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Modal editing exists because the mouse didn't exist then, and it continues to exist because modal editing is very powerful because you get to be in a mode where
by cryptonector 3y ago
Modal editing exists because the mouse didn't exist then, and it continues to exist because modal editing is very powerful because you get to be in a mode where you type commands for cursor movements, textual transformations, etc., which allows power users to be very productive.
- astrange 3y agoI don't think I've ever seen evidence that emacs users actually need to be very productive in their text editor even if it works. Though it might not work - the original Mac user research found that keyboards make users think they're faster, but don't actually make them faster, because of time blindness.
- mpenick 3y agoDo you have a link for that claim?
- astrange 3y agohttps://www.asktog.com/TOI/toi06KeyboardVMouse1.html https://www.asktog.com/TOI/toi06KeyboardVMouse1.html
- cryptonector 3y agoThat's conjecture.
- astrange 3y ago$50 million in 1980s dollars of conjecture?
- cryptonector 3y agoOy, I skimmed over that line. There's no link to any actual study results though, is there?
- cryptonector 3y agoI wouldn't know. I'm a vi user. I don't know how much more productive I am with VI than non-modal editors, and even if I did know that would just be anecdotal, but I feel more productive coding in (Neo)vi(m) than I do in any non-modal editor, and it's much more comfortable anyways.