[KKPMW]

> Modern IDEs are magic. Why are so many coders still using Vim and Emacs?

The title answers the question to some extent - I prefer Vim over IDEs because I am allergic to "auto-magic". Also, unlike most IDEs, Vim will still be there after 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years.

[alpaca128]

I feel the same way. The beauty of Vim is that it's not only flexible but also respects the user; unlike most IDEs it doesn't blindly make assumptions, auto-format code while it's being written, auto-close brackets and tags, it has no "plugin XY has a new update!" popups. It just reacts to input and nothing more.

Vim can have most of those things if needed, but after years of usage my tolerance for "smart" features declines constantly. Which in turn made me gravitate towards using more CLI utilities, as those follow the same philosophy and go hand in hand with Vim. The "no automation but efficient shortcuts" approach just feels more reliable and predictable.