Some things that I like about vim.

• vim.org Tips and tools; like CPAN for vim.
• An editor that can operate in a terminal window (vim) or as a GUI (gvim), with the same keystrokes and commands.
• gvimdiff <file1> <file2>
  Or try
  vimdiff <file1> <file2>

  not as pretty, but functional if you don't have gvim.

• :help help<Ctrl-D>

  See all the entries in the help system that contain the given term.

• VimOutliner

  A set of functions that lets you quickly manipulate text in an outline style inside Vim: organize text into an outline; expand and collapse sections to focus on one topic; quickly move a section with Vim keystrokes as if moving a single line.

  VimOutliner makes very efficient use of the keyboard. You can edit the main topics of a document, then quickly shift to a deep subtopic level with only a few keystrokes.

  Highly recommended.

• Vim vs IDE

  For writing Perl, I find Vim much easier and more versatile than the IDEs I've tried (ca 2002).
  Plus, I don't have to use the mouse or learn a new set of commands to build code in an IDE, since I already know Vim.
  Plus, any time I spend learning new features of Vim or a plug-in gives me knowledge that I can use for other editing tasks with Vim, not just when I develop code. Time spent learning and debugging an IDE or other tool can only be applied to using that tool.

  If you want to use plug-ins with Vim to gain some features you might face the problem of keystroke conflict. This is less likely to occur with an IDE without third-party plug-ins. These issues can be resolved, which requires you to learn more about Vim and plug-ins. Again, that knowledge will help when you use Vim elsewhere.

  I've recently started learning Java and using the Eclipse IDE, which I find helpful. I don't know if Vim has features and plug-ins that would make it as good as Eclipse to develop Java code. I do wish that I could use Vim as my editor inside Eclipse, and that I could use the Vim keystrokes to navigate inside Eclipse.

If I don't use a tool for some time, my ability to operate it quickly and efficiently degrades. The GUI and menus of an IDE can help the occasional user. Using Vim every day for editing text files keeps my skills sharp, so I can use it to write code effectively after several months of not doing it.