Re: emacs or xemacs ?
In article <[🔎] m11REwC-000QjGC@hawkins.cba.uni.edu> you write:
>I still use emacs for some things that I haven't figured out how
>to get vim to do. Xemacs has extra buttons on the screen, which take
>up screen space. The last line on the terminal in vi takes more
>than enough, I don't want to give up even more . . . also, using emacs
>on CCIE (*Control Key In Exile) keyboard, causing enough long reaches
>on my little finger sthat I had to see a quack, is probably part (put a
>minor part) of my avoiding either.
Well seeing, as you are comparing vim to emacs here. I have
used vim for a long time, and like it because:
- it is fast to load.
- I can remember the keystrokes
- I like to be able to do things like c/"hello
which will change all the text up to the next set of quotes
with the word hello (it does get messy if you want to replace
an entire C string though, and the C string contains nested '"').
I haven't worked out if this is possible with emacs.
- no need to learn LISP.
- built in support for DOS text mode format.
On the downside:
- autoindent, especially in text mode, messes up X-Windows
paste operations - ie it autoindents. I try to undo with u,
but it removes a lot more then I wanted :-(. So I have to
undo the undo (redo), and manually delete the problem lines.
I haven't yet noticed this problem in emacs, but it might
just mean I haven't found it yet.
- frequently paste data into a text mode vim editor, when it
is in command mode... :-(.
- I start typing in text to find it is in command mode, or
start typing in commands to find it is in data mode. Yes, I have
set up vim so that this is clearly marked, but often I type
without thinking. If you look through any draft documents
I type, you will see an occasional 'i', where I tried to
go into insert mode, but never noticed it already was in
insert mode.
Recently I have started using emacs and xemacs again. I can't
see much difference myself, so I just use xemacs, sometimes
with (-nw), sometimes without. The things I like about emacs
are:
- very customizable. However, with xemacs it is often difficult
to know what some of the options on the config menus do (maybe
this has changed in xemacs 21, I have never tried it).
- has built in support for special features, eg Supercite will
automatically handle citations in LaTeX files.
- has built in news reader and mailer. Currently I am experimenting
with Gnus. I have mixed feelings about it. Sometime I may try
Mews.
On the downside:
- hard to remember exact key stroke, unless you use it frequently.
For instance, to change to another buffer, is it C-x C-b or C-x b?
I always try the wrong one first (buffer listing). Other times,
I am way off, eg to find a parent article in gnus, I type R A
instead of A R. R is the command for reply...
- I use an Ultrix DECstation a lot. The Meta key on Ultrix, is in
about the same position as the Ctrl key on IBM keyboards... To exit,
I frequently am typing M-x M-c instead of C-x C-c. Often when I start
to type the wrong command, it is difficult for me to abort. Sometimes
Ctrl+G works, other times Esc Esc Esc works. Sometimes aborting has
unwanted side-effects, eg closing all windows but the active one. I find
this really annoying.
- no redo command???
- just how do you use the menus from text mode?
I don't particular care what editor I use, just as long as it
gets the job done efficiently.
--
Brian May <bam@snoopy.apana.org.au>
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