[REBOL] Re: GVIM Editor
From: chris:starforge:demon at: 13-Mar-2002 13:21
Dr. Louis A. Turk wrote:
> So, please explain: why do you think emacs is better than vim? and for
> what uses would vim be better than emacs? Also, what version of emacs
> do you recommend for use with Windows 2000?
To answer your questions in reverse order, Emacs-21.1 is the latest (and
best) version of Emacs, you can obtain it from
ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/windows/emacs/21.1/emacs-21.1-fullbin-i386.tar.gz
The file is about 16Mb, winzip can understand the tar.gz - you just need to
unpack it somewhere on your system and run emacs-21.1\bin\emacs.exe
For an example of the different between emacs an vim, take your recent
cut and paste problem. In emacs you just highlight the section of text
you want to cut and either select "Cut" from the Edit menu, or press
Ctrl-w (to copy something simply select the text - that automagically sticks
it inthe clipboard). To paste stuff off the clipboard, more the cursor
to where you want it to go and press Ctrl-y or move the mouse over the
location you want it to go and press the middle mouse button. Copy and paste
between other programs via the clipboard works as well.
Emacs also offers multiple buffers visible in a single window, or multiple
windows each with multiple buffers (makes working on multiple sources
easy).You can even launch a DOS prompt inside the editor to test your
code without having to start DOS explicitly (press Alt-X, then type 'shell')
Loading files is just a matter of selecting Open File.. from the file menu
(or pressing Ctrl-C, Ctrl-F) saving is done via the menu of Ctrl-C, Ctrl-S.
You can also load a directory list (Ctrl-x, Ctrl-d or look in the File menu)
from which you can load files just by highlighting them wiht the mouse
(navigattion through the directory tree is also possible).
You can switch between buffers by pressing Ctrl and the left mouse button to
get a list, then select the buffer from the menu. There are modes for more
or less every programming language (including rebol), configuration of the
program's options is done via a hierarchical menu system, you can even
interactively launch internal operations by pressing Alt-X and then typing
th ecommand (with autocomplete no less) and...
Well really all I can suggest is that you give it a whirl - emacs is one of
those things you either love or hate. Unlike the shell-only version you
don't need to memorise all the keyboard commands (and most of the basic ones
are easy to pick up and remember, mostly Ctrl-combos) and 21.1 is a big
improvement over previous versions.
Chris
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