Vim is a well-known terminal text editor used in the UNIX and Linux world, famous for its unique impact on users. Essentially, people have two reactions to it: they either quickly become devoted fans and use it for life or find it too challenging and complex to work with.
In Memory of Bram, the Heart and Soul of Vim
Recently, the Vim project announced the release of Vim 9.1, a poignant tribute to its lead developer, Bram Moolenaar, who passed away six months ago. Moolenaar, celebrated for his over three decades of dedication to the project, was the driving force behind Vim, an editor who has become integral to many in the programming community.
New Features in Vim 9.1
Vim 9.1, described primarily as a bug fix release, brings hundreds of bug fixes to the table, along with a handful of new features and several minor improvements. Among the most notable additions are:
- Vim9 Classes and Objects: This release enhances support for classes and objects in the Vim9 scripting language, adding a new layer of sophistication to script writing.
- The :defer Command: Aimed at improving function clean-up processes.
- Virtual-Text Support: Enhances the functionality of language server features, such as inlay hints.
- Smooth Scroll: A much-requested feature that enhances the scrolling experience.
- EditorConfig Plugin: Now included with Vim, facilitating better code consistency.
- OpenVMS Update: Vim has been updated to support OpenVMS, broadening its usability.
- xxd Enhancements: The addition of color output and the ability to reverse bit dumps in xxd.
Furthermore, Vim 9.1 also addresses various issues that plagued the previous versions, including unsafe memory access, memory leaks, buffer overflows, and potential crashes. Moreover, this release brings a few new functions, autocommands, ex commands, and options, further enriching Vim’s capabilities.
Lastly, the long-time-used Vim FTP Server has been retired in a significant shift. Users are encouraged to transition to the Git repository for future updates and distributions.
For more detailed information about all changes in Vim 9.1, refer to the release announcement.
