[Tutor] Remaking Vim in Python (was Python Editors)

[Kent Johnson]

Ed Singleton wrote:
> I'd like a little advice on whether I'm being really stupid here.
> 
> Having researched editors and stuff, I've not quite found what I'm
> looking for, though Vim comes close (except that it's extremely
> difficult to work out what to do with it).
> 
> My instinct was to try and write a small program similar to vim, but
> in Python.  The very basics should be quite easy.  If I start a system
> that is very easily expandable then as and when I need further
> functionality I can add it in.
> 
> I know it would be ambitious to try and do this, but is it stupidly ambitious?

You might consider starting from one of the existing editors written in Python, e.g. IDLE, eric3, spe, DrPython, scite and modifying it to suit. Writing an editor is a big project. OTOH most of these editors probably started out with some developer scratching an itch. So I'm not sure I would call it stupidly ambitious...

Kent