Vi (Visual Editor)
Vi, short for “Visual Editor,” is a widely used text editor in Unix-like operating systems. It was developed by Bill Joy in the late 1970s. It is widely known for its powerful text manipulation capabilities.
Features
- Vi is a modal text editor, that is it has different modes for different tasks
- It has a minimalistic design.
- Lightweight and powerful.
- Vi provides powerful keyboard shortcuts.
- Vi is available on all Unix-like systems.
Vi vs. Vim: Choosing the First Right Text Editor
Vi and Vim are both text editors used primarily in Unix-like operating systems, although they are available on various platforms. They both are powerful text editors known for their efficient text manipulation and keyboard-driven interface. Whether you should learn Vi before Vim depends entirely on you, your requirements, and your specific goals and needs. Vim is an extended, enhanced, and improved version of Vi, and it includes all the functionality of Vi along with many additional features. Here are some factors to consider while deciding whether to go with “vi” or “vim” before starting.
Minimalism: Vi has a minimalistic design. Learning Vi first can give you a solid understanding of the basics and may make it easier to transition to Vim later.
Efficient Workflow: If your primary goal is to use the powerful and advanced text-manipulation capabilities of Vim then it would be better to start with Vim directly.
Older Systems: On the other hand if your goal is to work on older systems or simply want a minimalistic text editing experience, Vi might be your go-to choice.
Learning Curve: Vim has a steeper learning curve compared to Vi because of its additional features.
Vim is the more widely used and powerful option overall, so sooner or later, you may want to transition to Vim for a more feature-rich text editing experience.