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Ask HN: Are modal editors like Vim and Helix distracting?

3 points by amichail 4y ago

Instead of trying to minimize the number of keystrokes while editing/browsing your code via a modal editor, shouldn't you focus your attention on the code itself?

viraptor 4y ago
Not really. I have to use some kind of editing, so it's only a choice of whether I want to stay on the keyboard to do it, or use the mouse. Not using a modal editor doesn't save you from the need.
gigatexal 4y ago
Once you grasp modal you don’t back. Honestly.
PaulHoule 4y ago
I understand my story is unusual but I switched from emacs to vi for two reasons. (1) If I am sysadmining a Linux/Unix machine I can usually count on vi being installed but I can’t count on emacs. The whole reason I might be logging in is that the package database is trashed or maybe they don’t want to install emacs, if I can get the job done with vi quick than the job is done. A corollary to this is that I don’t like customizing an editor because I expect to use the stock configuration wherever I go. (2) I spend most of my time typing into an IDE on Windows but sometimes I need to just edit a file on a Linux/Unix system or maybe even Windows or MacOS and I find I can just cut-and-paste between a vi window and a web browser or IDE window but I can’t do the same with emacs because of how it uses continuation characters. I can’t say I am good at vi but I am just using it to do Notepad’s job and I find it as easy to use as Notepad.
stefanos82 4y ago
> Are modal editors like Vim and Helix distracting? Short answer? No! Long answer? ...NOPE!
- amichail 4y ago
  So you aren't more prone to thinking about minimizing keystrokes using a modal editor?
surprisetalk 4y ago
Personally, it’s not about “reducing keystrokes”. Modal editors shine when you’re trying edit groups of things: adjusting columns of text, applying transformations to many occurrences, etc. Of course, non-modal IDEs let you do search-and-replace, but they don’t provide a composable framework for thinking about text transformations. Above all else, having this composable framework enables me to focus on the code. I rarely think about my text editor. I see code, I want to change code, then I change code with a few keystrokes.

3 points by amichail 4y ago

Instead of trying to minimize the number of keystrokes while editing/browsing your code via a modal editor, shouldn't you focus your attention on the code itself?

viraptor 4y ago

Not really. I have to use some kind of editing, so it's only a choice of whether I want to stay on the keyboard to do it, or use the mouse. Not using a modal editor doesn't save you from the need.

gigatexal 4y ago

Once you grasp modal you don’t back. Honestly.

PaulHoule 4y ago

I understand my story is unusual but I switched from emacs to vi for two reasons. (1) If I am sysadmining a Linux/Unix machine I can usually count on vi being installed but I can’t count on emacs. The whole reason I might be logging in is that the package database is trashed or maybe they don’t want to install emacs, if I can get the job done with vi quick than the job is done. A corollary to this is that I don’t like customizing an editor because I expect to use the stock configuration wherever I go. (2) I spend most of my time typing into an IDE on Windows but sometimes I need to just edit a file on a Linux/Unix system or maybe even Windows or MacOS and I find I can just cut-and-paste between a vi window and a web browser or IDE window but I can’t do the same with emacs because of how it uses continuation characters. I can’t say I am good at vi but I am just using it to do Notepad’s job and I find it as easy to use as Notepad.

stefanos82 4y ago

> Are modal editors like Vim and Helix distracting? Short answer? No! Long answer? ...NOPE!

amichail 4y ago
So you aren't more prone to thinking about minimizing keystrokes using a modal editor?

surprisetalk 4y ago

Personally, it’s not about “reducing keystrokes”. Modal editors shine when you’re trying edit groups of things: adjusting columns of text, applying transformations to many occurrences, etc. Of course, non-modal IDEs let you do search-and-replace, but they don’t provide a composable framework for thinking about text transformations. Above all else, having this composable framework enables me to focus on the code. I rarely think about my text editor. I see code, I want to change code, then I change code with a few keystrokes.