Sublime is NOT a Code Editor!

I was at Pycon Lt last week, and though there are so many good things I have to write about it, I couldn't help but rant this down. Half the speakers were using Sublime. And about 3/4ths of those attending whose screens I glanced at from afar were too. The remaining were using Vim. And that is just such a sad sight to see! Look, I get if you're one of the elites who've learnt Vim well and can boast doing everything there with great efficiency. But most don't learn. A good editor makes it impossible to not use its features. And have you seen what a real editor can do?
Here's why IntelliSense is amazing:
  • Amazing autocomplete that works
    Python is dynamically typed and that makes it almost impossible for the editor to know what a variable is, or what it does. And yet, it's amazing how well IntelliSense does it. Jedi and youcompleteme for Vim are terrible.
  • Inbuilt Debugger
    Putting print statements to debug code is like knowing you have a stain on your clothes but instead of cleaning it, you vomit over yourself and then clean your clothes. Use a debugger! It'll stop right at each breakpoint where you can print - (read evaluate) all that you'd like.
  • Overall Programming Efficiency & Learning
    I rarely use the mouse for anything anymore on Pycharm or Android Studio. And I don't type half the code I write.
    • Alt-Enter the mistakes.
      The editor is supposed to tell you what's wrong wherever it can, even before compiling. 
    • Ctrl-Space every time after the dot.
      If you have to Google the syntax for every method call to know what functions follow after the dot, and its arguments, you're not using an editor.
    • Ctrl-Shift-F, Ctrl-Shift-O.
      Automatically format your code, and organize imports. It's ugly to see unused imports lying around, and methods not formatted properly. Plus you 're gonna wait until your Continuous Integration tool complains to fix these. 
    • And so many more. Refactor everywhere, multiline editing, moving files to different folders without thinking about the imports, code collapsing, I could go on. 
Ctrl-S. What wait?
I now press reformat/reorganize subconsciously just as I used to press Ctrl-S years ago on Word. And now I don't anymore. Because an IDE can even go so far as handling local versioning of a file without me asking to do it. Unless I'm on silly Sublime! Or, I'm doing the ugly :wq on Vim.

Comments

  1. Parth GanatraFebruary 9, 2020 at 8:08 AM

    Since when did you learn this much about vim?
    You can use vim plugin for intellij to sort of get best of both worlds.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Finding My Parter

Finding my partner feels more like finding  my kind . I’m this mix of an Indian boy with Indian familial ties, but European hobbies and a European way of leading life. I've lived in both worlds for 15 years each. There aren't many that have seen and lived in both worlds, and experienced completely different ways of life. Maybe I am asking for too much, but I don’t understand why one wouldn’t. If I have high standards for most things that I do in life, why wouldn’t I hope or want my partner to think from the same lens? Here's my value system. Be generally optimistic. A positive, happy person whose baseline state is to lean towards an optimistic outlook towards everything in life. Be fit. If one is not physically fit, there's low chance they're mentally fit. Plus, being fit shows discipline and consistency. Be hard working. Everything in life is a project. From raising children, to picking up groceries weekly, to building a home. And no one wants to work with a lazy ...
Continue reading »

Two Worlds, Two Lives

I’ve been in India for the past two months now, and for the first time in my life, I can imagine myself live here again. Nothing drastic has changed in my day to day life, nor in either of the nations per se, but maybe I’ve had enough time to experience the flip-side to know what India’s strengths are. I’ve always acknowledged how I get the chance to live in two different worlds. But this is the very first time I’ve realized I also lead two different lives each time I switch countries. For me, Germany is a nation where you put the self first - you learn about yourself as an individual. It’s also a country where you learn to live life in the way they show us in movies - walks in parks, play sports any time of the day, vacations in every season the climate has to offer, meetups at little cafes with chairs out on the street. Work is secondary, rarely one’s primary driver in life. Therefore, it is also rarely one’s identity. The country and the mindset is averse to change. The philosophy h...
Continue reading »

Keeping Fit in India

I have a bold claim to make: As compared to Europe, it's much easier to get and keep fit in India. But it's far less likely. Easier because: Relatability In India, you can relate to the others' bodies. Everyone around you has the same body style, our carb heavy diet that causes so many of us to be skinny fat. And so when you go to a calisthenics gym, it really helps to be able to look around and see that a person who looks like you is fit . That shines hope, telling you that it is possible in the first place. In Europe, the same is counterproductive. Looking at the European's low body fat, tall yet muscular physique makes me think they're just born with it. (Which is not true. I suppose they really do have great genes, but their meat heavy diet and walkable/cycleable cities help with keeping fit). Food is easier in India. You know your food here. You know the spices we use and how it tastes. It's that familiar feeling of eating something you know, as opposed to...
Continue reading »