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On caring for user data: NeoVim caused Vim undo files to be deleted

384 points · 346 comments · jandeboevrie

  1. dlisboa · · focus · HN ↗
    > the attitude that just because something is a persistent file on your filesystem that contains data that you might want is no reason for their program not to delete it meant they had no concept of a duty of care to their users.

    That's the wrong way to look at it. NeoVIM has a different concept of care for their users. They're optimizing for another kind of care, more in line with modern expectations, which VIM did not care about (hence the fork).

    It's not better or worse, just different.

    This same article could've been written about how VIM has no native LSP integration or autocomplete and they don't have duty or care for their users.

    1. jeremyjh · · focus · HN ↗
      It is insane that people are defending behavior that is clearly abhorrent just because they like the software. Are the claims even true? If they are, you should be updating your opinions about the person writing this software.
      1. dlisboa · · focus · HN ↗
        Insane? Abhorrent?

        Relax for a second. Get some perspective.

        1. jeremyjh · · focus · HN ↗
          My perspective is that the Neovim maintainer implemented a change that would delete data created by another program on other people's computers. They knew this would happen in advance, and it was done anyway.
          1. zeratax · · focus · HN ↗
            that's not what is happening here though?

            <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;neovim&#x2F;neovim&#x2F;pull&#x2F;13973#issuecomment-879067052" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;neovim&#x2F;neovim&#x2F;pull&#x2F;13973#issuecomment-879...

            &gt;&gt; It shouldn&#x27;t overwrite an unreadable file tho, unless I have completely misread the code.

            &gt; It doesn&#x27;t, but because it reads the vim-specific config file from the vim-specified location it then writes a file in that location with the name that vim expects, so files that I first edited in neovim ended up with undo files that vim couldn&#x27;t read and vice versa. Both programs complained.

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