How to ACTUALLY switch from VS Code to Neovim

Vim is notoriously hard to use if you are not familiar with it, but people also go on about how great it is. It took me a few tries, but this video details how I managed to finally make the switch to neovim from VS Code after some failed attempts.

0:00 Introduction
0:58 Step 1: Do you really want this?
1:17 Step 2: Vim Extension
2:14 Step 3: Neovim setup
3:07 Step 4: Neovim Extension
3:35 Step 5: The Terminal
4:23 Step 6: Experiment
4:58 Outro

#neovim #vscode #vim

[lloydbonds]

I decide to switch to it on a whim. no "easing into it" with vim extensions in vs code. what i didnt know is that it would lead me down a path to learning containerization with docker, learning about linux, getting a better handle of github terminal actions, setting up a linux WSL, reading actual documentation. After a week of struggle I finally had my more or less completed nvim configuration...and I loved every step of the process, even the parts where I was banging my head up against the wall. Neovim became my favorite editor without even coding in it. Now that I do code in it, I love how fast it is...and im glad i dove head-first into it. I feel like it made me a better programmer.

[BaoDuong-lehk]

1:50 - you can/should use command Vim: Toggle Vim Mode, instead of enable/disable then reload whole editor.

[enderger]

A few tips from a long time Neovim user:
1. Lua is significantly better than Vimscript for writing your configs. It’s a lot less idiosyncratic.
2. While configuration frameworks are nice, rolling your own config will often create something much lighter.
3. Don’t overdo the plugins. Since my recent move to using Neovim for text edits and Emacs for full IDE features (yes, I’m an editor holy war heretic on both sides), I’ve found the startup on both editors significantly better (even if they look closer to stock and don’t have tabs, I can use :b for that).

[sr]

Wow, at the very end you introduced me to a command pattern that I've been missing all this time, di. Reading through the text-objects documentation made me realize just how convenient this command is. Delete the word you're currently on, regardless where in the word? diw, Delete the current paragraph? dip, the list just goes on and I simply wanted to thank you for this revelation in my vim journey!

[ascourter]

Great advice. Start slow and don't feel like you need to throw yourself into the deep end (unless you learn better that way ha!)

[jzmmm]

I'm quite proficient in vi, but i switched back from terminal to vscode a couple years ago and use the vim extension. just maintaining/managing the plugins is easier on vscode.

[AnVuNguyen-yebq]

I also learnt how to use Nvim out of curiosity from typecraft videos. Little did In know, in our AI project, as a work around, we has to do our development straight on cloud. No local integration, no VScode. I decided to pick up the task setting up NvChad for our team members to have "vscode-like" environment. We love the new experience so much, half of the team decided to use NvChad from now on.

[toolbelt]

Awesome video. I’m on a similar journey and am now in the mostly nvim phase. It’s wonderful.

[negaopiroca]

Awesome video, this is really honest and I think it helps people dealing with frustration at the beginning...

[Arcane_Ayush]

I gave my all to get used to VIM in one day using VS code extension... did 2-3 simple projects while having vim, now switched to neovim entirely cuz I feel I can get through this all ( day 10 )

[policandDrDath]

Learning how to learn is definitely a big part of it too. Taking the time to explore the :h docs can be huge for learning how to do things the vim way. Another really cool thing once you get going is learning that saying "there HAS to be better way to do this" often actually bears a better way to do something!

[thomassilvestre]

I learned vi (not even vim yet!) the hard way: on an aix terminal with ksh. Just imagine, you open a terminal and the command line behaves like a vi editor, yep hit ESC then k or j to move into your command history. No kidding, you learn basic movements very quickly 😅

[g-luu]

oh man i hope it’s not too painful for a webstorm user.

[licokr]

vim extension on vscode, that's a great advice and actually that's the way I did too. I tried to switch from vscode to vim and kept falling. I would say it was because I felt uncomfortable using it? Vim motion was already uncomfortable and browsing, searching, replacing, lsp and stuff added it up. And I used vim plugin in vscode and after getting used to vim motion, I switched to vim. Now, I'm using neovim and am very happy about using it right now.

[bestieboots]

I've tried to switch to vscode from vim every couple of years since it came out, sort of like a "grass is greener and I'm sick of debugging my config", but the whole thing feels inside out to how I use and think Linux. It has nothing to do with the mouse, ergonomics, or keyboard bindings, it's more fundamental than that. I don't think I'd recommend vim to anyone (though I'll defend it), because I'd wager the processes and mental model it is best at supporting is dying out. I drank the Unix philosophy flavour aid over two decades ago and I'm not going back, as much as I kind of feel like a dinosaur.

[ohwow]

I use Sublime Text a lot. VS Code is too slow for me. And neovim is hard to get started. I guess I won't bother anytime soon.

[Falah_]

I switch to neovim start from nvchad 2 months ago then last week i switch to lazyvim im lovin it when i try use vscode again i feel slow and sluggish

[japadkman]

I decided to use neovim because I didnt like vscode, theres something about it that I just don't vibe with and it feels sort of heavy. Also because on my new role at the time I would be needing to ssh into several linux machines that only had vim installed as an editor instead of nano and I couldn't afford to be slow while altering configs on those servers.

I went with a neovim distro called LunarVIM since the setup seemed easy. I kept vscode and lunarvim open on the same project side by side and I would work on lunarvim when I had time, and then on vscode when I needed to be faster, eventualy I stopped used vscode.

When I have time I'll make my own config but lunarvim has been fine and easy to use.

[markopoutiainen]

I used Vim (not NeoVim) for several years but now I have used VS Code + the Vim extensions for a few years. Why? Debugging. There just isn't anything approaching a decent experience available to Vim. I had to kick up gdb every time I needed to debug something (the plugins never worked well enough to integrate this in Vim) and using the CLI gdb is not exactly my idea of fun. Yes, you find the bugs with it as well but just doing simple stuff like setting a breakpoint is tedious.

But I have to try VSCode Neovim. I have also recently switched from Vim to NeoVim for my other editing needs so it would make sense to use the same settings.

[vicca]

I've switched to nvim almost permanently for 2 months already, my only current struggle is that I still couldn't get a CSS/SASS LSP running, and CSS without suggestions and auto-completion is beyond awful.

Edit: nevermind, I just managed to get one running nice and good, thanks Mason. I can finally never again open VSCode