

Using Emacs - the good and the bad - adamc
http://www.surfaceeffect.com/thoughts/emacs

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dryicerx
_... , though I use it exclusively as a text editor and steer clear of its
other functionalities_

This is no way to use emacs.

I think it's great more people are using emacs, but there are optimal tools
for everything. For programming languages such as C/Python/etc, emacs is quite
powerful because you can bind it to compilers and point out syntax errors
inside, have bindings to tag definitions in the depths of sources, and the
ability to run the debugger and follow the source with it. But the op is using
emacs for editing raw HTML, which I think would be more of a drag for the
programmer, and better off using a more modern editor that supports HTML and
web centric features.

His mention about M-x is the only way to access functionality is wrong. By
default it is, but you can always add new key bindings to all the functions
available, or write your own. If you aren't doing these already, you are
severely underusing emacs (to the point it may hinder you instead of help
you).

And he mentions the lameness of the .emacs file, but the biggest upside of it
is, one can do all the worlds customization there and take with you where ever
you go, that's the real power of it.

For any new emacs users, I highly suggest printing and hanging this reference
card somewhere nearby
[http://mentoring.csua.berkeley.edu/files/RefCards/emacs_22_r...](http://mentoring.csua.berkeley.edu/files/RefCards/emacs_22_reference_card.pdf)

And <http://www.emacswiki.org>

Long live emacs.

