Neovim Over VSCode

As a developer, choosing the right text editor is an important decision. The right text editor can make your workflow faster and more efficient, while the wrong one can slow you down and make your work more frustrating. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at Neovim and Visual Studio Code (VS Code), two popular text editors, and discuss some of the key differences between the two and why you might choose one over the other.

First, let’s start with Neovim. Neovim is a lightweight, open-source text editor that is designed to be highly customizable and extendable. It has a small footprint and can be easily extended using plugins written in any language. This makes it well-suited for use on machines with limited resources, or for developers who want a fast and responsive tool that won’t slow down their workflow.

In addition to its lightweight design, Neovim has a very active and supportive community of users and developers. If you have any questions or run into any issues, it is likely that you will be able to find a helpful answer online. The Neovim project has a large number of contributors, and the community is known for being welcoming and helpful to new users.

Another reason to choose Neovim is its strong focus on Vim compatibility. If you are already familiar with Vim and want to use a similar tool, Neovim might be a good choice for you. Many of the commands and keybindings that you are used to in Vim will work in Neovim as well, which can make it easier to get started with Neovim if you have already spent time learning Vim.

In addition to its lightweight design and strong Vim compatibility, Neovim has a number of advanced features that might be of interest to experienced developers. For example, Neovim supports asynchronous plugins, which can help improve performance and responsiveness. It also has a built-in terminal emulator, which can be useful for running command-line tools and scripts directly from the editor.

You can check my preconfigured Neovim dotfiles on GitHub repository. This is example screenshot.

Now let’s take a look at Visual Studio Code. VS Code is a feature-rich code editor with a large number of built-in features and a strong ecosystem of third-party extensions. It is developed by Microsoft and is widely used by developers around the world.

One of the main advantages of VS Code is its large number of built-in features. It includes features such as syntax highlighting, code completion, and error checking, which can make it easier to write and debug code. VS Code also has a strong ecosystem of third-party extensions, which can add even more functionality to the editor.

Another advantage of VS Code is its popularity. It is used by a large number of developers, which means that there is a large community of users and developers who can provide support and help you get the most out of the tool. If you run into any issues or have questions about how to use VS Code, it is likely that you will be able to find a helpful answer online.

So, which text editor is right for you: Neovim or VS Code? As with any tool, the answer will depend on your specific needs and preferences. If you are looking for a lightweight and highly customizable text editor with a strong focus on Vim compatibility, Neovim might be the right choice for you. However, if you need a more feature-rich code editor with a strong ecosystem of third-party extensions, VS Code might be a better fit. Ultimately, the decision will depend on what you need and what you feel most comfortable using.

If you want to getting started with Neovim, you can use preconfigured Neovim such as NVChad, LunarVim, or AstroVim. It has a preinstall plugin that you need for IDE.