### h3WEEK 4 AT BLOCKFUSE LAB – LEVELING UP WITH VIM & PYTHON

This week at Blockfuse Lab felt like unlocking a new level in my tech journey. Week 4 was all about sharpening our skills in Vim and diving deeper into Python.

We began by exploring Vim, a powerful and customizable text editor used directly in the terminal. Although it seemed complex at first, our instructors broke it down in a way that made it approachable. We discovered that Vim has several modes, each with its own purpose:

Command Mode – Where most commands are typed to perform actions like saving files, opening others, or jumping around the text.

Insert Mode – Accessed by pressing i while in command mode; this is where you type and add content to the file.

Normal (Navigation) Mode – Helps you move around the file with precision.

Visual Mode – Allows you to highlight and edit selected sections of text.

One cool skill we practiced was copying and pasting:

First, highlight the text with V.

Then press Y to yank (copy).

Finally, P pastes it wherever the cursor is.

We also learned about buffers in Vim – they act like temporary storage for all the files opened in your session.

To split your screen and work on multiple files:

Type :sp filename to open a file in split view.

Use Ctrl + ww to switch between windows.

:u or simply u lets you undo.

To close a file, press Shift + :q.

### h3EXPLORING VIM MACROS

Then came macros – Vim’s way of recording repetitive actions to automate tasks. We practiced creating macros to help with tasks like searching and replacing across multiple files.

Here’s what we used:

qa – Begin recording in register a.

Perform the task.

q – Stop recording.

@a – Replay the macro from register a.

We also learned these helpful commands:

f – Quickly find a character.

r – Replace a character.

gUi – Convert letters to uppercase in a flash.

INTO THE WORLD OF PROGRAMMING

The second half of the week shifted to programming. We had an introduction to a few languages including JavaScript, Rust, Go, and Python.

The spotlight was on Python, a user-friendly, high-level language known for its readability. It runs via an interpreter and is used in many areas like:

1 Web development (Django, Flask, FastAPI)

2 Game creation

3 Data science and analysis

We created our first Python scripts with:

vim microwave.py

We also discussed variables – the basic building blocks for storing data in memory. Naming styles like snake_case, camelCase, and PascalCase were explained, helping us write cleaner code.

Throughout the week, we tackled classwork and assignments that challenged us. Whenever we got stuck, our instructor and visiting engineers were there to walk us through our mistakes and help us see how to fix them.

This week was intense but rewarding. I walked away feeling more confident with Vim and more comfortable in Python. Every day at Blockfuse Lab pushes us forward — and I’m here for it.

Thank you, Blockfuse Lab. Let’s keep going!