It would have been a lot more useful if the link had said how/why the ADM-3A used hjkl as cursor keys.
Probably because it didn't have dedicated arrow keys. Many older terminal keyboards didn't.
Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
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Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#12Perhaps just as enlightening is the location of the Esc key (to the left of Q): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KB_Terminal_ADM3A.svg
I'm just learning vim and just yesterday I was wondering why they chose the escape key.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#13I wonder if being right-handed also affected that choice...either the vim implementation or the hjkl keys as arrow keys.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#14It would have been a lot more useful if the link had said how/why the ADM-3A used hjkl as cursor keys.
For those reading this that don't know, it's so your hands stay on the "home row" [Edit:] or at least that's what I thought, wavetossed's comment below provides interesting insight.
Wouldn't jkl; be even better for that? (not saying that hjkl isn't a huge step up form the arrow keys)
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#15I'm actually glad it worked out that way, I hate using the regular, out-of-the-way arrow keys. They're even more annoying than the mouse.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#16It would have been a lot more useful if the link had said how/why the ADM-3A used hjkl as cursor keys.
For those reading this that don't know, it's so your hands stay on the "home row" [Edit:] or at least that's what I thought, wavetossed's comment below provides interesting insight.
Then wouldn't have 'jkl;' made more sense? (assuming index fingers were placed on 'f' and 'j' back then as well)
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#17Most of the answers I've seen as to why hjkl have fallen into the "so your fingers stay on the home row / it's actually quite fast once you get used to it" realm. But those answers were never completely satisfactory to me. Once you get used to it, it's fine. But I feel like it would have been fine as adsw, or jkl; (so that your hand really is on the home keys) or some other 4 key combination near the home row, too.
This explanation of the origin hjkl is the first one to satisfy me. Now I can see the others, not as explanations as to why it is, but explanations as to why it stuck.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#18That's a pretty sexy terminal.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#19I'm actually glad it worked out that way, I hate using the regular, out-of-the-way arrow keys. They're even more annoying than the mouse.
Just never decide to learn dvorak.
Re: Here is why vim uses the hjkl keys as arrow keys
#20Most of the answers I've seen as to why hjkl have fallen into the "so your fingers stay on the home row / it's actually quite fast once you get used to it" realm. But those answers were never completely satisfactory to me. Once you get used to it, it's fine. But I feel like it would have been fine as adsw, or jkl; (so that your hand really is on the home keys) or some other 4 key combination near the home row, too. T…
I have created an ergonomic layout based on the us layout, called us_split. In it, Vim's hjkl actually are the home position. The layout works under Gnome. It's just like qwerty but a bit different. Basically the two columns from the right are put in the middle. Time to learn to use it fluently is only a couple of days if you touch type qwerty already.
https://bitbucket.org/cheater/us_split/overview
I see a lot of people in the comments talk about vim's "weird" layout choices. I suggest in your OS you change caps lock to esc; and that in vim you remap ; to : and : to ; in order to stop having to press shift every time. You can then really start doing the whole home row thing; IMO it's impossible without those two crucial settings.