If you are a programmer, you have probably heard of Vim or its successor, Neovim. Maybe you even opened it by accident and panicked when you couldn’t exit. Despite its reputation as a “hard editor,” knowing it goes far beyond a niche skill. It is a powerful, lightweight, and extremely productive tool that can change the way you write code — even if you don’t use it as your main editor.

What is it?

Vim (Vi IMproved) is a modal text editor, based on the classic vi, present in almost all Unix/Linux systems.

Neovim is a modern rewrite of Vim, focused on modularity, extensibility, and performance, offering a smoother experience for modern developers.

Why should every programmer know them?

1. Ubiquity

Vim is installed by default on almost all Linux distributions and Unix-like systems. In emergency situations (like accessing servers via SSH), knowing how to use Vim can be the difference between solving a problem or getting stuck.

2. Productivity with shortcuts

Vim was designed to keep your hands on the keyboard. Without needing to use the mouse, you gain agility with commands that allow you to:

h, j, k, l     # move cursor (left, down, up, right)
w / b          # jump words forward or backward
dd / yy        # delete or copy line
p / P          # paste after or before current position

3. Powerful Customization

Configure it completely via .vimrc (Vim) or init.lua (Neovim), creating shortcuts, changing appearance, behavior, and much more.

4. Extensibility with plugins

Neovim stands out especially in this regard. With modern support for plugins in Lua, Python, and other languages, it is possible to transform the editor into a truly minimalist and fast IDE.

Basic features every programmer must know

Main Modes:

  • Normal: Navigation and commands.
  • Insert: Text editing (i, a, o).
  • Visual: Text selection (v, V, Ctrl+v).
  • Command-line: To save, search, exit, etc. (:).

Essential Commands:

i            # enter insert mode
:w           # save
:q           # exit
:wq          # save and exit
u            # undo
Ctrl + r     # redo

Real Productivity: Navigate and Edit like a Ninja

f(        # go to the next parenthesis on the line
t"        # go to just before the next quote
F=        # go back to the equals sign
;         # repeat the last search

GIF demonstrating navigation (placeholder)

Delete large blocks of text:

dG            # delete to the end of the file
dgg           # delete to the beginning of the file
d}            # delete to the next block
d/<word>      # delete until the searched word
dtx           # delete until before character x

GIF demonstrating delete variations (placeholder)

Combination of movement + action

d3w       # delete 3 words
y}        # copy until the end of the paragraph
c$        # change from cursor to end of line

What if you want to turn it into an IDE?

With Neovim, Lua, and a powerful selection of plugins, you can create a modern, elegant, and super functional development environment. Here are some examples based on your configuration:

  • Smart Navigation: telescope.nvim combined with telescope-file-browser.nvim for fast file searching and direct directory navigation.
  • File Explorer: nvim-tree with nvim-web-devicons icons for an interactive and stylish file tree.
  • Advanced Syntax Highlighting: nvim-treesitter for powerful syntax highlighting and advanced support for various languages.
  • Autocomplete with LSP: nvim-cmp integrated with the Language Server Protocol to complete code smartly and efficiently.
  • Customizable Status Bar: lualine.nvim for a dynamic and customizable status bar.
  • Git Integration: gitsigns.nvim to visualize code changes and interact with Git directly within the editor.
  • Advanced Debugging: nvim-dap to configure and run debugging directly in Neovim.

With this combination, your Neovim transforms into a complete and productive environment, rivaling any modern IDE.

Brazilian Highlight: The Power of Lua 🇧🇷

One of the biggest evolutions of Neovim was the adoption of the Lua language as the basis for its configuration and extension. And here is the most special detail:

Lua is a Brazilian language, created at PUC-Rio by Roberto Ierusalimschy, Luiz Henrique de Figueiredo, and Waldemar Celes.

Today, Lua is used in games, embedded systems, and also in Neovim, allowing:

  • More readable and powerful configurations.
  • Faster plugin execution.
  • Clear and professional modularization.

Simple configuration example with Lua:

vim.opt.number = true
vim.opt.relativenumber = true

vim.keymap.set("n", "<leader>pv", vim.cmd.Ex)

Conclusion

Even if you never use Vim or Neovim as your main editor, knowing its basic commands and philosophy will elevate your level as a programmer:

  • More agility in the terminal and remote servers.
  • Efficient editing without a mouse.
  • Advanced customization with a Brazilian language: Lua.
  • Learning concepts applicable to other tools (like Vim-inspired IDE shortcuts).

Learning Vim is not about nostalgia. It’s about power.