Vim strengths [Was: Re: why is neovim such a sad thing?

On 27.03.25 17:28, Riza Dindir wrote:

> I started using vi (elvis, then vim) in the late 90's. What I do like is

> the regexp (which I used to convert or process lines, csv files, etc), and

> pipes and filters. Pipes and filters basically do open up the door to

> writing extensions in any language (python, C, bash, ...). It is maybe

> restricting, but it is the one feature that struck me when I started out. !

> commands also make it easy for me to run commands from within vim.

'nother old-timer here, initially Vi on HP-UX in the late 80's, after CREDIT on an Intel "Blue Box". (Much like Vim's ex mode.) Later, Vim offered more goodies, without finger-chords.

Attempts to convince Bram of the benefits of Posix-compliant EREs over

obsolete¹ BREs, over passing decades bore no fruit, even given the burden

of all those backslashes in BREs. In the end, I've just studiously

avoided Vim's confused melange of regex alternatives, and stuck with

egrep and awk with their posix compliant consistency.

For me, it is Vim's folding which stands out. My 460 pages of *nix &

embedded systems notes fold to a single page, serving as table of

contents, opening by navigation or search.

Being able to use Vim as mutt's editor is rather nifty, too. Especially

there, spellchecking in English and Danish offer great utility. The ease

of adding "good words" to a local dictionary extension is great.

Custom mappings for åæø, avoid repeated digraph hacking and the control

key. Mapping Alt-W to auto-insert "[Was: " in the Subject line, then

place the cursor in front, is a handy convenience, as now.

Even encryption has an occasional use. Vim does more than any one person

can fully utilise, I'm sure. (Add ctags and make, and you have all the

IDE I've ever needed.)

¹ See "man 7 regex".

Erik

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