Maybe you tried VIM in the past and you don’t understand how this primitive tool can increase your “code writing” performance. But maybe you tried with the wrong VIM version…
My mission today is change that bad feeling about VIM.
###The essentials steps to transform VIM into a real cool guy:
- VI != VIM, VIM is evolution, VI is legacy crap.
- To use VIM you must learn how to use it…that sounds really obvious, but believe me you need courage to learn VIM
- VIM is like a car, if you improve your car components, your car goes faster and looks better…and you will be proud of it.
###VIM Components
- If you have OSX, I recommend this MacVim version:
- If you have Linux, I recommend this VIM/GVIM version
“So..I already installed my new VIM, but I don’t know how to use these vim components”
Those VIM versions(or distributions) have very useful plugins and snippets:
- NERDTree: Show your working directory and allows you navigate into the folders and open files into current vim buffer.
- CtrlP: The evolution of Command-T plugin, allows you to search a file, word, tag, buffer inside you project directory.
- SnipMate: Defines text snippets (a series of characters) that expand to a useful piece of code when tab is pressed.
Also there are a lot of vim tutorials like:
If you’re not convinced yet, let me show you a screencast about you can do in VIM
Oh..wait, VIM is only a text editor, right?
Nope!
VIM also can edit images, here is an example called Afterimage
So… VIM can be a cool guy if you want :)