Hi David,
I learned VIM because my job was expanded to add responsibility for
Linux and AIX software installation and maintenance.
(I am no expert, but), ISPF Edit has the ability to do an an intelligent
change where changing A to AB (or vice versa) it tries to keep the rest
of the line the way it was.
I have not seen this ability in another editor.
As well, no other editor can limit the search by columns in the change
command. (I know that XEDIT can do it by issuing a command to do this
before issuing the change command.)
Regards,
David
On 2023-08-17 07:28, David Crayford wrote:
On 17/8/2023 5:41 am, Phil Smith III wrote:
Bob Bridges wrote, in part:
I once spent an agonizing half-hour trying to help a Unix programmer
code a program in a language I know using some kind of Unix editor
that was so unintuitive I could hardly accomplish anything.
As Shmuel suggests, that sounds like vi or one of its relatives. The
best description of vi I've ever heard is:
"vi has two modes: one where it corrupts your data, and one where it
beeps at you."
This joke never fails to amuse me:
https://jokejet.com/lady-gaga-tries-to-exit-vim/.
Is there anyone left who still uses vi? Vim has practically become the
standard on most systems, and NeoVim is following suit with Vim. When
I hear someone griping about Vim's lack of intuitiveness or labeling
it the "editor from hell," I quickly realize that they probably
haven't put in the effort to truly learn how to harness Vim's
capabilities. It's likely that they gave it a shot, grappled with its
unique modes, may have even struggled to exit the application, and as
a result, developed a negative impression that has persisted since
that initial unpleasing encounter. Vim's learning curve is steep, but
the benefits are significant for those in search of a lightweight
editor that's arguably more powerful than even the most intricate GUI
applications. Moreover, it performs efficiently even on
resource-constrained setups.
Occasionally, I still turn to ISPF for editing JCL or REXX programs
that reside in PDS datasets. In a recent WebEx session with my
millennial teammates, I was demonstrating some new JCL. While
performing a multi-line edit involving COPY/OVERLAY after column
adjustments, they playfully laughed and teased me. Phrases like "Is
ISPF your IDE?", "Does ISPF support multiple cursors?" and "Why not
use Vim?" were thrown my way. I clarified that Vim can't manage MVS
datasets, although the DSFS might eventually address that limitation.
I then proceeded to showcase the usage of SRCHFOR from a member list.
However, their response wasn't as impressed as it was with vimgrep,
NerdTree, Telescope and the numerous plugins that operate seamlessly
on z/OS ports of Vim.
It's worth mentioning that young developers are actively embracing
Vim, not just the seasoned Unix programmers. It has emerged as one of
the preferred editors for full stack web development. Take a look at
the videos and commit history for NeoVim, and you'll be amazed by the
dominance of a TUI (Text User Interface) editor in a rapidly evolving
tech landscape.
Now, let's delve into Git integration. We're all on the Git bandwagon,
right? There are plugins available that empower me to delve into the
Git history of files, providing inline annotations to pinpoint which
developer modified a specific line of code in which commit and when!
https://github.com/lewis6991/gitsigns.nvim.
Of course, it's all a matter of perspective, and to a young individual
entering the realm of z/OS, ISPF might very well seem like the "editor
from hell."
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