Vim VS FontForge

• Efficiency
  Once learned, Vim can significantly speed up text editing with its modal editing, keyboard shortcuts, and commands that allow for quick navigation and manipulation of text.
• Lightweight
  Vim is a very lightweight editor, consuming minimal system resources, making it highly performant even on systems with lower specifications.
• Customizability
  Vim is highly configurable and extensible through plugins and user-defined settings, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs.
• Ubiquity
  Vim is available on almost every Unix-like system and even on Windows, making it a ubiquitous tool that you can rely on being available in most environments.
• Support for Multiple Programming Languages
  Vim supports a wide range of programming languages out of the box and offers syntax highlighting, which can be enhanced through plugins.
• Powerful Search and Replace
  Vim offers robust searching and replacing functionalities, including support for regular expressions, which can be a powerful tool for developers.

Possible disadvantages

• Steep Learning Curve
  Vim's modal editing and extensive set of commands can be daunting for new users, requiring significant time and effort to master.
• Minimal Default Config
  The default configuration of Vim is quite minimalistic, which may necessitate additional setup and customization to meet modern development needs.
• Limited GUI
  Vim primarily operates in a terminal, and while there are graphical variants like GVim, they are not as feature-rich or user-friendly as modern GUI editors.
• Plugin Management
  While Vim is highly extensible, managing and configuring plugins can be cumbersome compared to more modern editors that offer integrated plugin management.
• Inconsistent Behavior Across Platforms
  There may be inconsistencies in behavior or available features of Vim across different operating systems, which can complicate its use in certain environments.
• Lack of Integrated Modern Features
  Vim lacks some modern IDE features like integrated debugging, advanced code introspection, and refined autocompletion, which often require third-party plugins to achieve.

• Open Source
  FontForge is an open-source font editor, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This makes it accessible for individuals or organizations with limited budgets.
• Cross-Platform
  FontForge is available for various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing users to work on their font projects regardless of the platform.
• Extensive Feature Set
  FontForge boasts a wide range of features for font creation and editing, including support for multiple font formats, scripting abilities, and advanced typographic tools.
• Active Community
  As an open-source project, FontForge has an active community of users and developers who contribute to its improvement and provide valuable support and resources.
• Scripting Capabilities
  FontForge supports Python scripting, which allows users to automate repetitive tasks, create custom tools, and extend the functionality of the software.

Possible disadvantages

• Steep Learning Curve
  FontForge can be challenging for beginners due to its complex interface and extensive feature set, requiring a significant time investment to become proficient.
• Less Polished Interface
  Compared to some commercial font editors, FontForge’s user interface may appear less modern and less intuitive, which can be a drawback for users accustomed to more polished software.
• Inconsistent Documentation
  While there is a wealth of information available, the documentation for FontForge can sometimes be outdated or incomplete, making it difficult for users to find the help they need.
• Limited Customer Support
  As an open-source project, FontForge lacks dedicated customer support. Users must rely on community forums and user groups for assistance, which may not always provide timely or comprehensive help.
• Occasional Stability Issues
  Some users have reported encountering bugs and crashes, which can disrupt work and result in lost progress if proper precautions like frequent saving are not taken.

What Vim Is and Why You Should Learn It

More videos

FontForge Master Class Part 1 - Install & Intro

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• regular Vim has lua?!

  Lua is quite small, encouraging distros to include it. The ubuntu gvim has, and the gvim AppImage linked from vim.org does. The default Makefile from github is set up to not include it, but you can uncomment one line there to get it. Source: over 3 years ago

• is there a way to make highlighted text persistent after quit when using something like [match Search /\%'.line('.').'l/] ?

  I've not used vimwiki locally (tho I'm old enough to remember the Vim wiki on vim.org :), but I think what you are wanting to do is extend vimwiki's syntax file. I presume it installs one at $VIMRUNTIM/syntax or or ~/.vim/syntax. If... Source: almost 4 years ago

• vim.org - Is there a reason for this 1800s-esque design?

  Vim.org has 242k total visitors, tailwindcss.com has 4.4m, planetscale.com has 412k, jpl.nasa.gov has 2.6m, all built with Tailwind, all several years younger than Vim's website. Unnecessary comparison, unnecessary defence. It's a... Source: almost 4 years ago

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Tracking FontForge since Mar 2021.