> How can we make Vim9 script, the new Vim scripting language, more widely used?
One way is to inform users and prospective plugin writers that
1) Vim9 script is vastly superior to the old Vimscript, to the point where it is not unpleasant to use, and
2) it is much more conductive to writing text editor code than the general purpose Lua.
Of course this still does not mean that people will want to learn yet another scripting language to write Vim plugins in particular when they already know Lua, but it is very important to be adequately informed about the two above points.
> it is much more conductive to writing text editor code than the general purpose Lua.
Lua is very much not a general-purpose Language. It can be used like one, but it's a specialized language thought to live inside a "host" application, which it then controls. Which does seem to fit the usecase here.
Would you be able to substantiate your claim that it is more conductive to text editor code?
> it is not unpleasant to use
I'm afraid that is a very low bar. Lua is not unpleasant to use either.
No, I don't feel like substantiating my claims to someone who assumes a default hostile response to me and makes nonsensical readings of what I say.
For instance, when I compare Lua to vim9 script and say the former is general purpose, I am obviously in the context of comparing the one scripting language to the latter. And you know that. And yet, even though you understand the context perfectly, you still choose to write "Lua is very much not a general-purpose Language..." and proceed to patronize me on semantics.
So, will I be able to substantiate? Yes. Will I bother to do so to you? No.
Speaking purely technically here, vim9/L has an actual standard library tailored specifically to Vim. Lua has no standard library and you just end up delegating to vimscript anyway. But ya, if you want to use Lua for whatever reason then it's a pretty hard sell. But that's sorta what OP is getting at... how to make it more attractive.
> Of course this still does not mean that people will want to learn yet another scripting language
I understand this sentiment and that there are certainly psychological blockers in having to learn too many languages, but vim9 is very simple to learn. It is much closer to a "familiar" language than Lua. Plus, you are going to have to be familiar with Vim's standard library anyway. I believe they are adding more and more helper functions but Lua plugins are full of `vim.cmd` and `vim.fn`. I don't dislike Lua as a language at all, but I much prefer "scripting Vim" in some sort of "VimScript" :) But to each their own.
> it is much more conductive to writing text editor code than the general purpose Lua.
Personally I think that was already the case with "classic" VimScript, although I also appreciate it's a bit idiosyncratic and that many people don't have the time or interest to learn it.
I suppose that's also the problem with VimScript9. I agree is a real and meaningful improvement over VimScript, but I suppose that for many it's just "not important enough" to learn, even though it's not an especially difficult language to learn. I don't think that's unreasonable – there's tons of not especially difficult things I never bothered to learn in depth either, I just happened to choose Vim stuff at some point.
Honestly supporting a language is a lot of work. Documentation, language servers, ramping time for users to learn it, etc. I find it hard to believe vimscript9 is worth it over lua. I've seen the ecosystem for neovim seem to thrive, and in part because it looks like lua is a lower barrier language, especially if you've used it outside of vim.
One way is to inform users and prospective plugin writers that
1) Vim9 script is vastly superior to the old Vimscript, to the point where it is not unpleasant to use, and
2) it is much more conductive to writing text editor code than the general purpose Lua.
Of course this still does not mean that people will want to learn yet another scripting language to write Vim plugins in particular when they already know Lua, but it is very important to be adequately informed about the two above points.