From: Weiqi Gao <weiqigao AT a DOT crl DOT com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: vim key commands - not too kool
Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 20:43:11 -0600
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Leon wrote:
> 
> > > i don't think so dude!
> > > you first have to make sure you in that silly normal mode - so do not
> > > forget esc key. So- to do that in VIM  -
> > > 1) esc key
> > > 2) shift jey
> > > 3) colon key
> > > 4) w key
> > > 5) q key
> > > 6) return key
> > >
> > > how f!@#$ stupid.
> >
> > This sequence of keystrokes might not be the most newbie friendly, but
> > it certainly follows a logical pattern, and once you get used to it, it
> > become something that you never THINK about while you are editing.  It
> > becomes a pattern of usage, just like "ls -lart" and "rm -rf /".
> 
> the comment was regarding user=intuitiveness

If you have said "how counter intuitive" I wouldn't have argued with
you.  But your comment is "how f!@#$ stupid."  Which I disagree. 
Slightly unintelligentable because of its origins and so forth, maybe,
but stupid, certainly not, let alone the "f!@#$" kind.

> if we are talking about patterns and not THINKING = then any comb of keys
> would do - we were however talking about design of key commands.
> 
> i think in vim - althougt it is possible to do a lot of powerfull changes -
> when it comes to simple text typing/editing/cutting/pasting
> (yanking/putting) one will have to do a lot of finger movements (in those
> mode changes and so on) before actually getting to change the text of
> interest...

I can argue against your claim.  But I won't, because my point is that
even if vi commands were 20% longer than the commands in your favorite
editor, learning vi (or EMACS) would be the thing to do because of their
potential power and continued wide availability in the long run.

BTW, vi commands aren't THAT counter intuitive.  For example, 'a' is for
append, 'A' is for append at the end of line; 'i' is for insert, 'I' is
for insert at the beginning of the line; 'o' is for opening a new line
after the current line, 'O' is for opening a new line above the current
line; 'd' is for delete, 'c' is for change, 'p' is for put, 'm' is for
mark, 'w' is for write, and 'q' is for quit.  This (the association of
letters with mnemonics, not the actual editing) is the kind stuff that
we can teach two and three year old children.

Homework: 1.  You typed the following line:

This is f!@#$ stupid,  This is f!@#$ stupod, This is f!@#$ stupid, This
is f!@#$ stupid,

And found out that you misspelled the second 'stupid' as 'stupod'.  Now
the cursor is at the end of the line.  How many key strokes does it take
to correct the typo?

-- 
Weiqi Gao
weiqigao AT a DOT crl DOT com