TIL Vim uses hjkl keys for cursor movement because they doubled as arrows keys on Bill Joy's original keyboard.

https://catonmat.net/why-vim-uses-hjkl-as-arrow-keys

And the home directory is aliased to ~ in UNIX-like systems because the tilde key doubled as the Home key.

85 points · 7 comments · view on lemmy.world

7 Comments

rozodru@piefed.world · 18 pts · 132d

I love Vim style navigation. I use it for everything. I favor any program/WM that uses it. once you figure it out it makes the mouse feel like a slow relic.

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 11 pts · 132d (5 replies)

So if written today, vi would use wasd?

NotSteve_@piefed.ca · 5 pts · 132d

I think I'd be okay with that. I've setup my keyboard so that FN+wasd act as arrow keys and I will occasionally use them that way in my editor even if I primarily use vim style movement

theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 132d (2 replies)

The point of using hjkl is to navigate while keeping your fingers on the home row and without moving your fingers to other positions

JoMiran@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 132d (1 reply)

Oh, I know. I've been using VI since 1992. I was just wondering, given that wasd is the popular navigation format now thanks to gaming, if VI would have been coded differently today.

who@feddit.org · 2 pts · 131d

WASD in gaming is generally used with the hand shifted one position left of the home keys, so it would require a typist to continually reposition. ESDF or IJKL would be a better choice, and closer to what vi does.

Gonzako@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 85d

No, 8624