diff --git a/config_files/.vimrc b/config_files/.vimrc
index e347f7e..bc8ceb6 100644
--- a/config_files/.vimrc
+++ b/config_files/.vimrc
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ set ignorecase
 " Do smart case matching
 set smartcase
 
+" set the backspace key to 
+set backspace=indent,eol,start
+
 " Incremental search
 "set incsearch
 
@@ -31,16 +34,16 @@ set hidden
 " turns on syntax hilighting
 syntax on
 
-" use coloration 'torte'
+" use coloration 'torte' or other
 " and specify no coloration in the background
 colo elflord
 highlight Normal ctermbg=NONE
 highlight nonText ctermbg=NONE
 
-" show existing tab with 4 spaces width
+" show existing tab with x spaces width
 set tabstop=2
 
-" when indenting with '>', use 4 spaces width
+" when indenting with '>', use x spaces width
 set shiftwidth=2
 
 " indent new line like the previous one
@@ -150,10 +153,16 @@ inoremap <Up> <C-o>gk
 " put swap files in a special directory
 "---------------------------------------------------------------
 
-" directory indique a vim où mettre les swap files a la place du
-" dossier courrant, le double slash demande a vim de donner au
-" swap file un nom avec son chemin d'acces pour eviter que deux
-" fichiers du meme noms posent un probleme
+" first create the needed directory
+" https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1549263/how-can-i-create-a-folder-if-it-doesnt-exist-from-vimrc
+
+silent !mkdir -p ~/.vim/swapfiles
+
+" 'directory' tells vim where to put the swap files, instead of
+" putting them in the current directory
+" the double slash '//' ask vim to give to the swap file a name
+" with its complete path, to avoid problems whene two files have
+" the same name
 
 set directory=~/.vim/swapfiles//