response 22 of 59:

Feb 23 18:56 UTC 2006

 Spelling it out a little more clearly, here's how lijun can try
 it out using vim.

 Start by editing a file, for example foo.c:

    vim foo.c

 Now make a few changes to the file (just to prove we can have
 more than one modified file open at a time, just as you asked..)

 Now use the vim windowing commands to create a new window:

    ^Wn  (that's control-W, followed by n.)

 Your cursor will be moved to the new window.  Open a second file
 for editing in that window, e.g.:

     :e bar.c

 Now you'll have foo.c open for editing in the bottom half of the
 screen and bar.c open for editing in the top half.  You can switch
 between the two using ^W^W and when you're done you can save
 either or neither.

response 24 of 59:

Feb 23 21:58 UTC 2006

OK, I'll bite.

Because once you've learnt it's quick to use and doesn't get in the way. (Who
REALLY needs all those instructions at the bottom of a nano window once
they've used it for the billionth time?)

response 26 of 59:

Feb 23 22:15 UTC 2006

oh.  but it mustn't be the BEST editor, because here you guys are recommending
emacs for the job.

response 28 of 59:

Feb 23 22:43 UTC 2006

re #23:  Because it's efficient, lightweight, powerful, and can be found
already installed on a very wide array of systems.

However, I have to admit that when an improved vi alternative such as vim
or nvi are available, I generally use those instead.

response 30 of 59:

Feb 23 22:59 UTC 2006

I pretty much go along with Remmers's thoughts in #27.  I would not try
to write a 10,000 line class library in vi; vi is for writing a 10 line
email message, or for editing /etc/foo.conf.

response 32 of 59:

Feb 24 01:38 UTC 2006

Vi is my editor of choice for all pure-text word processing I do, except
perhaps entering responses in Picospan (because it erases the last responses in
my scroll-back buffer). The only reason I might not try to write a 10,000 line
library in vi is that jumping around would take minutes per jump due to the
immense size of the file -- and emacs would probably be worse on that score.

response 34 of 59:

Feb 24 19:14 UTC 2006

I use vi for viewing huge log files, too.

I have vim installed on my Windows machines at work and home.  I need 
it.  I can do case-sensitive and pattern based searches in vi or vim 
which I cannot do in any other editor available to me.  I can also do 
find and replace operations in vi or vim much more easily than in any 
other editor available to me.

I don't use vi/vim for every situation, but I use Wordpad, Notepad and 
MS Word (or 602Text) as required for different things.  But I like vi 
or vim the best and use them the most often.

response 36 of 59:

Feb 25 00:50 UTC 2006

 What John doesn't tell you is that that "single keystroke" requires
 a chord combination using six different modifier keys, plus the 
 EditMode key, a seventh key that isn't available on consumer-grade
 keyboards produced for sale in the western hemisphere.

 John can manage it because he's a concert-quality ragtime pianist
 but if any of you were to try it without proper training your fingers
 would snap like twigs.

response 38 of 59:

Feb 25 19:34 UTC 2006

 Well, you must've remapped it then..  :-p

response 40 of 59:

Feb 26 21:31 UTC 2006

Re #38:  Nope, control-Z is the DEEfault.

I should mention that another reason I use emacs these days is that by
installing the nxml plugin, you get the world's greatest XML (and hence
XHTML) editor.  Color syntax highlighting, on-the-fly well-formedness
checking -- and if you've specified a RelaxNG schema, it checks schema
conformance on the fly too.  Awesome!

response 42 of 59:

Feb 27 10:22 UTC 2006

I already pepper my files with ":w" 's when in gui editors... if I started
using something like emacs I'd be f**ked

response 44 of 59:

Feb 28 14:12 UTC 2006

<twenex raises one eyebrow>

response 46 of 59:

Mar 4 00:30 UTC 2006

I don't like vi for that reason.  The modal design is too different 
from every other app I use.