Re: "Selling" Perl (i.e. getting the boss to let me install it)

John Bokma wrote:
) Willem <willem@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
)> Most of my work consists of working on existing code, finding out
)> where to make changes, finding out how things work, and then making
)> small changes in several places. In such cases, certain features are
)> invaluable.
)
) Which ones?

Search, replace, macro recording on the fly, diffing between split
windows, and all the syntax highlighting and autoindenting and such.
Plus the simple extensibility with a scripting language, which a vi
user already knows most of, because it's basically the same as the
editing commands.

Of course, most editors have that stuff, but if you use all of it, it
takes a lot more time to learn all the relevant keyboard shortcuts to
do the things you want to do.

)> In any case, you're talking about 'problem coding on other than
)> favourite
)> editor' while I'm talking about 'being faster in favourite editor'.
)
) I don't think that I am faster in my favourite editor TextPad, than in,
) say for example Vim (I am learning Emacs, but if I have edited a few files
) in it, I don't think I am faster or slower compared to TextPad).

The big advantage vim has over most other editors is that it can be
completely controlled from thust the basic alphanumeric keys, so you don't
have to lift your hands from the main part of the keyboard to do stuff.

Then there is the advantage that all the editing commands can be used
in conjunction with all the movement commands, making possible a lot
of advanced editing shortcuts that most other editors don't have.

Downside is the steep learning curve of having to memorize all the
commands, so switching *to* vim is usually not recommended.

) Of course, if I have to switch from TextPad to, say Kate, today, I have to
) get used to Kate. But after some time (a week or so), IMO I *should* be as
) fast as with TextPad.

I'm not familiar with Kate but I assume they are both quite similar.
Vim, on the other hand, is quite different as mentioned before. Of
course, ths modern versions have mouse menus and stuff, but it's the
keyboard commands that set it apart. Not using the mouse -> BIG speedup.

)> So if most of your work is typing out stuff then, yes, you won't be
)> much faster in another editor. But if most of your work is *editing*
)> stuff, then I *will* be much faster, in my opinion.
)
) I don't see why yet. The time I had to use vim a lot was on a huge (650+
) inhouse Perl modules) code maintainance project. I was very used to
) TextPad back then, but in no time I was splitting windows in vim, and
) jumping to lines with issues.

Were you using the keyboard commands, or the menu entries ?


SaSW, Willem
--
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
made in the above text. For all I know I might be
drugged or something..
No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT
.

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