Here is why vim uses hjkl keys as arrow keys
catonmat.net
I was reading about vim the other day and found out why it used `hjkl` keys as arrow keys. When Bill Joy created the vi text editor he used the ADM-3A terminal, which had the arrows on hjkl keys. Naturally he reused the same keys and the rest is history. Here is how the `hjkl` keys looked. ADM-3A keyboard's hjkl keys...

And the home directory is aliased to ~ in UNIX-like systems because the tilde key doubled as the Home key.

  • theunknownmuncher@lemmy.worldEnglish
    21·
    20 days ago

    The point of using hjkl is to navigate while keeping your fingers on the home row and without moving your fingers to other positions

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.mlEnglish
      7·
      20 days ago

      Oh, I know. I’ve been using VI since 1992. I was just wondering, given that wasd is the popular navigation format now thanks to gaming, if VI would have been coded differently today.

      • who@feddit.orgEnglish
        2·
        19 days ago

        WASD in gaming is generally used with the hand shifted one position left of the home keys, so it would require a typist to continually reposition. ESDF or IJKL would be a better choice, and closer to what vi does.