Vim9 Script - worth learning?

[victorvas]

Vim 9.0, the new version of my favorite text editor has been released.
They replaced the old VimScript with new Vim9 Script, breaking compatibility with older versions of Vim and broke the compatibility with Vi text editor.
I have 2 options:
1. Learn the new Vim9 Script and rewrite my Vim config.
2. Learn Lua programming language, switch from Vim to NeoVim and rewrite my config in Lua.
Which one should I do?

[roddierod]

I installed Vim9 on my windows installation and my old config works just fine except one plugin - YouCompleteMe - which seems not to be able to find Python.

From my brief reading of VimScript doc it looks to mostly target plugin creators.

This is in no way exhaustive, I installed Vim9...used my existing config.
Did :PluginInstall to get my vundle plugins installed.
Ran it and did stuff. Works.

YMMV.

[victorvas]

roddierod, if my old config will work in Vim9, then I have nothing to worry about, thanks!
Prevet, ed scripts? Sounds interesting!

[Carpetsmoker]

Originally Posted by roddierod

From my brief reading of VimScript doc it looks to mostly target plugin creators.

The biggest upshot of Vim9Script for your vimrc file is that multi-line commands and autocmds are much easier; for example:

# Go to the last cursor location when a file is opened unless this is a git commit.
au BufReadPost * {
	if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") && &filetype != 'gitcommit'
		exe 'normal! g`"'
	endif
}

# Convert buffer to and from scratch.
command S {
    if &buftype == 'nofile'
        setl swapfile buftype= bufhidden=
    else
        setl noswapfile buftype=nofile bufhidden=hide
    endif
    echo printf('swapfile=%s buftype=%s bufhidden=%s', &swapfile, &buftype, &bufhidden)
}

Previously this was:

" Go to the last cursor location when a file is opened unless this is a git commit.
au BufReadPost *
	\ if line("'\"") > 1 && line("'\"") <= line("$") && &filetype != 'gitcommit'
		\| exe 'normal! g`"'
	\| endif

" Convert buffer to and from scratch.
command! S
    \  if &buftype is# 'nofile' | setl swapfile buftype= bufhidden=
    \| else                     | setl noswapfile buftype=nofile bufhidden=hide | endif
    \| echo printf('swapfile=%s buftype=%s bufhidden=%s', &swapfile, &buftype, &bufhidden)

All this mucking about with \ and \| was a right pain.

My vimrc is in Vim9Script (over here, if anyone's interested) and I've written some small plugins with it. It's not all that different from the old VimScript, but with a few "obvious" fixes and typing.

In general I prefer it over the Lua stuff Neovim did; I don't think Lua is a terrible language, but it's not a great language either IMHO, and if I look at what people need to do to call "nnoremap" in Lua then it's doesn't strike me as a great improvement.

Is it worth rewriting your vimrc in Vim9Script or Lua? Probably not; VimScript still works and isn't going away. The main reason I did last year was so that I had some real-world code to try Vim9Script out on so I could provide some feedback to Bram based on that. Also worth pointing out you can mix VimScript and Vim9Script (by using "function" or "def" for function definitions).

[jkl]

While Vim9script has quite a few advantages over Vimscript (including performance improvements), Vim supports other languages just fine. If your script does not mostly contain editing commands, try Perl instead.

[victorvas]

Thanks!
Now I think I like Vim9Script more than Lua.