4 ms·

I've been using vim/vi for decades, and am constantly referred to as the 'vim guru' in my dev sphere - but I only know like, 5 basic things - editing/navigation

I've been using vim/vi for decades, and am constantly referred to as the 'vim guru' in my dev sphere - but I only know like, 5 basic things - editing/navigation, search/replace, window management, cscope integration and .. Termdebug. The magic, though, is knowing how to access the command history window .. for some reason this always gets oohs and aahs. For me, Termdebug is the killer feature. There's something about being able to debug things faster than the other IDE-using folks, who are usually just waiting for the spin-up of their IDE into debug mode to stop by the time I've already stepped through the code in focus .. I think a lot of people would be in the vim camp if they could just master the 5 basic operations they'd need to use vim. Its pretty interesting to discover the whole world of stuff in help.txt that I just never, ever touch, for whatever reason ..

akkartik 6y ago
Vim only got Termdebug in May 2018. What were you using in the decades before it?
- fit2rule 6y ago
  VimGdb/clewn .. but I don't remember having as good a time with debugging in vim until Termdebug came along, and mostly just had another terminal for gdb when needed.
bmayor 6y ago
I've never used termdebug. Here is some info: https://www.dannyadam.com/blog/2019/05/debugging-in-vim/ https://www.dannyadam.com/blog/2019/05/debugging-in-vim/ If that is accurate (it looks like it is), why is termdebug faster than keeping open a second window and using gdb there?
- fit2rule 6y ago
  Its a matter of switching between Vim windows rather than (in my case) Terminator windows - not that much of a difference to be honest, but the code navigation and completion within Termdebug is pretty dope - using it within vim means access to the compiledb navigation functionality ..
matwood 6y ago
I know enough vim to get around, edit, and search/replace. I put in the original effort so I could edit files on any unix server I ended up on. I also like the modal editing concept. But, even though I bring vim keybindings to all my local editors, my day to day is still a mix of vim + mouse navigation (and cmd+t obviously). I have never felt hindered by not being all vim. I do touch type though, and have known programmers who hunt and peck with their index fingers. Not being able to type nowadays always seemed odd to me since, I just assumed people would learn to type better by being at the computer all day.
- bmayor 6y ago
  You don't get strain injuries if you hunt and peck. Being on the home row all the time is very un-ergonomic, depending on the size and shape of the hands. If you have broad shoulders and long arms, finding a good posture is even more difficult.
  - voldacar 6y ago
    If you have broad shoulders, it's worth investing in a split keyboard
- yodsanklai 6y ago
  > I just assumed people would learn to type better by being at the computer all day I've noticed that with doctors. Maybe it's just where I live, but most doctors I've met hunt and peck. It's painful to watch them struggling to type their prescriptions. Considering how valuable their time is, it's a shame they don't spend time learning this skill.
srtjstjsj 6y ago
Putting an IDE in debug doesn't take any time though.

akkartik 6y ago

Vim only got Termdebug in May 2018. What were you using in the decades before it?

fit2rule 6y ago
VimGdb/clewn .. but I don't remember having as good a time with debugging in vim until Termdebug came along, and mostly just had another terminal for gdb when needed.

bmayor 6y ago

I've never used termdebug. Here is some info: https://www.dannyadam.com/blog/2019/05/debugging-in-vim/ https://www.dannyadam.com/blog/2019/05/debugging-in-vim/ If that is accurate (it looks like it is), why is termdebug faster than keeping open a second window and using gdb there?

fit2rule 6y ago
Its a matter of switching between Vim windows rather than (in my case) Terminator windows - not that much of a difference to be honest, but the code navigation and completion within Termdebug is pretty dope - using it within vim means access to the compiledb navigation functionality ..

matwood 6y ago

I know enough vim to get around, edit, and search/replace. I put in the original effort so I could edit files on any unix server I ended up on. I also like the modal editing concept. But, even though I bring vim keybindings to all my local editors, my day to day is still a mix of vim + mouse navigation (and cmd+t obviously). I have never felt hindered by not being all vim. I do touch type though, and have known programmers who hunt and peck with their index fingers. Not being able to type nowadays always seemed odd to me since, I just assumed people would learn to type better by being at the computer all day.

bmayor 6y ago
You don't get strain injuries if you hunt and peck. Being on the home row all the time is very un-ergonomic, depending on the size and shape of the hands. If you have broad shoulders and long arms, finding a good posture is even more difficult.
- voldacar 6y ago
  If you have broad shoulders, it's worth investing in a split keyboard
yodsanklai 6y ago
> I just assumed people would learn to type better by being at the computer all day I've noticed that with doctors. Maybe it's just where I live, but most doctors I've met hunt and peck. It's painful to watch them struggling to type their prescriptions. Considering how valuable their time is, it's a shame they don't spend time learning this skill.

srtjstjsj 6y ago

Putting an IDE in debug doesn't take any time though.