Vi is a non x windows editor. As such it is an important editor for use in
configuring linux in a non xwindow environment. However for ease of use in
coding I never use it. I remember the old days when all we had were line
editors, I did like it much then and I like even less now. Newer x-editors have
nice features that you can set up for particular kinds of code writing. Nedit,
gedit, and editors of this family will allow you to set up a coding type and
will highlight keywords. I have in the past asked vi users why they still used
a line in xwindows and I usually get a answer about terminating characters and
stuff like that. After investigation I found the only difference was between
linux and windows and the terminating characters of LF CR where windows uses
CR+LF terminators and Linux uses LF only (ascii 0XA, 0XE). As such there is
sometimes a text file translation problem between windows and linux.