Re: [PLUG] Poll! editors (and possibly me burning at the stake)

["Chuckk Hubbard" <badmuthahubbard@gmail.com>]

On Nov 25, 2007 10:18 AM, Brent Saner <brent.saner@gmail.com> wrote:
> VI(M) or EMACS?
>
> so, if you could reply with the CLI text editor you use (if it's a fork or
> derived project, list the original editor), at least 5 good reasons i should
> use it, and at least 5 good reasons i SHOULDN'T (yes, you read me right) use
> it. in other words, give me a completely balanced list (only as many goods
> as bads) of what you like and dislike about your preferred editor.

Hi there.
I use emacs every day.  I don't know much about vi(m) though, so some
of the things I consider strengths for emacs may well be present there
too...
Strengths
1. arbitrary numbers of macros, either named or defined on the spot (I
use these many times a day)
2. automatic, customizable text highlighting, with many installable
modes for different file types.
3. arbitrary split windows, as much as your monitor resolution can handle.
4. edit many buffers at once; open a .h and .c file that go together
and flip back and forth, or put them over and under each other; then
scroll the other window without switching to it.
5. chaining key bindings (Ctl-x followed by h; or Ctl-c, then %, then
Ctl-b, e.g.) make limitless possibilities for binding commands.

Weaknesses
1. leaves automatic "temporary" backup files all over the place by default.
2. also nearly impossible (impossible?) to close an instance without
typing "yes" for every changed file if you don't want to save them.  I
guess most people like this.
3. a quirk- if you try to use a number argument (C-u-1-0) and then
yank (paste) something copied, it instead pastes the 10th to last
thing copied.  Haven't yet found a way to do it.
4. usual Alt-key menu bindings don't work, emacs takes Alt keystrokes
for its own bindings.  Alt-` accesses the menus, but the method is
less intuitive; selecting some of the menu options requires
differentiating between the same letter in capital or lowercase, i.e.
two keystrokes to select one menu item.
5. hmm, I'm running dry.  Too easy to figure out how to close the
program?  For that reason I recommend vi.

-Chuckk

-- 
http://www.badmuthahubbard.com
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