Workshop: Vim masterclass

tuesday 8.30 - 12.30
Room: Double Rainbow

In Vim, we can duplicate a line from normal mode, insert mode, or with an Ex command. But which is best?

In this masterclass, we’ll work through a series of exercises, finding at least two solutions to every problem. In response to the question “which is best?” we’ll see that the answer is always: “it depends”.

Vim is optimized for repetition. We’ll study a few examples of how to use the dot command to repeat the last change. Then we’ll develop a strategy for composing repeatable changes, and meet the optimal Dot Formula: a two step solution with a thousand uses. We'll also study best practices for creating robust macros, and learn how to execute them either in series or in parallel.

To level the playing field, we’ll be using bare Vim (not vi - we’re not savages). You’ll be asked to leave your .vimrc at the door.

Tags: Hands on Hard Core Mastery Tools

Expectations

Know the basics of Vim. Bring a laptop with Vim installed.

Drew NeilDrew Neil

Drew Neil is an independent programmer, writer, and trainer. He runs workshops around the world, speaks regularly at conferences, and specializes in making educational screencasts. At vimcasts.org, he publishes articles and video tutorials about Vim. He is the author of the Pragmatic Bookshelf title, Practical Vim.