On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 5:20 PM, Lanny Marcus <lmmailinglists at gmail.com> wrote: > > vi is everywhere! But, apparently, I need to learn how to use Emacs or > another IDE > too, so there's another learning curve. > I've been using vi (and vim and gvim) for more than twenty years and I've never "needed" an IDE. They're helpful in some situations, but if you're programming on a UNIX/Linux platform, vi can be enough. There is even a way to get vi to coordinate with some compilers such that you land on the line where a syntax error occurs, but even that wasn't required. Vi is not the world's best editor, but it is in every single UNIX or Linux system out there, and there are advantages in knowing how to use it. I've used it long enough that I'm just not interested in other editors. As for IDEs, a great deal of what you need one for can often be accomplished just by having several windows open for the various tasks one needs for debugging. My $0.02, and it's not available for spending on editor wars. :-) mhr