Vim

See also: Editors

Web Site: http://www.vim.org

Short for: “vi Improved.”

The successor to vi, the standard editor on every UNIX system. vi and Vim are mode-editors: There is an edit mode and a command mode, and they are mutually exclusive.

Some of the main features of Vim and improvements of Vim over vi:

  • multi level undo/redo
  • multi-file editing
  • split windows both horizontal and vertical
  • syntax highlighting for hundreds of file types
  • trans-session history of commands/searches/registers/positions …
  • IDE-like build/review/edit features
  • multi-mode text folding
  • extended scripting and expressions
  • scripted plugins, including remote file editing
  • … and hundreds more

Vim has been ported to a variety of operating systems, including AmigaOS, Atari MiNT, BeOS, DOS, FreeBSD, Linux, MacOS, NextStep, OS/2, OSF, RiscOS, SGI, UNIX, VMS, and Windows (16 and 32 bit varieties).

Keep in mind that vim is different from pretty much every Windows (and even DOS) editor you may be familiar with. Some like it, others hate it. For those who have mastered it, it’s a very powerful information tool.

There is a graphical version of vim called gvim

If you need help on vim be sure to try IRC channel #vim. You can find me on there too =) — C-Keen


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