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> > prefer a software, where you do things intuitively without needing to first learn a shortcut for everything. > Like what? Like mouse-select, copy, paste.

by a3n 10y ago

> > prefer a software, where you do things intuitively without needing to first learn a shortcut for everything. > Like what? Like mouse-select, copy, paste. Once learned (however that happened, however long ago), it works across virtually all OS/gui combos (except gvim without knowing vim :), and you can immediately get something done. If you're dropped down into an environment, and have to get something done, using your slow but working general methods is pretty attractive, compared to having to learn a whole new way of merely copy/pasting before you've done a single thing. Having used vi, and later vim, since the mid eighties, it can be painful for me to sit with someone as they mouse around cutting, copying and pasting. Watching someone reversing the order of two lines, or two characters, with a mouse is really frustrating. But they're getting something done, focusing on the task instead of the how, and beyond an offer to help them with vim if they like (they usually don't), I just sit there and accept. I like my mouse, I'm just glad it's not all I have. But keep in mind, it's really frustrating for someone to have to listen to someone else telling them "you can do this a better way!". It's just meta distraction.

pmoriarty 10y ago
Copy and paste? Reordering two lines or two characters? If that's all that vim could do better than traditional editors, then sure, stick with the traditional editors. Learning the complexity of vim is not worth it. But those are incredibly trivial examples. vim can do so much more than that, in a really efficient and powerful way. It's like demanding why one should use a battleship when a tricycle can also turn left and right, and can go forward and backwards. Yes, both can do that, but the battleship does far, far more, and there are reasons for its complexity. If all you need is a tricycle, stick with the tricycle by all means. It's much more intuitive than a battleship. But some of us need far, far more power than that.
daxelrod 10y ago
You can totally enable mouse selection if you like: set mouse=a set ttymouse=xterm2 You may have to enable your terminal's mouse support, if you're running Vim in a terminal.

by a3n 10y ago

pmoriarty 10y ago

Copy and paste? Reordering two lines or two characters? If that's all that vim could do better than traditional editors, then sure, stick with the traditional editors. Learning the complexity of vim is not worth it. But those are incredibly trivial examples. vim can do so much more than that, in a really efficient and powerful way. It's like demanding why one should use a battleship when a tricycle can also turn left and right, and can go forward and backwards. Yes, both can do that, but the battleship does far, far more, and there are reasons for its complexity. If all you need is a tricycle, stick with the tricycle by all means. It's much more intuitive than a battleship. But some of us need far, far more power than that.

daxelrod 10y ago

You can totally enable mouse selection if you like: set mouse=a set ttymouse=xterm2 You may have to enable your terminal's mouse support, if you're running Vim in a terminal.