Why do you need a mouse if you have a keyboard?

Despite the provocative headline, I do not seek to kindle holivar. I want to talk about the unused potential of the keyboard, about those things that help improve the programmer's performance and save you from unnecessary gestures towards the mouse.

Blind printing method

Let's start with the classics of the genre, this is the foundation. Although you can argue about the importance of blind typing for a programmer, but if you look at the keyboard to find the right letter, then all the other points of this article will be meaningless for you (or not).

For a programmer, print speed is not critical, because most of the time we think, but we print quite a bit (regarding copywriters, for example). It is important for us to be able to find the keys with closed eyes.

Everyone remembers Solo ... Shakhidjanyan ... And personally, I have this simulator repulsed all the desire to learn to type. In general, the course is not bad, but the flow and the little things kill all the enthusiasm. Therefore, its better to be wary.
')
Simulators

• klava.org - a good simulator, a lot of modes. I chose it;
• stamina-online.ru - there are a lot of lessons, but it’s not made as pleasant as the previous one. There are also advertising banners for those who want to lose weight;
• klavogonki.ru is an entertaining thing. Competitions with other people (in real time) in print speed;
• jzelenkov suggested typing.io service - for training typing source code. He strained me a little, because the code I write is not consistent.

This list can be continued for a very long time, if you want more, google. The main thing to remember is that we are interested in the English layout, of course, if you do not program in 1C.

But if printed simulators made you break the keyboard, there is another way. leventov recalled the Easy way to learn the blind tenfinger recruitment .

Vim

Many have heard about the editor Vim, but not many have tried to work in it, and even less work. This is not surprising, Vim is not one of those pieces, which can be taken and immediately used. You need to get used to it through pain and humiliation, because at first, productivity will drop significantly. But let's leave Vim himself for the rubinuxids. Personally, I am interested in his philosophy. In Vim, they write with the keyboard, not with the mouse. In other words, Vimway is the minimization of body movements to achieve a result.

For popular editors and IDE there are plugins that allow you to touch the shrine. Sublime Text out of the box has such a plugin called Vintage Mode (refer to the instruction link).

You can install the official IdeaVim plugin in JetBrains IDE.

The essence is this: there are two modes - Insert Mode and Command Mode. In the first we print as usual, and in the second the cursor changes and it becomes possible to use the cherished commands that save a lot of time. For example, moving the cursor is done with the keys H (←), J (↓), K (↑), L (→). That is, you do not need to reach for the arrows to move the cursor. Hands always remain above the same area of ​​the keyboard.

It is better to see once:



At first glance, this may seem complicated, but as you get used to it, you will understand the beauty of Vimway. Usually the commands in the plugins correspond to the original, so google the Vim commands or put such wallpapers on your desktop. And, as mentioned above, it is important to click on the button blindly. Over time, this will come to automatism.

Am I cool now?

Definitely yes. But I would like to tell you about another cool thing. Despite all the functionality of Vim, it sometimes bothers you to “drive” around the code. I want to quickly move to the right place, and not go to the line and catch up with the cursor to the desired attribute. Flip the code will help us next stray:

• Sublime Text - EasyMotion;
• In the IDE from JetBrains, I came across two similar plugins: AceJump and QuickJump. I like the first one more, because first of all it is the transition to letters, not numbers. And the second has more functionality.

Again, it’s better to see how it works:

Conclusion

In addition to all the above, it is worth noting the importance of studying the environment in which you work. Modern IDEs provide incredible functionality and a bunch of hot keys, from which sometimes the head is spinning, but it's worth it. The space occupied by button panels and directory trees is freed, and productivity increases. Also pay attention to the full-screen mode (it is in almost all editors), gives an incredible immersion and concentration.

It would be possible to mention Zen Conding / Emmet, but this is a highly specialized thing for web developers, so we’ll omit it.

Program the keyboard, not the mouse.

Thanks for attention.