From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Adrian.B.Robert@gmail.com Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: Casting as wide a net as possible Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2015 15:05:19 +0200 Message-ID: <866101faeo.fsf@gmail.com> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1450098396 30519 80.91.229.3 (14 Dec 2015 13:06:36 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:06:36 +0000 (UTC) To: emacs-devel@gnu.org Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Dec 14 14:06:27 2015 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1a8SpO-0000if-7G for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:06:10 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:59583 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1a8SpN-0001eP-K9 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:06:09 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:58953) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1a8Sp5-0001YR-LS for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:05:55 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1a8Soz-0004Rh-Id for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:05:51 -0500 Original-Received: from plane.gmane.org ([80.91.229.3]:41517) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1a8Soz-0004Qj-9D for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 08:05:45 -0500 Original-Received: from list by plane.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1a8Soq-0008KG-1u for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:05:36 +0100 Original-Received: from 193.64.3.205 ([193.64.3.205]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:05:36 +0100 Original-Received: from Adrian.B.Robert by 193.64.3.205 with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:05:36 +0100 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ Original-Lines: 54 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: 193.64.3.205 User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/24.5 (windows-nt) Cancel-Lock: sha1:KVPjFpTbAtFu119BMFmNr4taSVY= X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. X-Received-From: 80.91.229.3 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:196240 Archived-At: John Wiegley writes: >>>>>> Drew Adams writes: > >> My only point is that Lisp features really do make Emacs what it is. To >> point out what Emacs is necessarily means pointing out some of those >> features (IMO). > > I agree. The things that make Emacs great: > > 1. Highly consistent syntax. > 2. Self-documenting. > 3. Integrated debugger. > 4. Ability to re-evaluate functions in a running environment. > (i.e., everything that made Lisp Machines great) > 5. Natural syntax for scoping resources (`with-temp-buffer ...') > 6. Large and well documented API > 7. Stable and mature concepts evolved over decades > 8. Huge, HUGE community of cargo-cultable examples, for those just learning These are all good, but, aside from #2 and #3, relatively deep and sophisticated. The simpler aspects that keep driving me back to use Emacs even as good IDEs and other tools proliferate, and the reasons I encourage others to try it: 1. Do things that often *can't be done* in other editors: - *everything* from the keyboard - fast, low-overhead keyboard navigation (faster than any IDE) - split windows for multiple spots in file or multiple files - clean, complete l10n handling - regex search/replace - keyboard macros 2. Do things *more easily* than other editors - discovery: M-x command completion and shortcut hinting (part of self-documenting, means can learn to use keyboard easily) - swiss-army knife: learn once, edit many types of content (rather than dealing with a new tool for every job) - works same on any desktop box - works same on remote *nix machines as in a local desktop (rather than suffering with vi etc.) - emacsclient (big when working with command-line shells in a desktop environment) 3. Better *customization* than other editors - menu options plus straightforward simple customization - full programmability for complex cases - *easily* migrate customization from environment to environment Overall, due to excellent design philosophy and a highly extensible foundation, Emacs delivers an unparalleled environment for focusing on what you want to do, rather than spending time fiddling and fighting with your tools.