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TextMate vs Vim: What are the differences?
TextMate vs Vim: Key Differences
Vim and TextMate are both popular text editors among developers and programmers. While they serve a similar purpose, there are key differences between them that make each unique and suitable for different user preferences and needs.
1. Flexibility and Customization: Vim offers extensive customization options and can be tailored to meet specific requirements. It allows users to define macros, create custom commands, and modify the editor's behavior extensively. In contrast, TextMate provides limited customization options and lacks the same level of flexibility as Vim.
2. Learning Curve: Vim has a steep learning curve due to its unique modal editing approach, where users switch between normal, insert, visual, and other modes for editing text. On the other hand, TextMate has a more traditional interface and is generally considered easier to learn and use, making it more beginner-friendly.
3. Speed and Efficiency: Vim is known for its speed and efficiency in handling large files and performing complex operations. It has powerful features like split windows, buffer management, and macros that enable users to navigate and edit code quickly. TextMate, while efficient, may slow down when dealing with large files or performing resource-intensive tasks.
4. Platform Availability: Vim is available on almost all operating systems, including macOS, Linux, and Windows, making it highly versatile and accessible. TextMate, however, is primarily designed for macOS and has limited availability on other platforms, which may restrict its usage for users on different systems.
5. Community and Plugin Ecosystem: Vim has a large and dedicated community of users who contribute to its wide range of plugins, scripts, and configuration options. These plugins enhance Vim's functionality, enabling users to extend and customize the editor further. While TextMate also has a supportive community, its plugin ecosystem is not as extensive or widely adopted as Vim's.
6. Integration and Tools: Vim integrates well with various external tools and programs, allowing seamless integration with compilers, debuggers, version control systems, and more. TextMate, while it supports external tools, may have more limited integration options compared to Vim.
In summary, Vim offers unparalleled flexibility, customization, and speed, making it an ideal choice for advanced users and those who prioritize efficiency. On the other hand, TextMate is a more user-friendly and accessible text editor that may suit beginners or users who prefer a simpler interface. Ultimately, the choice between Vim and TextMate depends on the user's specific requirements and personal preferences.
For a Visual Studio Code/Atom developer that works mostly with Node.js/TypeScript/Ruby/Go and wants to get rid of graphic-text-editors-IDE-like at once, which one is worthy of investing time to pick up?
I'm a total n00b on the subject, but I've read good things about Neovim's Lua support, and I wonder what would be the VIM response/approach for it?
Neovim can basically do everything Vim can with one major advantage - the number of contributors to the code base is just so much wider (Vim is ~100% maintained only by B. Mooleanaar). Whatever you learn for Neovim you can also apply to Vim and vice versa. And of course there is the never ending Vim vs Emacs controversy - but better not get into that war.
Actually, the biggest advantage with Neovim (as a VS user) is that you can embed REAL Neovim as the editor UI, rather than using a "Vim emulation", you're using actual NVIM, embedded in VS!
"asvetliakov.vscode-neovim" is the extension you are looking for:
- Install the 'vscode-neovim; extension (https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=asvetliakov.vscode-neovim)
- Install Neovim version 0.5+ nightly
- Start winning.
(You can install neovim-nightly separately for just vscode, I usually build and install it to /opt/nvim - it's enough enough to do - let me know if you need help).
Works wonderfully. It might not work out of the box if you have some 100K epic nvim initialization file, but the plugin documents a workaround for having an embedding/VS specific configuration.
I don't actually notice much of a difference between the two, as the end result looks identical. If you use Vim and are switch to Neovim it's an extremely easy 1-minute process. I switched from Vim to Neovim. I can't say I found much of a difference, but the key points where Neovim could be better than just vim is that first, there are much more people maintaining Neovim compared to vim, which means fewer bugs and a modern code base. It also has a smaller code base which might result in a small speed improvement. Another thing is that it's basically just a fork of vim, so what harm can it do? ;)
I recommend using vim 8+
it has native plugin support
if you need language supports you can install the package vim-nox which will come with support for python, lua, ruby, etc
The hints on the codebase's contributors and the VSCode integration helped me make up my mind.
I really appreciate all comments, though.
Thanks a bunch!
It truly depends on whether you want to completely avoid GUI and stick to TUI and command lines. If you want to edit all of your codes within a terminal, then Vim or neovim would be the choice. Emacs can be run in a terminal, but the functionality is limited. Most people use Emacs using GUI and emacs-client not to use too much memory.
My general preference is to use an independent text editor, which is better if it is highly customizable and programmable. So, I have used Emacs for several years. For beginners, I guess Emacs requires significant time to learn to fully enjoy its wonderful functionalities. In that sense, using atom would be a recommendable option.
Regardless of all the situations, learning basic vim in the terminal will help you in any case. In summary, I recommend 1. vim as a default editor in the terminal 2. atom if you are a beginner, or 3. Emacs if you have a long-term plan to master a programmable editor
Other editors like sublime text, VS code, and so forth are also worth learning and using. But, no matter which editor you choose, stick to one or two until you become an advanced user. Being able to use most text editors at an intermediate level is waste of time.
I hope it helps.