Vim 9.2 Released
Vim 9.2 has landed, bringing significant enhancements to its Vim9 scripting language, completion features, and diff mode, alongside modern platform support like Wayland. This release continues to advance the venerable editor while its community grapples with the ever-present shadow of Neovim's growing ecosystem. Hacker News debates the future of VimScript adoption versus Lua and the ongoing viability of two distinct Vim forks.
The Lowdown
Vim 9.2, the latest iteration of the enduring text editor, has been officially released, introducing a suite of improvements aimed at modernizing the user experience and bolstering its scripting capabilities. This update demonstrates a continued commitment to developing the editor, particularly focusing on core functionality and platform integration.
- Vim9 Script Evolution: The release heavily features advancements in Vim9 Script, introducing native support for Enums, Generic functions, and Tuples, alongside object methods and class enhancements. Demonstrations include classic games like Battleship, showcasing the language's newfound power.
- Comprehensive Completion: Users will find improved insert-mode completion with fuzzy matching, register completion (
CTRL-X CTRL-R), and new'completeopt'flags for fine-grained control. - Modern Platform & UI Support: Vim now offers full Wayland UI and clipboard support, adheres to the XDG Base Directory Specification, and includes UI enhancements like a vertical tabpanel and native dark mode for Windows GUI.
- Enhanced Diff Mode: The update significantly overhauls diff mode with the 'linematch' algorithm, 'diffanchors' for section-specific diffing, and improved inline highlighting options.
- Changed Defaults: Several defaults have been updated for modern workflows, including increased history size, better backspace behavior, and larger default font sizes for High-DPI monitors.
- Interactive Learning: A new built-in interactive tutor plugin (
:Tutor) provides a modernized way for new users to learn Vim. - Charityware Legacy: The project continues its Charityware tradition, transitioning support for children in Kibaale, Uganda, to a new partner, Kuwasha, following the passing of Bram Moolenaar.
Vim 9.2 underscores the project's dedication to evolving its powerful editor while maintaining its unique identity and philanthropic mission. The extensive list of new features and bug fixes solidifies its position as a continuously maintained and relevant tool for developers.
The Gossip
Vim vs. Neovim: The Great Divide
Commenters quickly jump into the perennial debate comparing Vim and Neovim. Many acknowledge Neovim's growing popularity and its Lua-based plugin ecosystem, suggesting it has become the 'center of gravity' for many users seeking an IDE-like experience. However, staunch Vim users express delight at its continued development, emphasizing that two maintained projects can coexist, drawing parallels to Linux distributions like Ubuntu vs. Debian. The architectural advantages of Neovim are also brought up, with one commenter noting Neovim originated from a rejected Vim patch for multi-threading.
Wayland Wanderings
The inclusion of Wayland support sparked discussion regarding its implications for different operating systems. While FreeBSD users are assured Wayland is available, concerns are raised about the potential deprecation of X11 support, which some fear would leave BSDs without alternatives. This segues into a broader discussion about Wayland adoption, with some users expressing strong dislike for it and others suggesting critics contribute to Xorg's development if they wish to see it continue.
Vim9 Script & Plugin Predicaments
A key point of contention and discussion revolves around the adoption of Vim9 Script by plugin authors. Given Neovim's dominant Lua-based plugin ecosystem, there's skepticism about whether developers will be motivated to create Vim9 Script plugins that support both Vim and Neovim. One commenter, having moved from Emacs, prefers Lua over older scripting languages like Elisp and VimScript, but acknowledges Lua isn't their ideal choice either.