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The far better argument for not using arrows while in insert mode is that it hinders the learning of the difference between insert and normal mode. Once you ge

The far better argument for not using arrows while in insert mode is that it hinders the learning of the difference between insert and normal mode. Once you get used to there being a strong difference between the two, you end up using the more useful motion commands such as f/t or ) or #/*. these motions usually get me to where I want to go faster than hjkl would, not to mention the benefits of being able to compose advanced motions and commands. When I help people learn vim, one of the first things I do is disable the arrow buttons in insert mode. I tell them that they should avoid using them even in normal mode. I feel that this crutch ends up hurting you in the end. On the other hand, writing text in non-vim contexts is maddening with all it's arrow-arrow-arrow-backspace-backspace-backspace pain. I don't see how 99% of people can stand to do it this way :)

dhimes 16y ago
Here is another good read on vi/vim. http://www.viemu.com/a-why-vi-vim.html http://www.viemu.com/a-why-vi-vim.html See "misconception #4" for this particular point.
- zephyrfalcon 16y ago
  This is by far the best vi/vim introduction I've ever read. Not because it makes you instantly proficient with the editor -- there are other tutorials for that -- but because it does an excellent job explaining how to use it properly. In Vim, especially the GUI version, it's perfectly possible to just press 'i' and then putter around in your text file, moving around with cursor keys and Home/End and such, deleting, typing, and only occasionally dropping back into "command mode" (as it is often called) to delete a line, or search for something, or save the document (assuming the GUI version doesn't have key bindings set up for this already). I used Vim like this for over a decade, never really understanding the point. As the article points out, this is completely wrong. You stay in command mode (called "normal mode" here, which gives it a different feel immediately -- it's the mode you normally should be in), and switch to insert mode only to type short bursts of text. Everything else is done in command mode. While this seems weird at first, once you start getting the hang of it, it starts paying off big time. There are a zillion commands that do something and then enter insert mode. I used to think they were completely redundant; there's already 'i' and 'a' to do that, why have more? Because, obviously, when you spend most of your time in "normal mode", this allows you to execute a command and immediately start typing text. E.g. to insert a new line below the current one, you press 'o', and Vim inserts the line, indents it properly (if you have autoindent set), and is ready for typing. While this is hardly heavy wizardry, once you know a couple dozen of these commands, editing becomes a very different experience. You just move through the text differently. Anyway, the article explains this, and a lot more, much better than I can do it here. :-)

dhimes 16y ago

Here is another good read on vi/vim. http://www.viemu.com/a-why-vi-vim.html http://www.viemu.com/a-why-vi-vim.html See "misconception #4" for this particular point.

zephyrfalcon 16y ago
This is by far the best vi/vim introduction I've ever read. Not because it makes you instantly proficient with the editor -- there are other tutorials for that -- but because it does an excellent job explaining how to use it properly. In Vim, especially the GUI version, it's perfectly possible to just press 'i' and then putter around in your text file, moving around with cursor keys and Home/End and such, deleting, typing, and only occasionally dropping back into "command mode" (as it is often called) to delete a line, or search for something, or save the document (assuming the GUI version doesn't have key bindings set up for this already). I used Vim like this for over a decade, never really understanding the point. As the article points out, this is completely wrong. You stay in command mode (called "normal mode" here, which gives it a different feel immediately -- it's the mode you normally should be in), and switch to insert mode only to type short bursts of text. Everything else is done in command mode. While this seems weird at first, once you start getting the hang of it, it starts paying off big time. There are a zillion commands that do something and then enter insert mode. I used to think they were completely redundant; there's already 'i' and 'a' to do that, why have more? Because, obviously, when you spend most of your time in "normal mode", this allows you to execute a command and immediately start typing text. E.g. to insert a new line below the current one, you press 'o', and Vim inserts the line, indents it properly (if you have autoindent set), and is ready for typing. While this is hardly heavy wizardry, once you know a couple dozen of these commands, editing becomes a very different experience. You just move through the text differently. Anyway, the article explains this, and a lot more, much better than I can do it here. :-)