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Vico Editor source code released

blog.vicoapp.com

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Re: Vico Editor source code released

#4
Thank you so much for doing this. There's been a recurring theme with text editors on OS X and I'm glad you've avoided it.

A new editor comes out, it's a great editor, but it's closed-source and costs money. People are fine with paying money, so it thrives. Eventually, the developer(s) slow down or lose interest. Maybe they're working on a rewrite. Meanwhile, bug fixes don't happen. Promised features never show up. You end up with a community of developers using a piece of abandonware as their main editor. If they had the source code, they could improve their editor. But they don't so they can't.

I doubt he'll do it, but it'd be nice if Allan Odgaard took a hint from you and released the source for TextMate 1.5.

Re: Vico Editor source code released

#8
post #5

Yet another program that uses some of the vi keyboard commands that is not actually vi (and is thus only a cruel tease). Why do these exist, again?

Because a little Vi is better than no Vi.

Seriously though, I have used quite a few Vim emulations in several editors and I find them very useful (VsVim, Evil, ViEmu, Vintage...). In fact, I think of this 'embeddability' as one of the major features of Vim. I can use Vim key bindings in Visual Studio, Eclipse, Sublime Text, Emacs... all this very much improves the value proposition of learning Vim.

Re: Vico Editor source code released

#9
post #5

Yet another program that uses some of the vi keyboard commands that is not actually vi (and is thus only a cruel tease). Why do these exist, again?

Rather than being an editor with Vi emulation bolted on, Vico is an attempt to do Vi in Cocoa. Of course it is not Vim, with support for plugins, but for someone who is interested in some of Vi's power in a native Mac UI, it is an interesting proposition. Vico is also a way to learn Vim, commands available in the menu are shown with the Vi commands as shortcuts, rather than Alt-key combos.

I can see however as a paid Mac App Store product, it would have been a tough sell. Most people who seek out an editor in the MAS will likely be looking for something with more form than function. But as an open source app, like Vim, I hope it will see some renewed life.

Re: Vico Editor source code released

#10
I tried Vico when it came out and liked the UI even if the "like Vi but not compatible with any of its plugin" and such that made it unable to take advantage of the whole ecosystem around Vim put me off.

But despite that it seems to be a great text editor and I'm glad the author took the very wise choice of open-sourcing it instead of letting it slide into abandon-ware status. It's a classy move that I wish developers would make more often.

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