Editor Wars!

Ok, I hope it won't cause a whole bunch of angry flames, but I really am curious...

What is your favorite editor?
If you don't have a favorite, which do you use most often?

( And I resisted putting "CowboyNeil as an option - there are plenty of those here:
Slashdot Poll | Favorite Poll Choice? ... )

At work I generally use `vi`and `vim` on the odd occassion that I use a linux box.
At home I use `vi`, but haven't done much at home for sometime.

I have come to love elVIs. I like the syntax highlighting in it, without a bunch of stupid config files. The windows versions work very well too.

I use:

  • VI for all my UNIX text file editing. VI is extremely fast and the search and replace functions are incredible!
  • MS Word for shared business documents because that is how my clients do business.

I think the secret to happiness is not to be dogmatic about IT tools but to use the appropriate and best tool based on the job, right?

However, the learning curve for VI is high and many people will not take the time to reap the benefits of VI....... I'm lucky to be a VI user for over 16 years! I've been using MS WORD for less than have of that. I did find that migrating from VI/LaTeX to MS WORD/Acrobat for professional publications was a good move for me. I will not go back to LaTeX because I don't use lots of complex math equations. If you do very complex symbols and formatting, LaTeX is the way to go, really!!

edlin! Haha...great choice.

I use pico all the time because it integrates with my mail client, pine. However, vim/gvim is my editor of choice for just about any other use -- the "-t" flag is absolutely the best when hacking on source code. Kword is useful for reading those bloated .doc format files that co-workers keep sending me. As Neo said, different tools for different jobs.

i think vi wins!

Being a contractor - moving around a bit I now rely on VI for most if not all my editing. Other tools i.e. emacs, JEdit, etc can be good and easier than VI (but slower in many ways once you know it well) - but as I am a transient, I always end up with VI as at least I know it's always going to be avialable where I move to.

copy con > somefile.txt

Grunt! Grunt! Grunt!

Actually. Under Unices I prefer to use elvis or vim.

Under Win32 I prefer to use notepad but really miss the power of vi. If I wasn't such a slacker I'd just purchase UltraEdit for Win32 and be done with it.

Anybody here ever use Brief? I used to code in xBase with Brief many, many years ago and like the ability to perform block based cut and paste.

Wow. Flashback... Wordstar2000 key commands under Borland IDEs... :slight_smile:

someone posted this link awhile ago, now I'm not entering my command characters in notepad when switching between the 2 os's

http://www.winvi.de/en/

It seems to do a pretty good job, for the most part. I will probably stop using notepad under Win32 and start using WinVi32 instead. Thanks for the link.

no problem, although I got it from someone here, this forum is the best, I've got a lot a good, solid info, thanks to everyone for their input, too bad vi is under the 3 letter search minimum

  • Ed

As a unix youngster, vi's for me! I don't even use any of the others! Maybe notepad... only if no other solution!

vim \Vim\, n. [L., accusative of vis strength.]
Power; force; energy; spirit; activity; vigor. [Colloq.]
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

I wonder what would be your opinion about latest RMS article "We can put an end to Word attachments" :slight_smile:

http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=02/01/10/1711238&mode=thread

With regard to the sidebar on MSWORD and the news article, here is my reply, as requested:

I'm not a supporter of (IT) religious wars and jihads either and don't find any userfulness in them. Bashing products and companies has little value. If two people want to communicate using the "foo" format, then that is their choice, freedom and right. Cooperation is based on mutual gain. Obviously applications like MSWORD, PPT, and XLS have a broad base of users who like to use them.... they do have a choice, many choices.