On Sat, 2 Sep 2017 20:46:33 -0400, rhkra...@gmail.com wrote: >I do occasionally use vi (when >I'm stuck with no other editor), but I wouldn't wish either on a novice >programmer. Further, I don't think they have any advantage over a good GUI >editor with features like a scripting language, keyboard macros, outlining / >folding, syntax highlighting, and such.
The vi (visual interface) editor was used by AT&T (the developers of Unix under government contract) service personnel to administrate the US telephone network over dial-up connections. As there was no mouse support in those early days, vi was designed to be used entirely from the keyboard, a feature touch-typists will appreciate because it doesn't require reaching for a mouse and abandoning the home-row hand positions. With regard to the missing features being lamented above: https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-vim-script-1/index.html http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2009/01/vi-and-vim-macro-tutorial-how-to-record-and-play/ https://majutsushi.github.io/tagbar/ For syntax highlighting, simply write: "Esc:syntax on" to activate the builtin.