly, in between other activities. 

In the meantime, it's noteworthy that the developer has released the code for the project and has placed it on its github repository. That and comments made by some of the raters in the App Store make wonder if more is not possible with this app. E.g., one rater suggests a key remapping to make the escape key readily accessible. Another rater suggests several features that would make the app much more attractive:

  • Extended Ctrl, Esc, Tab, colon and user set-able quick keys for Leader, back ticks, etc.
  • Default support for standard .vimrc and .vim plugins
  • iOS copy/paste support 
  • Dropbox syncing.

Developers of other editors have added a row of essential keys to the default iPad virtual keyboard. 

With iTunes it's supposed to be possible to drag 'n drop files between the iPad and another device. I see how to add files to the iPad. I don't see how to access the app folder on the IPad so that files could be moved to the other device.

Again, I'm almost ashamed to be commenting to this effect, since I couldn't contribute anything, but given the above and what I've seen done with other iPad apps, e.g., the diverse provisions for moving/syncing files between an iPad and another device in PDF Expert, I wonder if an individual, an organization, or a group couldn't take on the task of making this app genuinely useful for the iPad, along the lines of what was done to create MacVim.

Regards,
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Eric Weir

"With an ounce of willingness, everything can change."

- Kim



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