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Why not stop using the menus then? ;)

Visual Studio can be operated pretty much entirely from the keyboard. The default shortcuts are fairly sensible, and you can always add more from the options.

There is one major omission: changing build configuration or build target. (You can give the configuration manager a keyboard shortcut, and do it that way, but it's a bit unwieldy.) So I keep the relevant widget in the toolbar and use the mouse to do it. And there are a few things I haven't bothered to assign keyboard shortcuts to, on account of how rarely I use them.

But in general, I use the keyboard to perform actions, and it doesn't feel like I use the mouse any more than I do with emacs (which I use without scrollbar, toolbar, or menu bar).

I do use the mouse a lot for moving the cursor and selecting text in both cases. (Visual Studio is actually slightly better for this, because you can Ctrl+drag to get word selection.)



Your comment is the last one that has a reply link, so I'm using it, though none of the following applies to it at all.

Over the years I've observed that VS criticism is downvoted quite rigorously here. This is in stark contrast to the overall sentiment on the Internet, so I suspect corporate downvoting here.

The moderators should take a look at it.


> Why not stop using the menus then? ;)

Because you have to learn more commands/shortcuts than in Vim? ;)


Won't say anything bad about vim, I use it on a daily basis but normal IDEs aren't necessarily as bad as some people seem to want to portray them:

A few hints to get reasonably good, fast:

Use ctrl+arrowleft/arrowright to jump words at a time.

Use shift to select as you move.

This works together so ctrl + shift + arrowright means select to the next word boundary.

At keast in some IDEs this will also stop at word boundaries inside a variable or function name but this should be configurable. I prefer it this way though.

Next: in the menus you'll often see a hint that tells you a direct shortkey for that menu option. This holds true for both window menus on the top as well as in the right click context menu.


A few hints to get reasonably good, fast (in vim):

Use w, W to jump words at a time.

Use v before moving to select as you move.

This works together, so vw will select to the next word boundary.

Press i to insert text, escape to stop inserting text.

Next: in the :help files, you will find a hint that tells you a direct shortcut for that command (like :help quit, or :help write, or just plain :help).


I personally already use vim, actually prefer it when I remote to servers.

I guess my point is just that it seems to me a lot of people (not necessarily you guys) use vim as some kind of cargo cult.


When you are trying to learn a new thing, and you refuse to learn more than you already know, you are guaranteeing that you will be disappointed.

If you aren't willing to learn more than the Vim shortcuts, it's unfair to criticize Visual Studio or any other product. You are the problem.




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