David Nečas (Yeti) wrote:
> it's a bit strange when a vim user describes vi as `crazy' and `so
> weird'...
It may sound strange to us Vim veterans, but it's what I would expect.
My path to learning Vi/Vim (which took place at the same time as my
learning of GNU/Linux, by the way) was as follows:
1. Use it as a Notepad with weird save/quit commands (<esc>:w<cr> ...)
Always in insert mode, only using the arrows, Del, BS, Home, End, and
hitting Esc and 'u' like crazy whenever something weird happened.
2. Learn "copy & paste", first line-wise (dd yy p P), then selection-wise
(v V ^V y d, still only using the arrow keys.
At this point (a few months?) I was already as productive as with my
former Windows editor of choice! (something like TextEdit™ or TextPad™)
3. Learn that command mode is actually useful for moving around in the
file (gg, G, {, }) and opening two files at a time (:e, C-^)
4. Other stuff (complex movements, buffers/windows/tabs, registers,
macros, mappings, autocommands, folding, custom syntax files...)
This timeline might look non-linear, in fact I believe that learning Vim
is an exponential task to the engaged user, and that's a very good thing!
The point is: I don't consider my learning path in any way peculiar, and
if Vim had suddenly reverted to Vi while I was in phases 1 to 3, I would
have looked at my computer with a blank, baffled expression on my face.
Tobia
