The Anvil Text Editor

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Positioning, inspirations, and goals

  • Anvil is framed as an Acme-inspired editor with modern touches (Go/Gio UI, syntax highlighting).
  • Some see it as part of a “new generation” of niche editors (with Lem, Helix, Kakoune, etc.), potentially exploring different workflows than Vim/Emacs/VS Code.
  • A few ask explicitly how it differentiates from Acme and whether it’s just a clone vs. solving new problems.

Features and architecture

  • Notable features mentioned:
    • REST API for extensions and automation.
    • Multiple cursors and selections tied to a “Range Statements” language similar to Sam’s structural regexes.
    • Remote editing via SSH using user@host:/path filenames.
    • Easier keyboard use than Acme (arrow-key movement, shift-selection, shortcuts to execute words/lines).
    • Better handling of filenames with spaces and special “lozenge” delimiters for commands/search terms with spaces.
    • Backwards searches via clicking and some usability borrowings from Wily/Acme variants.
  • Source is available as downloadable archives under an MIT license, but there is no obvious public VCS repo.

Missing/desired capabilities

  • Multiple commenters flag the absence of LSP and tree-sitter as a major gap for modern development workflows.
  • Others request Vim-style motions, keyboard-centric navigation, and hint-based UI activation (like OniVim’s “sneak” or link hints).
  • One person suggests WebAssembly compilation for in-browser embedding.

Mouse vs. keyboard and workflow philosophy

  • Strong debate over mouse-centric Acme-style workflows versus keyboard-centric Vim/Emacs styles.
  • Some argue mouse selection and navigation are fast and cognitively lighter; others find constant mousing imprecise and tiring compared to keybindings and search-based movement.
  • There is broader reflection on editing “strategies,” macros, structural regexes, and how multi-cursor editing changes workflows.

Multiple cursors vs. regex/macros

  • Long subthread comparing:
    • Multiple cursors (visual, incremental, immediate feedback)
    • Regex search/replace and structural regexes
    • Macros and repeat commands (especially in Vim/Emacs).
  • Some deem multiple cursors essential and faster; others find them visually confusing and prefer macros/regex with previews.
  • Neovim’s upcoming native multi-cursor support and existing tools like vis, Kakoune, and plugins are mentioned as context.

Usability issues and concerns

  • Some users struggle to open local files or even run the binary on macOS (process killed despite quarantine removal).
  • The HTTPS site reportedly triggers malware warnings for a few.
  • A user on Mac without a mouse finds onboarding hard and asks for a video tutorial.