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| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2023|08|03|62|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2023|08|03|62|df=y}}
| death_place = <!--[[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]], Spain{{cn|date=August 2023}}-->
| death_place = <!--[[Santa Cruz de Tenerife]], Spain{{cn|date=August 2023}}-->
| known_for = [[Vim_(text_editor)|Vim]], [[ICCF_Holland|ICCF Holland]]
| known_for = {{cslist|[[Vim (text editor)|Vim]]|[[ICCF Holland]]}}
| awards = [[NLUUG#NLUUG_Awards|NLUUG Awards]]
| awards = [[NLUUG#NLUUG Awards|NLUUG Awards]]
| website = {{URL|https://www.moolenaar.net/}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.moolenaar.net/}}
| signature = Bram Moolenaar signature.png
| signature = Bram Moolenaar signature.png
}}
}}


'''Bram Moolenaar''' (<!--{{cspan|26 August|date=August 2023}} Please add source for birthdate in the Early life and education section. Please do not add the date here without providing a reference. Thank you.-->1961 – 3 August 2023) was a Dutch software engineer and activist who was the creator, maintainer, and [[benevolent dictator for life]] of [[Vim (text editor)|Vim]],<ref name="RehmanPaul2003">{{cite book|last1=Rehman|first1=Rafeeq Ur|last2=Paul|first2=Christopher|title=The Linux development platform: configuring, using, and maintaining a complete programming environment|url=https://archive.org/details/ost-computer-science-0130091154|access-date=30 March 2011|year=2003|publisher=Prentice Hall PTR|isbn=978-0-13-009115-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ost-computer-science-0130091154/page/n59 37]–}}</ref> a [[vi]]-derivative text editor. He advocated for [[ICCF Holland]], a [[non-governmental organization]] supporting [[AIDS]] victims in Uganda, and used the popularity of Vim to encourage donations.
'''Bram Moolenaar''' ({{IPA|nl|brɑ ˈmoːlənaːr|lang}}; <!--{{cspan|26 August|date=August 2023}} Please add source for birthdate in the Early life and education section. Please do not add the date here without providing a reference. Thank you.-->1961 – 3 August 2023) was a Dutch software engineer and activist who was the creator, maintainer, and [[benevolent dictator for life]] of [[Vim (text editor)|Vim]],<ref name="RehmanPaul2003">{{cite book|last1=Rehman|first1=Rafeeq Ur|last2=Paul|first2=Christopher|title=The Linux development platform: configuring, using, and maintaining a complete programming environment|url=https://archive.org/details/ost-computer-science-0130091154|access-date=30 March 2011|year=2003|publisher=Prentice Hall PTR|isbn=978-0-13-009115-4|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ost-computer-science-0130091154/page/n59 37]–}}</ref> a [[Vi (text editor)|vi]]-derivative text editor. He advocated for [[ICCF Holland]], a non-governmental organization supporting [[HIV/AIDS in Uganda|AIDS victims in Uganda]], and used the popularity of Vim to encourage donations.


From July 2006 until September 2021, Moolenaar was employed by [[Google]], working in the [[Zürich]] office on [[Google Calendar]].<ref name="TheRegisterObit">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/07/bram_moolenaar_obituary/ |title=RIP Bram Moolenaar: Coding world mourns Vim creator |date=7 August 2023 |last=Proven |first=Liam |work=[[The Register]] |access-date=7 August 2023 |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808023315/https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/07/bram_moolenaar_obituary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He spent part of his time maintaining Vim.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Yahoo! Groups|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vimannounce/conversations/topics/152|access-date=31 March 2018|website=groups.yahoo.com|language=en-US|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109015710/https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vimannounce/conversations/topics/152|url-status=live}}</ref>
From July 2006 until September 2021, Moolenaar was employed by Google, working in the [[Zürich]] office on [[Google Calendar]].<ref name="TheRegisterObit">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/07/bram_moolenaar_obituary/ |title=RIP Bram Moolenaar: Coding world mourns Vim creator |date=7 August 2023 |last=Proven |first=Liam |work=[[The Register]] |access-date=7 August 2023 |archive-date=8 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230808023315/https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/07/bram_moolenaar_obituary/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He spent part of his time maintaining Vim.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Yahoo! Groups|url=https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vimannounce/conversations/topics/152|access-date=31 March 2018|website=groups.yahoo.com|language=en-US|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109015710/https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/vimannounce/conversations/topics/152|url-status=dead}}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
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{{Main|Vim (text editor)}}
{{Main|Vim (text editor)}}
[[File:Vim 9.0 splash screen.png|alt=The opening screen of Vim|thumb|The opening screen of Vim]]
[[File:Vim 9.0 splash screen.png|alt=The opening screen of Vim|thumb|The opening screen of Vim]]
In 1988, Moolenaar purchased an [[Amiga]] computer. Familiar with [[vi]], which had not been ported to the Amiga at the time, he tested several clones of vi, including [[Stevie (text editor)|Stevie]]. Moolenaar took the source code of Stevie and improved upon it. Seeking to match vi, Moolenaar eventually added in additional features, such as undoing multiple levels.<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> The first version of "[[Vim (text editor)|Vi IMitation]]" was released in 1988 on a public domain disk set made by [[Fred Fish]]. Several users ported Vim onto other platforms, such as [[MS-DOS]] and [[Unix]]. In version 1.22 in 1992, Vi IMitation was renamed to "Vi IMproved".<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/>{{Sfn|Moolenaar|2000|p=4}}
In 1988, Moolenaar purchased an [[Amiga]] computer. Familiar with [[Vi (text editor)|vi]], which had not been ported to the Amiga at the time, he tested several clones of vi, including [[Stevie (text editor)|Stevie]]. Moolenaar took the source code of Stevie and improved upon it. Seeking to match vi, Moolenaar eventually added in additional features, such as undoing multiple levels.<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> The first version of "[[Vim (text editor)|Vi IMitation]]" was released in 1988 on a public domain disk set made by [[Fred Fish]]. Several users ported Vim onto other platforms, such as [[MS-DOS]] and [[Unix]]. In version 1.22 in 1992, Vi IMitation was renamed to "Vi IMproved".<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/>{{Sfn|Moolenaar|2000|p=4}}


Vim is open-source and [[charityware]]; users are encouraged to donate to [[ICCF Holland]].<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> A number of other applications have been licensed this way since Vim's inception.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://charityware.info/|title=charityware . info {{!}} for developers and users who care|website=charityware.info|language=en|access-date=31 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428055416/http://charityware.info/|archive-date=28 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Vim has won several awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moolenaar.net/vim.html#awards |title=Vim |publisher=Moolenaar.net |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112071256/http://www.moolenaar.net/vim.html#awards |url-status=live }}</ref> and has been referred to as one of the most popular text editors.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jacob Gube |url=http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/the-15-most-popular-text-editors-for-developers/ |title=The 15 Most Popular Text Editors for Developers |publisher=Sixrevisions.com |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=18 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118110358/http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/the-15-most-popular-text-editors-for-developers/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tuxarena.blogspot.com/2009/04/14-most-popular-text-editors-for-linux.html |title=14 Most Popular Text Editors for Linux &#124; TuxArena Blog |date=April 2009 |publisher=Tuxarena.blogspot.com |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=13 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313050602/http://tuxarena.blogspot.com/2009/04/14-most-popular-text-editors-for-linux.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://lifehacker.com/385929/best-text-editors |title=Best Text Editors |publisher=Lifehacker.com |date=1 May 2008 |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=8 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108083658/http://lifehacker.com/385929/best-text-editors |url-status=live }}</ref>
Vim is open-source and [[charityware]]; users are encouraged to donate to [[ICCF Holland]].<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> A number of other applications have been licensed this way since Vim's inception.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://charityware.info/|title=charityware . info {{!}} for developers and users who care|website=charityware.info|language=en|access-date=31 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428055416/http://charityware.info/|archive-date=28 April 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Vim has won several awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moolenaar.net/vim.html#awards |title=Vim |publisher=Moolenaar.net |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=12 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112071256/http://www.moolenaar.net/vim.html#awards |url-status=live }}</ref> and has been referred to as one of the most popular text editors.<ref>{{cite web |author=Jacob Gube |url=http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/the-15-most-popular-text-editors-for-developers/ |title=The 15 Most Popular Text Editors for Developers |publisher=Sixrevisions.com |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=18 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118110358/http://sixrevisions.com/web-development/the-15-most-popular-text-editors-for-developers/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tuxarena.blogspot.com/2009/04/14-most-popular-text-editors-for-linux.html |title=14 Most Popular Text Editors for Linux &#124; TuxArena Blog |date=April 2009 |publisher=Tuxarena.blogspot.com |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=13 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313050602/http://tuxarena.blogspot.com/2009/04/14-most-popular-text-editors-for-linux.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://lifehacker.com/385929/best-text-editors |title=Best Text Editors |publisher=Lifehacker.com |date=1 May 2008 |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-date=8 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108083658/http://lifehacker.com/385929/best-text-editors |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Other ventures==
==Other ventures==
Other software tools that Moolenaar developed include a software build tool written in [[Python (programming language)|Python]], called A-A-P, which is similar to [[make (software)|make]], and a programming language called Zimbu which puts an emphasis on readability of programs.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>
Other software tools that Moolenaar developed include a software [[build tool]] written in [[Python (programming language)|Python]], called A-A-P, which is similar to [[make (software)|make]], and a programming language called Zimbu which puts an emphasis on readability of programs.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>


Moolenaar was a member of the Dutch Unix user group, [[NLUUG]], which presented him with an award during its 25th anniversary, for his creation of Vim and his contributions to open-source software in general.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.moolenaar.net/#Award|title=NLUUG Award|date=2008|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-date=13 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413100151/http://www.moolenaar.net/#Award|url-status=live}}</ref>
Moolenaar was a member of the Dutch Unix user group, [[NLUUG]], which presented him with an award during its 25th anniversary, for his creation of Vim and his contributions to open-source software in general.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.moolenaar.net/#Award|title=NLUUG Award|date=2008|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-date=13 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110413100151/http://www.moolenaar.net/#Award|url-status=live}}</ref>
Line 37: Line 37:
Moolenaar was an advocate of [[ICCF Holland]], a [[non-governmental organization]] based in [[Kibaale]], Uganda which he founded to support children whose parents have died of [[AIDS]]. In 1994, he volunteered as a water and sanitation engineer for the Kibaale Children's Centre; he made several return trips over the following twenty-five years. In 1995, he made Vim [[charityware]]. An estimated {{USD|2000}} was raised for ICCF Holland in 1997, followed by {{USD|4000}} a year later.<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> In 1999, donation income totaled approximately {{USD|7000}}.{{Sfn|Marshall|2002|p=103-104}} He last visited the Kibaale Community Centre in 2020 before the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>
Moolenaar was an advocate of [[ICCF Holland]], a [[non-governmental organization]] based in [[Kibaale]], Uganda which he founded to support children whose parents have died of [[AIDS]]. In 1994, he volunteered as a water and sanitation engineer for the Kibaale Children's Centre; he made several return trips over the following twenty-five years. In 1995, he made Vim [[charityware]]. An estimated {{USD|2000}} was raised for ICCF Holland in 1997, followed by {{USD|4000}} a year later.<ref name="FreeSoftInfo"/> In 1999, donation income totaled approximately {{USD|7000}}.{{Sfn|Marshall|2002|p=103-104}} He last visited the Kibaale Community Centre in 2020 before the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>


==Personal life and death==
==Illness and death==
Moolenaar reported health problems in October 2022.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>
Moolenaar reported health problems in October 2022.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>


On 5 August 2023, Moolenaar's family announced in the Vim [[Google Group]] that Moolenaar had died two days prior, at the age of 62, because of a rapidly developing medical condition.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/> His funeral will be held in the Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/bram-moolenaar-creator-of-the-beloved-vim-text-editor-has-passed-away/ |title=Rest in peace Bram Moolenaar, author of Vim and hero of many developers |date=8 August 2023 |last=Axon |first=Samuel |work=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref> Vim will be continued by a co-contributor.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>
On 5 August 2023, Moolenaar's family announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/vim_announce/c/tWahca9zkt4|title=Message from the family of Bram Moolenaar|access-date=2024-02-13}}</ref> in the Vim [[Google Group]] that Moolenaar had died two days prior, at the age of 62, because of a rapidly developing medical condition.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/> His funeral was held in Lisse, The Netherlands, on 16 August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/bram-moolenaar-creator-of-the-beloved-vim-text-editor-has-passed-away/ |title=Rest in peace Bram Moolenaar, author of Vim and hero of many developers |date=8 August 2023 |last=Axon |first=Samuel |work=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref> Vim will be continued by co-contributor Christian Brabandt.<ref name="TheRegisterObit"/>

== Posthumous fame ==
Bram Moolenaar was posthumously awarded the 2024 European SFS Award at SFSCON 24, a free software meeting organized since 2004 by the [[Free Software Foundation Europe]] (FSFE) and the Linux User Group Bolzano-Bozen (LUGBZ).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vim developer Bram Moolenaar posthumously receives the European SFS Award|website=[[FSFE]]|date=2024-11-08|url=https://fsfe.org/news/2024/news-20241108-01.en.html|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 00:29, 9 November 2024

Bram Moolenaar
Moolenaar in 2007
Born1961 (1961)
Lisse, Netherlands
Died (aged 62)
Known for
AwardsNLUUG Awards
Websitewww.moolenaar.net
Signature

Bram Moolenaar (Dutch: [brɑ ˈmoːlənaːr]; 1961 – 3 August 2023) was a Dutch software engineer and activist who was the creator, maintainer, and benevolent dictator for life of Vim,[1] a vi-derivative text editor. He advocated for ICCF Holland, a non-governmental organization supporting AIDS victims in Uganda, and used the popularity of Vim to encourage donations.

From July 2006 until September 2021, Moolenaar was employed by Google, working in the Zürich office on Google Calendar.[2] He spent part of his time maintaining Vim.[3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Moolenaar was born in Lisse, Netherlands, in 1961.[2] In 1985, he graduated from the Delft University of Technology with a degree in electrical engineering.[4]

Vim

[edit]
Main article: Vim (text editor)
The opening screen of Vim
The opening screen of Vim

In 1988, Moolenaar purchased an Amiga computer. Familiar with vi, which had not been ported to the Amiga at the time, he tested several clones of vi, including Stevie. Moolenaar took the source code of Stevie and improved upon it. Seeking to match vi, Moolenaar eventually added in additional features, such as undoing multiple levels.[4] The first version of "Vi IMitation" was released in 1988 on a public domain disk set made by Fred Fish. Several users ported Vim onto other platforms, such as MS-DOS and Unix. In version 1.22 in 1992, Vi IMitation was renamed to "Vi IMproved".[4][5]

Vim is open-source and charityware; users are encouraged to donate to ICCF Holland.[4] A number of other applications have been licensed this way since Vim's inception.[6] Vim has won several awards[7] and has been referred to as one of the most popular text editors.[8][9][10]

Other ventures

[edit]

Other software tools that Moolenaar developed include a software build tool written in Python, called A-A-P, which is similar to make, and a programming language called Zimbu which puts an emphasis on readability of programs.[2]

Moolenaar was a member of the Dutch Unix user group, NLUUG, which presented him with an award during its 25th anniversary, for his creation of Vim and his contributions to open-source software in general.[11]

Charity

[edit]

Moolenaar was an advocate of ICCF Holland, a non-governmental organization based in Kibaale, Uganda which he founded to support children whose parents have died of AIDS. In 1994, he volunteered as a water and sanitation engineer for the Kibaale Children's Centre; he made several return trips over the following twenty-five years. In 1995, he made Vim charityware. An estimated US$2,000 was raised for ICCF Holland in 1997, followed by US$4,000 a year later.[4] In 1999, donation income totaled approximately US$7,000.[12] He last visited the Kibaale Community Centre in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

Illness and death

[edit]

Moolenaar reported health problems in October 2022.[2]

On 5 August 2023, Moolenaar's family announced[13] in the Vim Google Group that Moolenaar had died two days prior, at the age of 62, because of a rapidly developing medical condition.[2] His funeral was held in Lisse, The Netherlands, on 16 August 2023.[14] Vim will be continued by co-contributor Christian Brabandt.[2]

Posthumous fame

[edit]

Bram Moolenaar was posthumously awarded the 2024 European SFS Award at SFSCON 24, a free software meeting organized since 2004 by the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and the Linux User Group Bolzano-Bozen (LUGBZ).[15]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Rehman, Rafeeq Ur; Paul, Christopher (2003). The Linux development platform: configuring, using, and maintaining a complete programming environment. Prentice Hall PTR. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-0-13-009115-4. Retrieved 30 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Proven, Liam (7 August 2023). "RIP Bram Moolenaar: Coding world mourns Vim creator". The Register. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Yahoo! Groups". groups.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e Moolenaar, Bram (15 January 2002). "Vim, an open-source text editor". free-soft.org. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  5. ^ Moolenaar 2000, p. 4.
  6. ^ "charityware . info | for developers and users who care". charityware.info. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Vim". Moolenaar.net. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  8. ^ Jacob Gube. "The 15 Most Popular Text Editors for Developers". Sixrevisions.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  9. ^ "14 Most Popular Text Editors for Linux | TuxArena Blog". Tuxarena.blogspot.com. April 2009. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Best Text Editors". Lifehacker.com. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original on 8 November 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  11. ^ "NLUUG Award". 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  12. ^ Marshall 2002, p. 103-104.
  13. ^ "Message from the family of Bram Moolenaar". Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. ^ Axon, Samuel (8 August 2023). "Rest in peace Bram Moolenaar, author of Vim and hero of many developers". Ars Technica. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Vim developer Bram Moolenaar posthumously receives the European SFS Award". FSFE. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2024.

Works cited

[edit]
[edit]
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