One of the reasons I usually don't use an IDE for development is that I'm so used to vi keybindings that I usually end up messing up my text and putting in lots of ":w"s, and I can't use vi's powerful regex replace mechanism. Are there any IDEs that allow you to configure vi keybindings or use vi as the editor within the IDE?
+13
A:
There is ViEmu which provides vim key bindings for Visual Studio. I haven't used it, but I probably would if I were working in VS and not actually using vim.
Also, I know that SlickEdit has a vi keybinding option.
Greg Hewgill
2008-11-17 00:15:15
I've used ViEmu and it works great.
Steve Rowe
2009-05-05 18:44:59
See also http://stackoverflow.com/questions/483962/is-it-possible-to-use-vi-or-vim-keymap-in-netbeans , which mentions viex: http://sourceforge.net/projects/viex/
therefromhere
2009-09-09 20:07:15
@therefromhere: Thanks. I added cross-referencing links to both questions.
Bill the Lizard
2009-09-09 20:13:05
A few years later there's also the vrapper plugin for eclipse:http://vrapper.sourceforge.net/home/
Wayne Werner
2010-05-21 13:29:10
A:
Most IDE's that I know of (eclipse, netbeasn, VS200X) have replace with regex features available, Im not a big vi user, what do you really want to be able to do?
My advice is to really take the time to learn the IDE of choice and you will soon be a very efficient (in different ways) developer within that environment, they wouldnt be popular IDE's if there were in efficient.
I switch between IDE's a lot, and you end up just getting used to pushing the wrong key combinations, its not that bad.
Mark
2008-11-17 00:26:37
Mostly we want to be able to do all our editing without moving our hands from the home row - no going to cursor keys, no page up/page down keys, and no mouse usage. And we want to be able to navigate the files really efficiently.
Hamish Downer
2009-09-09 19:49:36
In eclipse: cntrl+shift+r filenameI rarely if ever use the mouse in eclipse.
Stefan Kendall
2009-09-09 20:01:15
@Stefan: If we wanted to use so many modifier keys, we'd be using emacs.
Xiong Chiamiov
2010-04-29 22:31:08
As long as you don't have arthritis, cntrl+shift is a common modifier sequence. All IDEs I know of bind cntrl+shift to a number of actions.
Stefan Kendall
2010-04-29 23:52:15
You cannot compare run-of-the-mill keyboard shortcuts to Vim. It's just impossible.
Arda Xi
2010-07-04 21:22:59
A:
Tasking EDE has a vi mode, if you're lucky enough to be coding for one of the embedded devices it targets.
finnw
2008-11-17 00:27:21
This is one of the big reasons I use Komodo. There is also a Komodo IDE (which is not free).
Xiong Chiamiov
2010-04-29 22:27:57
+3
A:
For Visual Studio there's ViEmu (http://www.viemu.com/). Unfortunately it is not free, and it is not 100% Vim. I've been using it for 1-2 years now and is really happy with it, as it allows me to do most of what I'm used to from Vim.
I doesn't replace all of VS's key bindings, so you can actually mix VS and Vim commands, which is nice. However, it does make life a little harder if you want to use other plug-ins such as ReSharper and the like.
Brian Rasmussen
2008-11-17 11:50:10
+1
A:
MonoDevelop can both embed vim as the editor and the default editor has a vi mode.
MonoDevelop is now available on Windows and Mac as well as Linux.
Hamish Downer
2009-09-09 19:59:35
A:
QT Creator also has a vi mode for it's editor.
However, not all features of vim are supported. Really it is good if you are looking for vi style editing, but doesn't have enough features to really feel like you are working in vim.
MichaelM
2009-10-01 07:17:46
A:
I'm in the same boat. My brain thinks in vi, and coding with different keybindings is like trying to translate to a different language during a conversation.
I used viPlugin for a few years (up until 2008), but always had the impression it was masking lots of Eclipse goodness in terms of completion and lookup functionality and I just eventually reverted to command line vi again.
I'm going through a trial with Komodo right now, and I'm tempted to spring for the full blown commercial license. It builds in vi emulation, so it's a ground-up approach rather than some tacked-on add in.
Another path you might consider is taking steps to make vi more IDE-like, ala...
kshep
2010-04-29 17:48:09