I haven't seen an Emacs VS Vim thread on Teksyndicte yet. Which do you prefer?
I have been using Vim for basic text file configuration for awhile now but I am trying to learn Emacs. So far I haven't been having a good experience with it yet. The keybindings seem random to me like Ctl-x Ctl-c to quit? It makes no since to do that, although Vim does have some weird bindings like the default keys to move the cursor, hjkl. I prefer to use the arrow keys just because it makes since in my mind.
hjkl is pretty common in unix applications for some reason. Arrow keys still work just fine in vim though.
I use vim purely because that's what I started with and it does all I need and more. I like to keep it simple so I don't have many plugins installed.
I prefer to use the arrow keys just because it makes since in my mind.
After years and years and years of banging out code in vim... you'll find yourself using hjkl in things like... your web browser ;P
Yes, and the dreaded :wq at the end of Word docs
iVim vs Emacs... may the flame war commence.:wq
I prefer Vim mostly due to the fact that I am far too lazy to bother with learning Emacs, however I do believe Emacs is still a good choice as long as you put in the effort to get over the learning curve.
its really a personal preference, i prefer vim and use it as my daily text editor, i find that vim has more plugins and navigating and coding with it is a better experience.
The reason is Vi is very old (Vim is an improved version of Vi).
Vi was meant to operate over network, from a terminal to a mainframe. "hjkl" is used because (pick your reason):
- There was no proper way to send non-ASCII characters over the network
- Non-ASCII characters meant more bits being sent over the network protocols
- With a parity check bit, ASCII made one whole byte, which made a nice round number
- Vi had to, at the time, run on very limited memory, so writing extra routines for handling extra bits may have made it too big (way back then, you would always optimize your binaries for size)
- With "hjkl" you don't need to move your hand from the keyboard typing area to the area where cursor-keys are placed, improving your eye-screen coordination
Cursor up, down, left, right, was not and still isn't a part of ASCII (although the Escape button is). Both Vi and Vim have since become able to send cursor up, down, left, right.
I prefer Vim, because I find Emacs to have more functions than I need. Also because Vi comes default on all *NIXes I use. But to some people, Emacs makes more sense. One should try both. All failing, you can always use pico, and nano.
I use Nano. The other two are too complex
This is a necro but this debate is an ancient computing debate so I will let it stand :)
Nano for me as well unless it is code I am editing then Vim is a little bit better.
You can play Tetris on EMACS though.
Well if were keeping this up. Of the two I prefer Emacs as i prefer the keybinds rather than vims odd (to me) keybindings. Esc :? Then i to type again seems.. odd compared to Ctrl+x s
Emacs user here, currently using it for Java, Python and CL (common lisp). If you are doing more than simple quick edits to files then it might be the way to go over Vim these days since the downsides from when the "war" originally started are gone and only improving. (Although I guess neovim could compete again?)
There is also Evil Mode which emulates the vim workflow within emacs so... there's that. In ADDITION to that, there's the emacs package "spacemacs" which is essentially a full fledged extension to Evil Mode. In it you use the spacebar as your leader key, it's rather nice I hear and it seems popular to the vim converts. Enjoy
TL;DR you can have Vi on speed within emacs.
Vim was just easy to pick up. Though, I usually go out of my way to avoid them both for Notepad++. I do a ridiculous number of scp commands.
vim for the same reasons listed previously. It was just what I first learned, so I've stuck with it.
I use Emacs. It's a great operating system.
I remember reading some hillarious quotes about Emacs:
Emacs outshines all other editing software in approximately the same way
that the noonday sun does the stars. It is not just bigger and
brighter; it simply makes everything else vanish.
- Neal Stephenson, In the Beginning…
I use vim (a prof at my uni told us: If you study IT you should be a virtuoso in at least one text editor so I chose vim).
While doing some administration on my own vServer I came to the conclusion that vim is superior in as far as it loads faster than emacs. Messing with config files works a little better that way.
I think y'all might like this https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHd-C_QUYAIp-Mx.jpg
Also, some of the old V100 Terminals didn't have arrow keys.
