"Don’t use the NERD tree plugin. It is clumsy, will hurt your workflow with split windows, and it’s not particulary pretty either. You never needed a file browser pane in the first place."
"It is clumsy"
We're talking about VIM, with dozens of keystrokes to invoke everything but emacs already. The whole thing is a bit clumsy! I use it every day and have for a decade but it's still clumsy.
"will hurt your workflow with split windows"
The author then goes on to state
"You can split the current buffer horizontally or vertically. This is useful, for instance, to view simultaneously the top and the bottom part of the same file. But it’s even more useful to view different files in splits; for instance tests and implementation."
HUH?
" and it (nerdtree) ’s not particulary pretty either"
And the rest of VIM is?
Nerdtree is great, especially when I'm using it on remote systems. A vim session open with nerdtree and some tabs inside of a screen session, and life is good.
I though it interesting that after hating on NERDTree, he went on to suggest a plugin that requires Ruby and VIM compiled with Ruby support, which isn't likely to exist on most.
I'm not a VIM purist. I use the arrow keys, and I use the mouse a lot. I find NERDTree to be tremendously easy to use and helpful when on a local system.
On remote systems, though, I generally just edit 1 file at a time and don't need NERDTree. For multiple files, :e works just fine in those situations.
You've misinterpreted the "hurt your workflow with split windows" bit. You understood it as if NERD Tree's split window is what hurts your workflow. I was saying that my existing split window workflow was hurt by presence of the NERD Tree.
I toggle nerdtree on and off often, so it's there when I need it, and gone when I don't, so I don't notice it getting in the way of my split windows all that much.
"Don’t use the NERD tree plugin. It is clumsy, will hurt your workflow with split windows, and it’s not particulary pretty either. You never needed a file browser pane in the first place."
"It is clumsy"
We're talking about VIM, with dozens of keystrokes to invoke everything but emacs already. The whole thing is a bit clumsy! I use it every day and have for a decade but it's still clumsy.
"will hurt your workflow with split windows"
The author then goes on to state
"You can split the current buffer horizontally or vertically. This is useful, for instance, to view simultaneously the top and the bottom part of the same file. But it’s even more useful to view different files in splits; for instance tests and implementation."
HUH?
" and it (nerdtree) ’s not particulary pretty either"
And the rest of VIM is?
Nerdtree is great, especially when I'm using it on remote systems. A vim session open with nerdtree and some tabs inside of a screen session, and life is good.