From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: tyler Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: problem with emacs wiki (was: What alternatives are there to learn Emacs?...) Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:39:57 -0300 Message-ID: <878wxcn18i.fsf@blackbart.sedgenet> References: <17c9e6d6-4b78-49ae-b95e-053037b05ef3@a9g2000prl.googlegroups.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1213145734 4643 80.91.229.12 (11 Jun 2008 00:55:34 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:55:34 +0000 (UTC) To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Wed Jun 11 02:56:14 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1K6EdK-0005P2-AL for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:56:14 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:39626 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1K6EcX-0005TR-1M for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:25 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1K6EcG-0005TK-8N for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:08 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1K6EcF-0005St-Fr for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:07 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=38629 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1K6EcF-0005Sq-A6 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:07 -0400 Original-Received: from main.gmane.org ([80.91.229.2]:59060 helo=ciao.gmane.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1K6EcE-000463-VC for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:55:07 -0400 Original-Received: from root by ciao.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.43) id 1K6EcA-00013l-BM for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:55:02 +0000 Original-Received: from hlfxns0149w-142177124236.ns.aliant.net ([142.177.124.236]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:55:02 +0000 Original-Received: from tyler.smith by hlfxns0149w-142177124236.ns.aliant.net with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:55:02 +0000 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ Original-Lines: 32 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: hlfxns0149w-142177124236.ns.aliant.net User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.2 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:a52XsITRNSTOzqrKo2Ke4mGyK68= X-detected-kernel: by monty-python.gnu.org: Linux 2.6, seldom 2.4 (older, 4) X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:54702 Archived-At: Xah writes: > Sometimes in 1999 i also read “Learning GNU Emacs” (O'Reilly) by Debra > Cameron et al. This book is more practicality oriented (as with most > commercial tutorials), and it did gave me a good intro. > > The book now is out dated though. Last edition, the 2nd ed, published > in 1996. Since then, emacs has gone to version 20, 21, and 22. Lots of > features are added, and lots of new computing technologies have become > important that didn't exist in mid 1990s. > The latest edition is actually the third edition, published in 2004. It's excellent. I started with the built-in tutorial, and I agree with Xah's assessment. It's the best point of entry. Following that, I read the O'Reilly book, which is very accessible and provides lots of good practical advice. After working through the most relevant parts of that book, I was well-enough prepared to make efficient use of the Emacs manual. Again, I agree with Xah that the manual is well written and comprehensive, but there are dark corners that need some work. Cheers, Tyler -- Power corrupts. PowerPoint corrupts absolutely. --Edward Tufte http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html