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> Amp is inspired by Vim's modal approach to text editing And I closed the page. Modal editing simply makes zero sense on a modern keyboard. It is awful.

proaralyst 8y ago
Have you used it extensively? Why on modern keyboards? I can't stand non-modal editors now. I find them extremely limiting.
otron 8y ago
In what way is modal editing awful? Modal editors are the only solution I've come across to what I see as the problem with modern keyboards and editors: the inability to do everything you want to do without moving your hands away from the home row. Intellij, eclipse, sublime text, every "modern" non-modal editor I've used expects me to move my hands to the arrow keys if I want to move the caret. This is a personal gripe for me as repeatedly moving my hand back and forth between the home row, the mouse and arrow keys triggers my RSI. At least a non-modified bash prompt lets me navigate using some archaic control key combinations (^a: beginning of line, ^e: end of line, ^f: forward one character, etc.)
- vthriller 8y ago
  > At least a non-modified bash prompt lets me navigate using some archaic control key combinations You can get vi-like navigation in bash with a simple `set -o vi`
craftyguy 8y ago
Care to explain why you think modal editing is awful on 'modern'[0] keyboards? 0. besides adding backlights, changing build quality, and perhaps other layout options like dvorak or colemak, keyboards have not really changed in decades...
theonemind 8y ago
I agree about modal editing. Humans don't generally deal well with inconsistencies. I can type on Dvorak and QWERTY, at decent speed on both, but mostly type on Dvorak. Typing QWERTY gives me a bit of mental fatigue from continuously overriding my Dvorak-typing circuitry. I can feel a less extreme version of that mental fatigue from using modal editors. Just a growing irritation as I hit keys in the wrong mode, which happens at a fairly constant rate throughout the editing session. I used vim for several years, and honestly, I never found anything faster for editing (though, not so much for writing, but very efficient at throwing around and manipulating anything you don't already have done.) I don't use it for the same reason that I take the slightly-longer-but-much-less-congested route to work. The annoyance of stop-and-go traffic costs me more mentally than those extra minutes.

proaralyst 8y ago

Have you used it extensively? Why on modern keyboards? I can't stand non-modal editors now. I find them extremely limiting.

otron 8y ago

In what way is modal editing awful? Modal editors are the only solution I've come across to what I see as the problem with modern keyboards and editors: the inability to do everything you want to do without moving your hands away from the home row. Intellij, eclipse, sublime text, every "modern" non-modal editor I've used expects me to move my hands to the arrow keys if I want to move the caret. This is a personal gripe for me as repeatedly moving my hand back and forth between the home row, the mouse and arrow keys triggers my RSI. At least a non-modified bash prompt lets me navigate using some archaic control key combinations (^a: beginning of line, ^e: end of line, ^f: forward one character, etc.)

vthriller 8y ago
> At least a non-modified bash prompt lets me navigate using some archaic control key combinations You can get vi-like navigation in bash with a simple `set -o vi`

craftyguy 8y ago

Care to explain why you think modal editing is awful on 'modern'[0] keyboards? 0. besides adding backlights, changing build quality, and perhaps other layout options like dvorak or colemak, keyboards have not really changed in decades...

theonemind 8y ago

I agree about modal editing. Humans don't generally deal well with inconsistencies. I can type on Dvorak and QWERTY, at decent speed on both, but mostly type on Dvorak. Typing QWERTY gives me a bit of mental fatigue from continuously overriding my Dvorak-typing circuitry. I can feel a less extreme version of that mental fatigue from using modal editors. Just a growing irritation as I hit keys in the wrong mode, which happens at a fairly constant rate throughout the editing session. I used vim for several years, and honestly, I never found anything faster for editing (though, not so much for writing, but very efficient at throwing around and manipulating anything you don't already have done.) I don't use it for the same reason that I take the slightly-longer-but-much-less-congested route to work. The annoyance of stop-and-go traffic costs me more mentally than those extra minutes.