NetBeans vi editor module!!

Ernie Rael has just released a vi editor module for NetBeans!!

vi mode for NetBeans!

Yes. It's true. And it works!!

Yesterday Ernie Rael posted an announcement in the NetBeans openide mailing list. He has built a NetBeans module that embeds the JVI editor in NetBeans, so that you can edit all your text using VI key bindings.

This is the biggest thing that has happened to Java in the last years!

How to install

To install proceed as follows:

  1. Download and extract the zip file.
  2. Open NetBeans (I'm running NB 5.5) and select the Tools/Update Center/Install Manually Downloaded Modules
  3. Choose the two .nbm files in the "nbvi-0.8.0x8" directory
  4. Proceed with the install wizard, and make sure you accept the certificate and you select the "Include" checkbox in the last wizard pane.
  5. Restart NetBeans

And you're all set! You have VI key bindings. These are some keys I've been enjoying:

  • G (go to the end of file)
  • 5G (go to line 5)
  • u (undo)
  • w (next word)
  • b (previous word)
  • :w (save)
  • ma (mark current line with bookmark 'a')
  • mb (mark current line with bookmark 'b')
  • 'a (go to bookmark 'a')
  • 'b (go to bookmark 'b')

This is sooo coool !!!

How to configure

I haven't configured anything yet, but it seems you have configuration options if you select "Tools/Options/Advanced Options" and then open the "Editing/jvi Options and Configuration" node.

More info

Ernie has bundled some documentation in the "nbvi-0.8.0x8/jvi-docs/index.html" directory. Interesting stuff there. Make sure you take a look at that.

Happy vi-ing, Antonio

UPDATE:

JVI homepage has the online documentation of the project.

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