Link Details

Something tells me that vim can't compile my java code *as I type it* like IntelliJ does.

I do, of course, use IdeaVim to allow vim syntax inside IntelliJ. Eclipse has a similar plugin. I can't imagine navigating code with the arrow keys anymore.

It can if you use the right macro :-)
You can even configure to jump to the line of code where a compile error occurred if you wish

I always try to force myself to learn to use vi effectively but my laziness always stops me. Time to move on!!!

I'm a vim user myself and I like it so much! It's true that dialogs, buttons and mouse moves generally interupt the ideas flow

@maka

So how come when the caret moves it does not interrupt the flow of ideas?

Thanks, but I rather stick wit Eclipse where I have real time parser, code analyzer, svn and Trac integration and gazillion other features that make me more productive. You can stick in dark ages with the rest of hippies. Anyway, greetings from 2008...

@antych you can use all you've said with vim. It's extensible... ever looked at the huge amount of available plugins?

I know VIM is very powerful and can do to some crazy shi** but why would limit myself to a text tool? It will always have more limitation than a good IDE. It's great, that such a tool exists so people forced to work remotely, edit files over ssh, etc can use it. But in my opinion it will never be a proper development tool. It's just a notepad on steroids.

@antych
"It's just a notepad on steroids"

...which shows how little you know

Maybe it shows how little do you know about its alternatives. I watched a lengthy presentation by VIMs author demonstrating some of the more advanced features. I have a pretty good idea and I use it almost every day!
And the only people I know in person that defend VIM are the ones that never tried using something like Eclipse. It's like they are afraid of something new.

i have used eclipse and visual studio, along with plenty of other editors... vim gets the job done quickly, and i don't find myself hindered by the IDE's idea of how my workflow should proceed...

These are not editors and you mentioned yourself, editor != IDE. No point arguing. You can split developers into those who now know how to take advantage of an IDE and those who don't.

your idiocy astounds me. bravo, young man.

You are younger than me Jeremy and it's time to stop acting like a jerk

you certainly don't act like it... if you'll recall your earlier words, "You can stick in dark ages with the rest of hippies". it sure sounds like you wanted to have a civil discussion. yet, i'm the one acting like a jerk? you're nothing but a troll...

Well at least you act like it, nice job voting your own comments. Oh no, you are not 7 years old, you're 27...
And nice move taking down your CV, lol what a retard. Now go away and don't waste me time.

oh my, you were able to find my personal web site?? i guess i didn't hide it well enough... dang

Maybe so, Karol, but that means little...

Y'all are self-evidently wrong! Emacs!

(I'm joking. I use eclipse and Visual Studio.)

This article has just reaffirmed my negative opinion of people who use vim when the have access to a modern IDE.

You can use vim editing in modern IDEs. Why do they provide some magic? Because it's really worth it!

In my experience, the hatred of vim (and the like) stems from an inability to understand it. I've seen comments here along the lines of "vim is for hippies" and "welcome to 2008". I find it amazing that someone would make comments like that. Vim is just as actively developed as visual studio or eclipse, yet, somehow, it has the reputation of being antiquated and obsolete. Yes, vim is based on an older editor, vi, but anyone who has used both knows that there are few similarities, other than some basic concepts. I know that vim has an extremely steep learning curve, but for those of us who have climbed the vim mountain and seen the fantastic view from the summit know why it's such a valuable tool (the word 'valuable' really doesn't convey the appropriate magnitude here). To those people that feel the need to trash talk vim, I truly feel pity for you that you are unable to grasp the power that the rest of us wield.
I would wager a guess that most vim users have used (or do use) an IDE (or multiple IDEs) at some time in their career. Most of us have found the idea of an IDE to be too restrictive, and prefer the flexibility of vim. On the flip-side, I doubt most vim haters have ever ventured outside of their IDE (or notepad-equivalent), and if they have, could not handle the learning curve of a more advanced environment like vim or emacs.
The bottom line is that editors != IDEs. They require different mindsets and they're for different types of developers.

Emacs!!

Vi!!!

Emacs!!!

Vi!!

You, Sir, are stupid!

indeed. Noone in their right mind would use 3 exclamation marks to promote emacs!