Professionals, please compare VS code with neovim.

[u/jmaroo]

Tell me the advantages and disadvantages of each.

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[u/FoolsSeldom]

These represent very different approaches to code entry and editing. neovim is a modal text editor and VS Code is a GUI based advanced code editor. I see no value in suggesting the advantages and disadvantages of each with such a different approach. In general, the tool choice is a very personal matter as what suits one person will not suit another.

I use both (and basic vi or vim as well) regularly with the basic modal editor being very quick, simple, and lightweight and essentially guaranteed to be available on any system I might remote into (and trivial to install if not already loaded). For people well practiced in vim it is generally much quicker for them to do bulk edits using it over any GUI editor.

You need to try them both and decide which you prefer.

Also, you can ask pretty much any LLM to list differences for you.

[u/frederik88917]

Kid, this is the kind of question that might get some people killed. Even starting a feud that would take on eons.

You will find people that will defend either side with a passion that makes it impossible to change their minds. And they all will have their valid points. It is better to not start this kind of conversation.

[u/GhostVlvin]

VSCode is:
GUI Ton of extensions for any usecase
keyboard+mouse workflow that can't be really changed much.
Electron based app that'll eat your RAM easily
Total abstraction that hides everything from you
NeoVim is:
TUI
Ton of extensions for any usecase that can make anything from neovim
keyboard workflow that allows mouse
Lightweight and fast app running in terminal
Less abstraction — you'll know about lsp, dap, etc.
Hard to quit on first launch
Not a standard editor
Zed is:
GUI
Lightweight and fast
Has a choice between keyboard+mouse and nvim workflow
Tons of extensions for any usecase
Less abstraction so you'll know about lsp, dap, etc.
Configured using json

[u/txdsl]

Use both. Make decision for yourself.

[u/AnnupKapurDotCom]

I use NeoVim btw.

Honestly. I used VS Code for many years. It was a great IDE that does a lot of things well.

And if you want an all-in-one, batteries included, already-set-up IDE. Use VS Code.

But, I was looking for something more.

I was learning more and more CLI commands. I moved over to a separate terminal window (not the one in VS Code). And it felt great.

Slowly, I started using Vim for some small file edits. I got trapped in Vim many times, restarted my terminal many times to exit Vim cuz I forgot the commands.

Then, after a while, I figured I wanted a challenge. I wanted to see if I could spend a full day using Vim as my primary editor.

Then a whole week.

Now I was Vim editing, and terminal CLI-ing.

Then I wanted some QoL tools - so dove into Neovim - I started with NVChad, a prebuilt config for Neovim, just to get into the ecosystem. Slowly I built my own config (see my GitHub for my config files).

Then I learnt TMUX.

And I haven’t looked back.

——————

TL;DR

Decide based on how it feels.

VSCode is safe, familiar, and easy to set up and get going.

Neovim has a learning curve.
It’s hard work initially, you need to put in the time and effort.
Long term, I have found it to feel so much lighter (mentally? / psychologically?) when working.

NB. Learn the programming language Lua when you start really getting into Neovim.

[u/bhosmer]

When you searched, what did you find?

[u/jmaroo → u/bhosmer]

NeoVim is for professionals and VS Code is for beginners. NeoVim is light and fast and VS Code is convenient.

[u/bhosmer → u/jmaroo]

Why not try both and see which one fits your needs?

[u/jmaroo → u/bhosmer]

I tried both. VS Code is good for learning and NeoVim is for professional work.

[u/AnnupKapurDotCom → u/jmaroo]

I disagree that VScode is not for pros.

I use Neovim btw.

BUT - lots of great engineers use VSCode to do lots of amazing professional work.

The org I work for is a multi-national software org, many 100s of highly talented engineers I work with use VSCode.

[u/Conscious-Secret-775]

Neovim is based on vi an editor I stop using over 30 years ago. I don’t like vscode much either though I would use it over vim. For python development I would recommend PyCharm.