A month on the command line, Day 5: Vim and vigor

Much as I'd like to spend the entire day working on my Linux box, the reality isthat I have to spend a lot of time doing my real job, which entails running the Unisys Hermes publishing software on my company-supplied Dell PC.

So how do I improve my vi skills in the world of Windows?

The answer is Vim -- the expanded version of vi that's already standard in a number of Linux distributions, including Debian. There are also versions of Vim that run in Windows and on Mac OS.

The Windows version of Vim downloads and installs like any other program. There are command-line options, but since I'm locked out of my command line (accessible by a password I don't possess), I'm just using it as a window in XP).

Aside: I can't run a command line in Windows (it hasn't been helpful because I can't run .BAT files by clicking them), but I can install programs, just not with the Windows Add-Del program utility. If I download and install a program, I have to go to the directory and use the app's own "de-installer" to get rid of it. Thanks, Windows!

With Windows Vim, it's easy enough to use the menus if I get stuck, and most of the time the relevant vi/VIM command-mode equivalent is listed. It's a great learning tool, and a pretty good editor besides. I'm really enjoying having multiple documents open on a single screen instead of each being in a separate window (the norm for most Windows editors, including EditPad.

And if you really want to know Vim, here's 500 PDF pages of info.