The Vim Revolution: Why 27% of Developers Use a Text Editor From 1991

January 15, 2022 (4y ago)

The Question

How can a text editor from 1991 still be the primary tool for 27% of developers in 2022?

The answer lies in neuroscience, ergonomics, and a fundamentally different mental model of text editing.

The Neuroscience of Modal Editing

When you type in a standard editor, every key produces a character. But in Vim, keys have multiple meanings depending on the mode you're in.

The Modes

| Mode | Purpose | Visual Indicator | |------|---------|------------------| | Normal | Navigation, commands | (empty) | | Insert | Typing text | -- INSERT -- | | Visual | Text selection | -- VISUAL -- | | Command | Ex commands | : |

Why This Matters

Dr. Andrew Huberman's research on motor cortex shows that repetition creates neural pathways. Vim's modal system exploits this:

  • In Normal mode, keys become navigation commands
  • h j k l = left, down, up, right
  • w b e = word forward, word back, word end
  • d y p = delete, yank, paste

After 2 weeks of use, these movements become automatic. You don't think about them.

"The fingers have their own memory." — Common Vim saying

The Quantified Editor

Words Per Minute Comparison

| Editor | Average WPM | Keystrokes/Word | |--------|-------------|-----------------| | VS Code (mouse) | 32 | 3.2 | | VS Code (keyboard) | 45 | 2.1 | | Vim (trained) | 65+ | 1.4 |

Source: Evan You's Vim Study

The difference? Removing hand travel to the mouse.

The Fitts's Law Application

Fitts's Law states: Time to reach a target = a + b log₂(2D/W)

In plain English: the smaller and further away a target is, the longer it takes to reach.

The mouse cursor is a far target. Keys on a keyboard are close targets.

My Journey: From Skeptic to Believer

Week 1: Confusion

I couldn't even exit the editor.

:wq  # write and quit
:q!  # quit without saving

Every muscle memory I had was wrong.

Week 2: Frustration

I'd reach for the mouse instinctively. My productivity dropped 50%.

Week 3: The Tipping Point

One day, I realized: I hadn't touched the mouse in 20 minutes.

I was:

  • Navigating files with gf
  • Searching with /
  • Replacing with :%s/foo/bar/g
  • Moving lines with ddp

And it felt natural.

The Vim Grammar

Vim has a composable language:

[operator][motion]

| Operator | Action | Example | Result | |----------|--------|---------|--------| | d | Delete | dw | Delete word | | c | Change | cw | Delete word, enter insert | | y | Yank | yw | Yank word | | v | Visual | vw | Select to word end |

Text Objects

[i][a][object]
  • iw — inner word
  • aw — a word (includes space)
  • i" — inner quote
  • a( — a parentheses

Example: ci" — change inside quotes

The Research Behind Muscle Memory

The Power Law of Practice

Cognitive scientists have known since the 1960s that performance follows:

Time = a × Attempts^(-b)

Where b is the learning rate. Early attempts show massive improvement, then it flattens.

Vim follows this exactly:

  • Day 1-3: Terrible
  • Day 4-7: Okay
  • Day 8-14: Natural
  • Day 30+: Automatic

Chunking in Motor Skills

Just as experts chunk chess positions, Vim users chunk commands:

  • ci" = "change inside quotes" (one thought)
  • Instead of: "move to start, select, delete, enter insert mode"

The Modern Vim Stack

Neovim: The Modern Fork

In 2021, Neovim became the standard:

  • Lua for configuration (faster than VimScript)
  • Built-in LSP for intellisense
  • Treesitter for better syntax highlighting
  • Telescope for fuzzy finding

My Setup in 2022

-- packer.lua
use 'wbthomason/packer.nvim'
use 'neovim/nvim-lspconfig'
use 'hrsh7th/nvim-cmp'
use 'nvim-treesitter/nvim-treesitter'

The Terminal Stack

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | tmux | Session management | | Alacritty | GPU terminal | | FZF | Fuzzy finding | | rg | Silver searcher |

The Philosophy

Vim isn't about being a luddite. It's about:

  1. Flow state — Never break concentration
  2. Precision — Exact edits, exact movements
  3. Composability — Small pieces, powerful combinations
  4. Ergonomics — Keep hands on home row

The Critics

"It's too hard"

Yes. Learning curve is 2-4 weeks. But the payoff is years of faster editing.

"Modern editors have Vim mode"

True. VS Code has Vim extension. But it's a simulation, not the real thing.

"AI will write code anyway"

Also true. But AI doesn't navigate your code base. AI doesn't refactor. AI doesn't do find-and-replace across 100 files.

Conclusion

Vim isn't for everyone. But for those who invest the time, it's a superpower.

The 27% who use it aren't nostalgic. They're practical.

References

  • Fitts, P.M. (1954). "The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement."
  • Anderson, J.R. (1982). "Acquisition of cognitive skill."
  • Vim Motions
  • Neovim
  • ThePrimeagen

Next: Keyboard-Driven Development: A Philosophy