Ask HN: Any programmers use non-standard editors?

[parentheses]

Any programmers here use non-standard IDEs/editors?

How's the experience been? Editing? Language integration? Special/refreshing features?

Ones I can think of at this moment include Xi, OniVim, Kakoune and some of the ones listed here:

https://github.com/rothgar/awesome-tuis#editors

[Froedlich]

For writing code, I still use an ancient 1986 text editor that runs under DOS. I run it under DOSEMU now. After all those years, it's pretty much a direct mind-to-text interface.

For debugging code, almost all compilers come with some default editor or "build environment." I just use whatever is there, for convenience.

[parentheses]

I often get stuck rejecting this bi-modal way of working where I use one tool for authoring and another for debugging or whatever else that benefits from tooling.

Do you feel that (excluding the cost of learning/configuring it) it'd be better if you used something like neovim where both experiences can be pretty top-notch?

[armchairhacker]

i use Neovim if that’s considered nonstandard.

I’m pretty sure even with plug-ins it’s light on resources. Without plug-ins it’s just a text editor, but with plugins you can get a language server (code analysis, auto completion, etc.), file tree, debugger, and anything else you need to basically make it an IDE.

The only issue is that there’s definitely a learning curve. Not just to learn vim, but also to figure out which plug-ins to use, and debug any issues (because they expect you to have more experience hacking stuff). Most operations are shortcuts, they’re not immediately clear like in an IDE.

I recommend Lunar-vim or NvChad as those seem easy to install, and neovide (GUI for neovim, aka a window you can run it in instead of a terminal which should also support all of neovim plugin’s weird features like displaying images).

Alternatively there are lots of mini-IDEs designed to be like VSCode but smaller. You can find some on past threads.

[uxp100]

Do you think Neovim is the "right" program to choose going forward with vim? I'm currently using vim 8.1, really only upgrade when I'm bored, and don't care much about completion (though I do use it sometimes), care a little about load times (sometimes handle log files that are huge and slow to open), but more or less am happy with vanilla vim (the whole plug in install situation kinda sucks last time I checked, but I don't spend much time fiddling with it). So next time I feel like upgrading vim, should I switch?

[armchairhacker]

I should add that i still mainly use JetBrains software when working on large projects. IntelliJ’s code analysis is unparalleled. But i use neovim for smaller stuff and languages where JetBrains analysis doesn’t beat LSP. Like I said, there’s a learning curve but once you pass it everything is comfortable and workable.

[cutthegrass2]

Russ Cox (one of the Go core team) uses Acme I believe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acme_(text_editor)

[Hublium]

Anyone using SlickEdit or any editor with "BRIEF"-style key bindings? I am not, but I am interested what people have to say.

[AA-BA-94-2A-56]

Carry-on question; is there any editor for ARM Mac OS that uses less RAM than VSCode and Webstorm but offers Intellisense?

[pragmatic1]

Vim

[parentheses]

nvim offers all these things with a minimal copy-pasta config.

[ajyey]

Nova?

[newusertoday]

emacs

[tmdh]

Does anyone have any experience with Kate?