Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Sean Ochoa]

Hey all.  I'm sure you get this a lot for those adventurous enough to
venture out from windows (notepad-esc) text editors... but I'm totally
confused by the help files about how to use Emacs.  Here are a few of
my questions, for starters:

1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1
2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:admin@mysite.net
password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web
server (as a side note, does emacs support ftp 'save-as' to server?)?
3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?

A note for any answers:  I've already read through what I could find
the the user manual, and I'm still stuck.

Thanks for any additional assistance!

 - Sean

Re: Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Dmitry Dzhus]

Sean Ochoa <WakieWakie@gmail.com> writes:

> 1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
> sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
> laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1

It's likely that «Alt» is labeled as «Meta» on your machine. Read the
«2: Kinds of User Input» section in GNU Emacs manual.

> 2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:admin@mysite.net
> password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web
> server (as a side note, does emacs support ftp 'save-as' to server?)?

Emacs can transparently work with network transport methods including
FTP&SSH. Whenever you're asked for a file name (e. g. when saving a
file), use `/ftp:USER@HOST:FILENAME` syntax to select remote file. Read
the related section (thats 23.15: «File Handling — Remote Files») in GNU
Emacs manual.

> 3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?

«DIRectory EDitor» is a sort of file management mode for Emacs. You can
manipulate your files&dirs, view photo thumbnails etc. Type `M-x dired
RET` in your Emacs to see it working. Note that dired may also work with
remote hosts transparently. Read the related section (That's
32: «Dired») in GNU Emacs manual.

-- 
Happy Hacking.

Dmitry Dzhus
http://sphinx.net.ru
む

Re: Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Allan]

Sean Ochoa <WakieWakie@gmail.com> writes:

> Hey all.  I'm sure you get this a lot for those adventurous enough to
> venture out from windows (notepad-esc) text editors... but I'm totally
> confused by the help files about how to use Emacs.  Here are a few of
> my questions, for starters:
>
> 1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
> sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
> laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1
`c-' = <ctrl>, `M-' = <alt> . Do the tutorial to get used to the keystrokes for basic editing. You can also use the scroll bar and the Edit tab on the menu bar.
> 2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:admin@mysite.net
> password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web
> server (as a side note, does emacs support ftp 'save-as' to server?)?
I don't know; I use an FTP client such as Filezilla and edit on my machine then upload.
> 3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?
>
> A note for any answers:  I've already read through what I could find
> the the user manual, and I'm still stuck.
If you don't understand something in the manual at first skip it and read something else; there is a lot there. You may need some reference books on Lisp as well if you are not familiar with Lisp at all. Fortunately I have some old textbooks from the early eighties that are still relevent to elisp.
>
> Thanks for any additional assistance!
>
>  - Sean

Re: Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Tom Rauchenwald]

Sean Ochoa <WakieWakie@gmail.com> writes:

> Hey all.  I'm sure you get this a lot for those adventurous enough to
> venture out from windows (notepad-esc) text editors... but I'm totally
> confused by the help files about how to use Emacs.  Here are a few of
> my questions, for starters:
>
> 1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
> sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
> laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1

It is usually the Alt key.

> 2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:admin@mysite.net
> password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web
> server (as a side note, does emacs support ftp 'save-as' to server?)?

You'd use Tramp for that, but i'm not sure how well it works on windows.
You'd open an ftp file like /ftp:foo@example.com:filename
Emacs prompts you for a password and at least on GNU/Linux it works out
of the box. It also supports various other things like ssh.
Save as is simply C-x C-w as usual.

> 3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?

Directory editor, it is Emacs' version of a file manager. Not really
comparable to Explorer because it is designed quite differently (and
Dired is quite cool, believe me!)

> A note for any answers:  I've already read through what I could find
> the the user manual, and I'm still stuck.

What manual are you reading? C-h i m Emacs RET should open the
info-Manual, and it is in my opinion written quite well.

> Thanks for any additional assistance!
>
>  - Sean

Tom

Re: Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Xah Lee]

Sean Ochoa wrote:
「
Hey all.  I'm sure you get this a lot for those adventurous enough to
venture out from windows (notepad-esc) text editors... but I'm totally
confused by the help files about how to use Emacs.  Here are a few of
my questions, for starters:

1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1
」

The Meta key is a key on a Lisp Machine's keyboards (1980s). Those
keyboards went obsolete alone with lisp machines, and IBM PC keyboards
and decendents becomes the most popular (1990s and today). However,
emacs did not modernize.
(for photos and more detail, see
* Why Emacs's Keyboard Shortcuts Are Painful
http://xahlee.org/emacs/emacs_kb_shortcuts_pain.html
)

「3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?」

"Dired" stands for DIRectory Edit.
In modern terminology, emacs's dired-mode is just a text-based
directory browser and file manager. (meaning, you can use it to
create, delete, copy, rename files, etc.)

The "directory edit" kinda terminology reflects the fact that in the
1980s or 1970s, to do things like copy, delete etc files is in a
implementation-sense to edit the directory. Much of emacs jargons
remains in the 1980s.

You can read more about how to used dired here:
* File Management with Emacs
http://xahlee.org/emacs/file_management.html

「2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:ad...@mysite.net
password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web
server」

See a short description here:
* Fun With Emacs, section FTP (or file transfer)
http://xahlee.org/emacs/emacs_fun.html

  Xah
  xah@xahlee.org
\xAD\xF4 http://xahlee.org/

Re: Newbie programmer beginning to use Emacs, Help!

[Thorsten Bonow]

>>>>> "Xah" == Xah Lee <xah@xahlee.org> writes:

    Xah> 1.  What is the "Meta" key (I couldn't find a definition that makes
    Xah> sense in documentation anywhere)?  I'm using a HP Pavillion dv9428nr
    Xah> laptop running win xp pro and Emacs v22.1.1」

    [long text cut in which Xah laboriously fails to explain that the Meta-Key
    is normally the "Alt" key left to your space bar or the ESC key (top left)]

    Xah> 「3.  What exactly is 'Dired Mode'?」

    [...]

    [long text cut in which Xah fails (again) to see that Emacs tries to be
    consistent with---ahem---Emacs and not some other software]

    Xah> 「2.  How to enter a command like ftp mysite.net user:ad...@mysite.net
    Xah> password:admin_password, so that I can work on files from my web server」

    [long text cut which---surprisingly for someone who is campaigning for so long for
    the "modernisation of emacs"---describes an outdated method: use "tramp"]

You should know that Xah has an agenda. Form an opinion of your own if you want
to listen to him or just start with the Emacs tutorial: "Ctrl-h t" (That is
pressing the Ctrl and h key together, then press t for tutorial.) Or read the
Emacs manual. Both the tutorial and the manual are available from the "Help" menu.

Since so much is explained in the manual, I'm surprised that you claim to have
read what you could find.

Hope this helps.

Toto

-- 
Contact information and PGP key at
http://www-users.rwth-aachen.de/thorsten.bonow

Good evening. This is the intergalactic operator. Can I help you?

Rah Band: Clouds across the moon.