Vim is a text editor (evolved from Vi) that originated on the Amiga. Starting out as a command line only tool, all text editing was carried out via key strokes rather than via mouse and GUI. I first came across Vim on Linux servers, it was confusing and I struggled with the simplest editing tasks.
Today Vim has become my primary text editor. I love it. I use it on Windows and Linux as a standalone app and embedded into the Eclipse IDE.
What makes it so good? In short, once you have mastered a few basic commands (similar to shortcuts) you find yourself working with text in a more efficient/involved way. Your hands rarely leave the keyboard, you can complete complicated tasks in fewer steps resulting in a greater feeling of involvement with the code. The physical task of writing code hasn’t changed a great deal over the years and Vim has been refined, over the last 18 years, to suit this task. Basically: “it doesn’t get in the way”.
If you want to get to know vim a little better here are a few links that I have found really helpful:
- Find the appropriate version of Vim for your OS and install.
- Start learning the ropes with these tutorials:
- Vim is very customisable, the settings are stored in the vimrc file which resides in the install’s directory (C:\Program Files\Vim\_vimrc on my version of windows). These links helped me out:
There may be a steep learning curve but the rewards are well worth it!
Edit: this Vim article sums it all up very nicely (and in greater depth).