What Can a Vim Master Accomplish That a Normal User Cannot?

Living in Vim means having a versatile and powerful environment right at your fingertips. A Vim master, like myself, utilizes a range of advanced features and customizations that set them apart from normal users. These skills include using Vim as an integrated development environment, automating various tasks, and integrating external applications directly within the editor. Let's delve into some of the unique capabilities a Vim master possesses.

Chaining External Applications with Vim

With Vim, a master can seamlessly integrate external applications through custom keystrokes. For example, I use Vim to manage my password file, automatically encrypting and decrypting it with keystrokes. Notes and other information are stored in various files, and I can even open spreadsheets or other applications while still working in Vim. My setup includes commands like:

:!okular ~/blah.pdf:!google-chrome:!vlc:!libreoffice -o

The `!` at the beginning of these commands allows me to run these applications in the background while continuing to work in Vim. This makes Vim not just an editor but a comprehensive toolset for various tasks.

Using Vim as an IDE for Comprehensive Projects

A Vim master can use Vim as an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for all their projects. This includes websites, scripts, and other development tasks. Custom keystrokes enable automatic inclusion of markup files and integration with my own markup compiler using makefiles. Here is how I do it:

{{fn}}

With the cursor on the file name and hitting a specific key, Vim takes me directly to the file. If the file is already open, typing `:b` followed by part of the file name will instantly bring me to the correct location.

Powerful Templating System and Automation

A Vim master can automate repetitive tasks using powerful templating systems and macros. When dealing with customer inquiries, I use a template file that gets dynamically populated when a customer sends in a request. The cursor automatically moves to the parts I need to edit, and using `Ctrl-j` takes me to the subsequent part of the template. This saves time and ensures consistency in responses.

Advanced Vim Usage for Normal Users

Normal users often limit their Vim usage to basic copy and paste operations, sticking to a single buffer for clipboard functions. A Vim master, however, takes advantage of registers to save and reuse different blocks of text. To do this, a Vim master uses the `" p` sequence, where ` ` is the register name, to paste from a specific register into the current file.

Similarly, advanced users of Vim can record and play macros to handle repetitive tasks. Macros are perfect for making complex but similar changes in multiple areas of the file. By including a search operation within the macro, one can re-run the macro using `@a@` to apply the changes to multiple occurrences in the same file.

A Vim master might also use the `n.n.n.n.n.n.` sequence to apply the same fix to multiple occurrences of a search pattern. This allows for precise and efficient editing, even with slightly different search results.

Conclusion

Essentially, a Vim master continuously adds functionality to Vim as needed. The scripting language within Vim is incredibly flexible, allowing customization and automation tailored to specific workflows. Speed, customizability, and a command center for the entire computer are key benefits of mastering Vim. By leveraging various Vim plugins and custom commands, a Vim master can truly maximize productivity and efficiency.

To achieve this level of mastery, Vim configuration files such as `.vimrc` can be stored in a centralized location like Dropbox. This ensures settings are consistent across multiple devices. Whether on Linux, macOS, or Windows, using symbolic links or symlinks can help maintain consistency.

Keywords

Vim, Vim mastery, Vim commands, Vim plugins, Vim scripting