layout: true <div class=bot-bar> Lecture 6: Text Editors </div> --- class: center, middle # Week 6 --- # Announcements * Basic, Advanced 5 due October 21 * Basic, Advanced 3 deadlines pushed back to October 14 --- # Clarifications * Overemphasized "good" commits * Commits are checkpoints, use them as you wish * Good style is more for sharing the repo with other people * (and helping you out when you want to roll back by features) * I personally make junk commits too, but squash them when I reach a milestone -- * Don't commit "junk" * System metadata files * Build outputs (object code, binaries built from source, `.dSYM` files on mac OS) * Text editor swap files * Avoid _blindly_ using `git add .` * Most appropriate time is adding a _bunch_ of new files (like with a new repo) * Be mindful of what you're committing * A good `.gitignore` file helps with this * `git add -u` to add modified files is usually the most appropriate --- class: center, middle # Lecture 6: (Text) Editors ### `vi` != `vim` --- # Overview * What is a text editor * Examples of text editors * Looking at text editors * Featuring a large section on `vim` because it's the one I know the best --- # What is a text editor? * Tool that modifies plain-text data in files * The best ones conform to your needs and further enable your productivity -- #### Q: Who has used features beyond moving around with arrow keys, using the mouse to select/move the cursor, copy and paste in their preferred text editor/development environment? --- ## The goal of today's lecture is to expose you to text editors can be and how powerful they can be -- * Ultimately editor choice is a highly personalized decision * No, we're not fanning the flames of the Editor Wars -- * One editor is not _inherently_ better than another: it depends on whether or not it works for _you_ -- * I'll make an exception for Microsoft Notepad: literally anything is better -- * A relatively vanilla `vim` just so happens to be what works for how I work * Don't take this as a guideline for you to follow: I just happen to be highly productive with it * You can use whatever text editor you want, with as many or few customizations and plugins as you want --- # Q: What are some text editors? --- # Terminal text editors ### Q: Why learn them in `$CURRENT_YEAR`? * Yes, nearly all of us will be working in a GUI environment -- * In some cases you may need to SSH into an environment that has no GUI; some base level compentency in terminal text editors will come in handy --- # `ed` (1969) ### The OG (Oh god why would you use this in `$CURRENT_YEAR`) * The original UNIX editor * Part of the POSIX spec! * Developed back when we had _teleprinters_, not even video terminals * The root of some design decisions and quirks of UNIX, such as short commands and lack of output * Known as a "line editor" where you specified lines you wanted to edit * Provides very little feedback -- * "The most user-hostile editor ever created" --- # `ed` summary | | `ed` | |--------------------------|:----------------:| | Quit | `q` | |--------------------------|-------------------------------| | Save | `w` | | | `w <file name>` | |--------------------------|-------------------------------| | Append text | `a` (text) `.` | |--------------------------|-------------------------------| | Print all | `,p` | | Print line | `<n>p` for line _n_ | |--------------------------|-------------------------------| | Delete line | `<n>d` for line _n_ | --- # `vi` (1976) ### We've got these fancy "screen" things now * Part of the POSIX spec! * Born out of another line editor `ex` (and ultimately `ed`); the "colon" commands are actually `ex` commands * _Modal_ text editor * "Command" mode for commands and navigation * "Insert" mode for writing text * "Command-line"/"ex" mode for `ex` commands * ESC brings you Command mode * `:` enters "Command-line"/"ex" mode and allows you to enter `ex` commands (which allow you to save and quit) * Certain commands (e.g. `i`, `a`) bring you into Insert mode --- # `vim` (1991) ### `vi` but better (but not in the POSIX spec ☹️) * Plain ole `vi` kinda sucks for today's use * Many distros don't even provide OG `vi`, opting to alias it to a minimal version of `vim` or even just normal `vim` * `vim`'s features is a superset of `vi`'s -- * _Massively_ extends the functionality of `vi` * Syntax highlighting! * Line numbers! * Undo history larger than 1! * Plugins! * Multiple windows! * ...and much more! * New modes: * "Visual" mode for selecting text * "Command" mode renamed to "Normal" mode --- # `vi`/`vim` abridged cheatsheet * `<ESC>`: Enter Command/Normal mode * The following are for when you're in Command/Normal mode * A neat thing is that you can put a number before a command to repeat it * `10j` to move down 10 lines * You can record _macros_ with `q <letter to save to> <commands> q` * You can invoke them with `@<letter you saved to>` * The "register" I refer to is sort of like a copy-paste clipboard * `^` (caret) is shorthand for the Control key serving as a modifier --- ### Navigation * `h`, `j`, `k`, `l`: move cursor left, down, up, right * `vi`: Arrow keys _might_ be supported, and _might_ work in Insert mode * `vim`: Arrow keys work as expected (nowadays) * `w`: "word", go to beginning of next word * `b`: "back", go to beginning of current word (or beginning of previous word) * `e`: "end", go to end of current word (or end of next word) * `0`: go to beginning of line * `$`: go to end of line * `^u`: go up half a page * `^d`: go up down a page * `g`: go to top of document * `G`: go to bottom of document * `<n>G`: go to line _n_ * `/`: search for a pattern * `n`: next match * `N`: previous match --- ### Editing * `i`: "insert", goes into Insert mode _before_ character under cursor * `I`: goes into Insert mode at the beginning of the line * `a`: "append", goes into Insert mode _after_ character under cursor * `A`: goes into Insert mode at the end of th line * `x`: deletes character under cursor, putting character into "register" * `X`: deletes character _before_ character under cursor, putting character into "register" * `r`: "replace", replaces character under cursor with next entered character * `R`: enter a "replacement" mode * `d<w,e>`: "delete word", deletes word; `w` puts cursor on next word, `e` puts cursor at the end of the word * `cw`: "change word", deletes word and enters Insert mode * `u`: "undo" (in `vi`, there's only a history of 1 so undo-ing again reverts the undo) * `^r`: "redo" (`vim`) * `dd`: "delete", deletes line under cursor (putting line in "register") * `yy`: "yank", copies line to "register" * `p`: "paste", copies "register" contents _after_ character under cursor * `P`: "paste", copies "register" contents _before_ character under cursor * `v`: enter Visual mode (`vim`) --- ### Visual mode (`vim`) * While in Visual mode you can select text, offering some more options * `x`, `d`: deletes selection, putting it into the "register" * `y`: yanks selection, putting it into the "register" ### Command-Line/`ex` mode * `:e`: "edit", open file for editing * `:w`: "write", save * `:w <file name>`: "write", save to particular file * `:q`: quit * `:q!`: quit without saving * `:wq`: save and quit * `:x`: quit, write if modified * `:s/<pattern>/<replace>`: search for pattern and replace * `:snomagic/<pattern>/<replace>`: non-magical pattern substitution ### ...and there's many many more --- # `emacs` (1976, 1984) ### What's a mode? * Powerful and fancy modeless editor * Highly extensible * Has an image manipulation library as a dependency (wut) * Can display embedded images * Exit with `C-x C-c` where `C-` is Control * Heavy use of modifier keys such as Control and "Meta" (Alt) --- # `nano` (2000) * Fairly straightforward, acts like a "typical" basic text editor * On screen legend shows you common editing shortcuts * `^G` for more shortcuts * Exit with `^X` --- # But wait, what about GUIs? ### Once we get here, there's a lot more functionality --- # gedit (1999) and Kate (2001) ### gedit: GNOME's basic editor ### Kate: KDE's basic editor * "Basic" text editors associated with desktop environments * Still pretty well featured text editors * Analogous to Microsoft Notepad but way better --- # Sublime Text (2008) ### This was the hotness when I was an undergrad * $$$ * Huge plugin ecosystem --- # Visual Studio Code (2015) ### The new hotness ### You're probably already using this * Almost steps into IDE territory while remaining lightweight --- # Parting thoughts * Try out another editor and see if you like it * You may find something that you really like * Try to learn more about the features of your preferred editor --- class: center, middle # Questions? <!-- page.content is pre-rendering -->