5 ms·

Counterpoint: I tried using an iPad and an external keyboard for web (Django) development. It sucked. The lack of mouse for text selection is a huge problem, a

Counterpoint: I tried using an iPad and an external keyboard for web (Django) development. It sucked. The lack of mouse for text selection is a huge problem, and constantly switching between Safari and your code editor (I used Vim in a remote terminal) is a pain as well.

jrowley 8y ago
Can't you split screen on iPads? Also, couldn't you use vim shortcuts for text selection? I guess that wouldn't work in safari...
- Rjevski 8y ago
  Back when I tried it we were on iOS 9 or 10, so no split-screen. This still doesn't change the fact there's no mouse, so switching between apps would still require lifting my hands off the keyboard to touch the screen.
  - aparashk 8y ago
    There is Command-Tab for that, I think.
    - LyndsySimon 8y ago
      Yes - but text selection is probably my biggest complaint.
pvg 8y ago
It's probably slightly better (if you can live without vim) with one of the several iOS-native programmer-oriented editors. It will still suck, just a little bit less.
- goerz 8y ago
  There’s iVim!
  - pvg 8y ago
    Hah, of course there would be. It used to be that a reason to learn vi is that it's on every random Unix. Now it might be that the vim people make damn sure there's a vim on everything from your iPad to your bidet.
- Rjevski 8y ago
  > if you can live without vim I actually didn't choose Vim because I liked it, but because it was the only way to have an editor & fully working Linux environment in the same app where I can switch using a keyboard shortcut (both running in Screen). Using an app means that I have to switch apps to go between editor and terminal, and also because the editor app would have to "upload" every single change to the server for me to actually be able to run the new code in the terminal.
  - pvg 8y ago
    No, the fancier apps have built-in terminals, editing remote files directly over ssh, version control client support, etc.
    - Rjevski 8y ago
      Can you install Python, Django, etc in their built-in terminals?
      - pvg 8y ago
        The terminals are for talking to your remote server. There is at least one on-device Python IDE but I don't think it's at all useful for a the kind of work you have in mind. Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you an iPad is a sane, comfortable way to do the kind of programming where you are regularly doing a backend-to-browser sort of cycle. You can probably make it slightly less barebones 'terminal session to a server running vim'.
      - mattkevan 8y ago
        You can install Django in Pythonista using StaSH for local development. Pip for package management and localhost in Safari. Not saying it’s sensible or a particularly nice experience, but it’s doable. Pythonista is an app so powerful it’s surprising it was allowed into the store.

jrowley 8y ago

Can't you split screen on iPads? Also, couldn't you use vim shortcuts for text selection? I guess that wouldn't work in safari...

Rjevski 8y ago
Back when I tried it we were on iOS 9 or 10, so no split-screen. This still doesn't change the fact there's no mouse, so switching between apps would still require lifting my hands off the keyboard to touch the screen.
- aparashk 8y ago
  There is Command-Tab for that, I think.
  - LyndsySimon 8y ago
    Yes - but text selection is probably my biggest complaint.

pvg 8y ago

It's probably slightly better (if you can live without vim) with one of the several iOS-native programmer-oriented editors. It will still suck, just a little bit less.

goerz 8y ago
There’s iVim!
- pvg 8y ago
  Hah, of course there would be. It used to be that a reason to learn vi is that it's on every random Unix. Now it might be that the vim people make damn sure there's a vim on everything from your iPad to your bidet.
Rjevski 8y ago
> if you can live without vim I actually didn't choose Vim because I liked it, but because it was the only way to have an editor & fully working Linux environment in the same app where I can switch using a keyboard shortcut (both running in Screen). Using an app means that I have to switch apps to go between editor and terminal, and also because the editor app would have to "upload" every single change to the server for me to actually be able to run the new code in the terminal.
- pvg 8y ago
  No, the fancier apps have built-in terminals, editing remote files directly over ssh, version control client support, etc.
  - Rjevski 8y ago
    Can you install Python, Django, etc in their built-in terminals?
    - pvg 8y ago
      The terminals are for talking to your remote server. There is at least one on-device Python IDE but I don't think it's at all useful for a the kind of work you have in mind. Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you an iPad is a sane, comfortable way to do the kind of programming where you are regularly doing a backend-to-browser sort of cycle. You can probably make it slightly less barebones 'terminal session to a server running vim'.
    - mattkevan 8y ago
      You can install Django in Pythonista using StaSH for local development. Pip for package management and localhost in Safari. Not saying it’s sensible or a particularly nice experience, but it’s doable. Pythonista is an app so powerful it’s surprising it was allowed into the store.